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EXCERPTA  CYPRIA 


CAMBRIDGE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS  WAREHOUSE, 
C.  r.  CLAY,  Manager. 

llonDon:  FETTEK  LANE,  E.G. 
(BlagBoSu:  50,  WELLINGTON  STREET. 


1Ltip?ig:  F.  A.  BROCKHAUS. 
Botfe:  G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS. 
Bombag  anU  Calcutta:  MACMILLAN  AND  Co.,  Ltd. 


[All  Rights  reserved.] 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA 


MATERIALS   FOR  A  HISTORY  OF  CYPRUS 


TRANSLATED  AND  TRANSCRIBED 

BY 

CLAUDE  DELAVAL  COBHAM 

C.M.G.,  B.C.L.,  M.A.  OXON.,  LATE  COMMISSIONER  OF  LARNACA 


WITH    AN    APPENDIX    ON  THE 
BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  CYPRUS 


Cambridge: 
at  the   University  Press 
1908 


BIBLIOGRAPHICAL  NOTE 

Of  these  papers  35  were  published  at  Nicosia  between  1892  and  1895,  as  a  supplement 
to  the  Owl:  44  were  printed  at  Lamaca,  for  private  circulation,  between  1896  and  1902: 
that  on  Umm  Haram  is  extracted  from  the  Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  January, 
1897,  and  the  extract  from  the  Catalan  Lopez  is  here  printed  for  the  first  time. 


PREFACE 


rMHE  papers  collected  and  arranged  in  this  volume,  some  of  which  were  first 
printed  between  1892  and  1895  as  a  supplement  to  the  Oivl,  a  newspaper 
published  at  Nicosia,  comprise  extracts  and  translations  from  books  treating  of 
Cyprus,  travels,  histories  and  others.  Some  of  these  are  rare,  others  costly  or 
cumbrous,  and  most  of  them  are,  in  Cyprus  at  least,  difficult  of  access.  Of  some 
too  the  language  is  not  seldom  a  bar  to  comfortable  and  profitable  study.  I  have 
tried  to  give  translations  which,  while  rigidly  exact,  will  preserve  something  of 
the  spirit  and  form  of  the  original.  The  omissions  are  few,  and  generally 
indicated,  but  in  no  case  has  anything  been  excluded  which  directly  concerns 
the  island.  The  names  of  persons  and  places  are  left  in  the  authors'  spelling. 
To  each  extract  is  prefixed  a  brief  note,  giving  a  few  particulars  concerning  the 
book  and  its  writer,  and  the  date  of  his  visit  to  Cyprus. 

To  have  added  notes  in  correction  or  supplement  of  statements  found  in 
the  several  texts  would  have  been  to  re-write  the  history  of  Cyprus.  More 
capable  and  younger  hands  than  mine  must  undertake  that  task.  But  to 
this  future  historian  these  Excerpta  will  at  least  give  in  a  single  language  and 
in  one  volume  what  eighty  different  writers  have  left  in  twelve  tongues.  For 
so  much  trouble  .saved  I  claim  his  thanks. 

"  Cest  la  matiere  de  Vhistoire  nue  et  informe;  chacun  en  pent  /aire  son 
jirojit  autant  qnil  a  d'entendement."    Montaigne  ii.  10. 

C.  D.  C. 

Larnaca,  Cyprus. 
March,  1908. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


WRITERS 

A.D. 

PAGE 

Strabo  ... 

23 

1 

Pomponius  Mela 

40 

3 

CI.  Ptolemaeus 

140  . 

4 

Muqaddasi 

985  . 

5 

Benjamin  of  Tudela  ... 

1170  . 

5 

Benedict  of  Peterborough  1190 

6 

Neophytus 

119G  . 

9 

W.  von  Oldenburg 

1211 

13 

Dante  ... 

1300  . 

15 

W.  von  Boldensele 

1333  . 

15 

J.  de  Verona  ... 

1335  . 

16 

L.  von  Suchen 

1350  . 

18 

J.  Maundevillo 

135() 

21 

Martoni 

1:^94 

22 

0.  d'Anglure  ... 

1395  . 

28 

De  Caumont  ... 

14IH 

30 

Pero  Tafur 

1435 

31 

W.  Wey   

14.58 

35 

Capodilista 

1458 

35 

Felix  Faber   

1483  . 

36 

F.  Suriano   

1484 

48 

Zaniberti 

1485 

50 

N.  le  Huen 

1487 

51 

Fra.  Noe 

1500 

53 

Baunigarten  ... 

1.508 

54 

Le  Saige 

1518  . 

56 

Bordone 

1528 

61 

Possot  ... 

1532  . 

63 

G.  Atiagart   

1534  . 

66 

Lilio 

1551 

67 

J.  Locke 

1553  . 

68 

Elia.s  of  Pesaro 

1503 

73 

Furer  ... 

15()() 

77 

Falchetti   

1570 

oU 

Sozoineno 

1570 

Wl 
ol 

Diedo  ... 

1570  . 

87 

Paruta  ... 

1570  . 

96 

Lusignan 

.      1573  . 

119 

Calepio 

1.573 

122 

Porcacchi 

157(5 

..  162 

Villaniont 

1,589  . 

171 

WKllERS 

A.D. 

PAGE 

Thevet 

..      1590  ... 

178 

Dandini 

..      1596  ... 

181 

Moiyson 

1.596  ... 

185 

Cotovicus 

1599  ... 

187 

Lithgow 

1610 

202 

Sandys 

1610 

205 

Beauvau 

1615 

209 

Delia  Valle  ... 

1625 

210 

Stochove 

1637 

215 

Synaxaria 

..  1667-1801 

218 

Hurtrel 

..      1670  ... 

232 

Ricaut  ... 

..      1678  ... 

234 

Van  Bruyn 

1683  ... 

236 

Heyman 

1720  ... 

244 

Pococke 

1738  ... 

251 

Drummond 

17.50  ... 

271 

Hasselquist 

1751 

306 

Constantius,  Abp. 

1766 

308 

Lopez  ... 

1770  ... 

322 

Journal 

1779 

323 

Walpole 

1782-1802 

325 

Cypriano.s 

1788 

344 

M.  de  Vezin  ... 

..      1790  ... 

368 

Umm  Harani  ... 

1800 

374 

Clarke  ... 

ISOI 

378 

Ali  Bey 

1806 

391 

Kinneir 

1814 

412 

Light  ... 

1814  ... 

419 

Turner 

1815 

424 

Notizie 

1821 

450 

Pouqueville 

1824 

453 

Frankland 

..  1827 

456 

Gordon 

1832 

458 

Delaroiere 

18.32  ... 

459 

Engel  ... 

1841 

461 

Lticroix 

18.53 

4()3 

Tricoupi 

1860 

4o5 

Philemon 

1860  ... 

466 

Gervinus 

1863 

4(i9 

Berat  ... 

1866 

470 

Epitaphs 

1685-1849 

475 

to  face  p.  87 
to  face  p.  108 
to  face  2>-  168 


Siege  of  Nicosia  1570 
Plan  of  Famagusta  ... 
Lusignan  Genealogy  ... 


CORRIGENDA  ET  ADDENDA 


p.  .51.    For  a  single  begude  read  one  small  tavern. 
P.  52.    For  for  a  begute  read  used  as  a  tavern. 
P.  218.    For  Mr^viaia  read  Mr^vaia. 
p.  308.    Add  to  heading  : 

[Constantius,  born  at  Constantinople  1770,  studied  there  and  at  Kiev,  consecrated  Archbishop  of 
Sinai  1805,  was  a  visitor  in  Cyprus  from  1805  to  1811,  probably  on  the  business  of  the  metochia  of  his  see, 
and  was  raised  to  the  Patriarchate  of  Constantinople  in  1830;  resigned  the  throne  in  1834,  and  died  at 
Constantinople  January  5,  1859.] 

» 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


STRABO. 

Strabo,  born  at  Amaseia  in  Cappadocia  in  b.c.  66,  completed  the  seventeen  books  of  his  Geographica 
in  Rome  about  a.d.  23.  I  translate  his  account  of  Cyprus  from  Book  xiv.  6  (cc.  681—685),  ed.  A.  Meineke, 
1866.  Eratosthenes,  born  at  Cyrene,  flourished  between  275  and  194  B.C.  Pausanias,  a  native  of  Lydia, 
composed  liis  Feriegeain  at  Rome  in  the  second  half  of  the  second  century  after  Christ. 

The  stadion  =  100  opyvtai  =  600  Attic  7rdSes=582  English  feet.    An  Enghsh  mile  =  9J  stadia. 

We  have  still  to  make  the  circuit  of  the  island  of  Cyprus,  which  lies  on  the  South  of  this 
peninsula  (Asia  Minor).  We  have  said  that  the  waters  which  are  enclosed  by  Egypt  and 
Phoenicia  and  Syria  and  the  rest  of  the  coast  as  far  as  that  of  Rhodes  are  made  up  of  the 
Egyptian  sea,  the  l^imphylian  and  that  over  against  the  gulf  of  Issus.  In  these  lies  Cyprus, 
of  which  the  northern  parts,  for  on  this  side  it  is  nearest  to  the  mainland,  are  close  to  Cilicia 
Tracheia.  Its  eastern  parts  face  the  gulf  of  Issus,  the  western  are  washed  by  the  Pamphylian 
sea,  the  southern  l)y  that  of  Kgypt.  This  latter  joins  the  Libyan  and  Carpathian  seas  flowing 
from  the  West,  while  on  the  South  and  East  lie  Egypt  and  the  adjacent  coast  up  to  Seleucia 
and  Issus,  while  on  the  North  lie  Cyprus  and  the  Pamphylian  sea.  This  latter  is  bounded  by 
the  headlands  of  (.'ilicia  Tracheia,  Pamphylia  and  Lycia,  up  to  that  of  Rhodes:  on  the  West 
by  the  island  of  Rhodes,  on  the  Kast  by  Cyprus,  on  the  side  of  Paphos  and  Acamas :  on  the 
South  it  joins  the  Egyptian  sea. 

To  anyone  following  the  line  of  its  bays  the  circuit  of  Cyprus  is  34''20  stadia.  Its  length 
to  a  man  walking  from  Kast  to  West  from  Cleides  to  Acamas  is  1400  stadia.  The  Cleides  are 
two  small  islands  lying  off  Cyprus  on  the  East  coast  of  the  island,  700  stadia  from  Pyramos. 
Acamas  is  a  promontory  showing  two  rounded  hills  and  a  vast  forest,  situated  on  the  West 
of  the  island,  and  stretching  northwards;  it  is  the  nearest  point  to  Selinus  in  Cilicia  Tracheia, 
1000  stadia  distant;  from  Side  in  Pamphylia  it  is  1600,  and  from  Chelidonia  1900. 

We  have  .said  already  that  the  Cyprian  promontory  called  Cape  Crommyon  lay  opposite 
Anemourion,  a  cape  of  Cilicia  Tracheia,  at  a  distance  of  3o0  stadia.  The  course  thence  of  a 
vessel  which  has  already  on  its  right  the  island  and  on  its  left  the  continent  is  N.  and  E.  to 
the  Cleides,  a  straight  run  of  900  stadia.  Midway  lies  Lapathos,  a  town  with  a  roadstead 
and  docks,  built  by  the  Laconians  and  Praxander ;  opposite  it  is  Nagidos.  Then  Aphrodision, 
where  the  island  is  narrow,  the  distance  across  to  Salamis  being  70  stadia.  Then  Acte 
Achaion,  where  Teucer  landed  who  first  founded  Salamis  in  Cyprus,  when  he  was  cast  out,  as 
the  story  goes,  by  his  father  Telamon.  Then  a  city  Carpasia,  which  has  a  harbour ;  it  lies 
opposite  C.  Sarpedon.  From  Carpasia  to  the  Carpasian  islands  and  the  southern  sea  the 
distance  across  the  isthmus  is  30  stadia.    Then  a  cape  and  a  mountain.    The  peak  is  called 

c.  1 


2 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Olympos,  and  on  it  is  a  temple  of  Aphrodite  Acraia,  inapproachable  to  women  and  invisible 
to  them.  The  Cleides  and  several  other  islands  lie  not  far  off,  then  the  Carpasian  islands, 
and  next  again  Salamis,  whence  sprang  Aristos  the  historian.  Then  Arsinoe,  a  city  and 
harbour.  Then  another  harbour  Leucolla.  Then  C.  Pedalion,  over  which  hangs  a  steep  and 
high  hill,  table-shaped,  sacred  to  Aphrodite ;  the  distance  thither  from  Cleides  is  680  stadia. 
Thence  the  coast  is  generally  indented  and  precipitous  up  to  Cition...it  has  an  enclosed 
harbour :  thence  came  Zeno,  the  leader  of  the  Stoic  sect,  and  Apollonios  a  physician.  Thence 
to  Berytos  are  1500  stadia.  Then  Amathos,  a  city,  and  between  a  small  town  called  Palaia, 
and  the  breast-shaped  mountain  Olympos.  ["  In  Cyprus  is  the  city  Amathos,  where  is  an 
ancient  temple  of  Adonis  and  Aphrodite,  and  here  they  say  is  the  necklace  which  was 
originally  given  to  Harmonia,  but  it  is  called  the  necklace  of  Briphyle,  because  she  received 
it  as  a  gift  from  her  husband,  and  the  sons  of  Phegeus  dedicated  it  at  Delphi.  How  they  got 
it  I  have  already  related  in  my  account  of  Arcadia  (VIII.  24).  But  it  was  carried  off  by  the 
Phocian  tyrants.  I  do  not  think  however  that  the  necklace  in  the  temple  of  Adonis  at 
Amathos  is  Briphyle's,  for  that  is  emeralds  set  in  gold,  but  the  necklace  given  to  Eriphyle  is 
said  by  Homer  in  the  Odyssey  (xi.  327)  to  have  been  entirely  of  gold."  Pausanias,  IX.  41.] 
Then  the  promontory  or  peninsula  Curias,  seven  hundred  stadia  distant  from  Thronoi.  Then 
Curion,  a  city  with  a  harbour,  built  by  the  Argives.  Now  then  we  can  see  the  carelessness 
of  the  man  who  composed  the  elegy  beginning 

Ipai  To>  $oi'/3(a,  TToXXoi'  Sia  Kvfia  deovcrai 
rj\6oiJ,€v  at  Ta)^ivai  rd^a  (jivydv  e\a(j)oi, 

"sacred  to  Phoebus,  coursing  over  a  broad  sea,  we  came,  the  hinds  swift  to  avoid  the 
bow" — whether  it  were  Hedylos,  or  anyone  else.  For  he  says  that  the  hinds  started  from  the 
ridge  of  Corycia,  and  from  the  beach  of  Cilissae  swam  across  to  the  headlands  of  Curias,  and 
adds  moreover  that 

fivpiov  dvdpd(Ti  Oavfxa  vo€lv  ndpa,  Trcoy  dv68fvrov 
)(€Vfj.a  8i   iapiva  edpapofifv  ^((fyvpo), 

"an  infinite  wonder  was  given  to  men  to  see,  how  we  rushed  along  the  pathless  stream 
with  a  spring-bearing  west  wind."  For  the  course  from  Corycus  round  to  C.  Curias  is 
not  with  the  west  wind,  be  the  island  on  the  right  or  the  left,  and  there  is  no  passage 
across. 

Curion  then  is  the  starting  point  of  the  western  course  aiming  at  Rhodes ;  very  near  it  is 
a  promontory  from  which  they  hurl  those  who  have  touched  the  altar  of  Apollo :  then  Treta 
and  Boosoura  and  Palaipaphos,  built  as  much  as  ten  stadia  from  the  sea :  it  has  a  roadstead 
and  an  ancient  fane  of  the  Paphian  Aphrodite.  Then  C.  Zephyria,  with  an  anchorage,  and 
another  Arsinoe  which  likewise  has  an  anchorage,  and  a  temple  and  grove.  A  little  distance 
from  the  sea  is  Hierokepia.  Then  Paphos,  built  by  Agapenor ;  it  has  a  harbour  and  temples 
well  adorned.  The  distance  to  walk  to  Palaipaphos  would  be  60  stadia ;  and  yearly  along 
this  road  up  to  Palaipaphos  men  and  women  meet  and  keep  a  fair,  coming  from  the  other 
cities  as  well.  Some  folk  say  that  from  Paphos  to  Alexandria  is  3600  stadia.  Acamas  comes 
next  after  Paphos.  Then  after  Acamas  going  eastwards  one  sails  to  a  city  Arsinoe  and  the 
grove  of  Zeus.  Then  Soloi,  a  city  with  a  harbour  and  a  river  and  temple  of  Aphrodite  and 
Isis;  it  was  built  by  Phaleros  and  Acamas,  Athenians.  The  inhabitants  are  called  Solioi. 
Thence  came  Stasanor,  one  of  the  companions  of  Alexander,  a  man  deemed  worthy  of  rule. 
Beyond  it  inland  is  a  city  Limenia.  Then  C.  Crommyon.  What  boots  it  to  wonder  at  the 
poets,  particularly  those  who  care  for  nought  but  phrasemaking,  who  endorse  the  opinion  of 


STRABO.   P.  MELA. 


3 


Damastos,  who  puts  the  length  of  the  island  as  from  N.  to  S.  from  Hierokepia  as  he  says,  to 
Cleides  ?  Nor  is  Eratosthenes  correct,  for  while  blaming  this  writer  he  says  Hierokepia  is  not 
on  the  N.  but  on  the  S.  For  it  is  not  on  the  S.  but  on  the  W.,  since  it  lies  on  the  W.  side, 
where  too  are  Paphos  and  Acamas. 

Such  then  is  Cyprus  in  point  of  position.  But  in  excellence  it  falls  behind  no  one  of  the 
islands:  for  it  is  rich  in  wine  and  oil,  and  uses  home-grown  wheat.  There  are  mines  of 
copper  in  plenty  at  Tamassos,  in  which  are  produced  sulphate  of  copper  and  copper-rust 
useful  in  the  healing  art.  Eratosthenes  talks  of  the  plains  as  being  formerly  full  of  wood  run 
to  riot,  choked  in  fact  with  undergrowth  and  uncultivated.  The  mines  were  here  of  some 
little  service,  the  trees  being  cut  down  for  the  melting  of  copper  and  silver ;  and  of  further 
help  was  shipbuilding,  when  men  sailed  over  the  sea  without  fear  and  with  large  fleets.  But 
when  even  so  they  were  not  got  under  leave  was  given  to  those  who  would  and  could  cut 
them  down  to  keep  the  land  they  had  cleared  in  full  possession  and  free  of  taxes. 

Now  the  Cypriots  were  first  ruled  in  their  several  cities  by  kings,  but  since  the  Ptolemaic 
kings  became  lords  over  Egypt,  Cyprus  too  passed  to  them,  the  Romans  also  contributing 
often  their  help.  But  when  the  last  Ptolemy  who  reigned,  a  brother  of  the  father  of 
Cleopatra,  the  queen  of  our  time,  seemed  both  unsatisfactory  and  unthankful  to  his  bene- 
factors, he  was  deposed  therefor,  and  the  Romans  occupied  the  island,  and  it  became  a 
separate  imperial  province.  The  king's  ruin  was  chieHy  due  to  Publius  Claudius  Pulcher. 
He  fell  into  the  hands  of  pirates,  the  Cilicians  being  then  very  active,  and  requiring  a  ransom 
he  applied  to  the  king  begging  him  to  send  and  ransom  him.  He  sent  a  very  small  sum,  so 
that  the  very  pirates  were  ashamed  to  take  it.  They  sent  it  back  and  released  Publius 
without  a  ransom.  When  he  was  safe  he  bore  in  mind  against  both  their  favours,  and 
becoming  tribune  grew  so  powerful  that  Marcus  Cato  was  sent  to  take  Cyprus  from  its  ruler. 
Ptolemy  indeed  succeeded  in  killing  himself,  but  Cato  swooped  down  and  seized  Cyprus,  and 
disposed  of  the  royal  property  and  carried  off  the  money  to  the  common  treasury  of  the 
Romans.  From  that  date  the  island  became  an  imperial  province,  as  it  is  to-day.  For  a  short 
interval  Antony  gave  it  to  Cleopatra  and  her  sister  Arsinoe,  but  when  he  fell  all  his 
arrangements  fell  with  him. 


P.  MELA. 

Pomponius  Mela,  born  in  Spain,  wrote  under  Caligula,  about  a.d.  40,  41,  his  tliree  books  de  Choro- 
graphia,  "the  earliest  work  of  this  kind  which  we  possess,  and  the  only  special  work  on  the  subject 
wliich  Roman  literature  has  to  show."  Seylfert. 

Cyprus  lies  almost  in  the  middle  of  the  gulf  which  indents  most  widely  the  coast  of 
Asia,  stretching  across  it  East  and  West  in  a  straight  ridge,  and  lying  thus  between  Cilicia 
and  the  Syrias.  It  is  large,  in  that  it  once  included  nine  kingdoms,  and  has  now  a  few  cities, 
of  which  the  most  illustrious  are  Salamis,  Paphos,  and  Palaepaphos,  where  the  natives  assert 
that  Venus  first  rose  from  the  sea.    (Chor.  ll.  102.    Ed.  C.  Frick,  Leipzig,  1880.) 


1—2 


4 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


CL.  PTOLEMAEUS. 


Claudius  Ptolemaios  was  a  native  of  Upper  Egypt.  His  Geographice  Hyphegesis,  written  in  Greek 
about  A.D.  140,  is  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  our  knowledge  of  ancient  geography.  His  degree  {fioipa)  is 
taken  to  be  500  stadia,  and  is  divided  into  60  Tfju^^ara. 

I  have  used  the  text  of  C.  F.  A.  Nobbe,  Leipzig,  1898. 

Lib.  V.  c.  14.  The  Position  of  Cyprus.  Cyprus  is  surrounded  on  every  side  by  the  sea, 
and  on  the  East  by  the  Pamphylian  sea,  with  an  outline  like  this : 


Cape  Acamas 

Long.  64,10 

Lat.  35,30 

New  Paphos 

„  64,20 

>} 

35,20 

C.  Zephyrion 

„  64,10 

)> 

35,35 

Old  Paphos 

„  64,30 

)j 

35 

C.  Drepanon 

„  64,30 

)j 

34,50 

On  the  South  by  the  Egyptian  sea  and  the  Syrian,  with  an 

outline  like  this 

Courion  city 

Long.  65,10 

Lat.  35 

Mouth  of  River  Lycus 

„  65,20 

)> 

35,10 

C.  Courias 

„  65,30 

34,45 

Amathus 

„  65,45 

» 

35 

Mouth  of  R.  Tetios 

„  66,10 

>) 

35 

Cition  city 

„  66,15 

>) 

35 

C.  Dades 

„  66,30 

)) 

35 

Thronoi  city  and  cape 

„  66,15 

5> 

35 

On  the  East  by  the  Syrian  sea,  with  an  outline  like  this : 

After  C.  Thronoi,  C.  Pedalion 

(Ammochostos) 

Long.  67 

Lat. 

35,20 

Mouth  of  R.  Pediaios 

„  66,50 

») 

35,20 

Salamis 

„  66,40 

35,30 

C.  Elaia 

„  67 

>) 

35,40 

Ox  Tail  or  C.  Cleides 

„  67,30 

)) 

35,50 

On  the  North  by  the  Cilician  Channel,  with 

an  outline  like  this : 

Carpasia 

Long.  66,50 

Lat. 

35,55 

Achaion  Acte 

„  66,40 

35,50 

Aphrodision 

„  66,30 

)) 

35,40 

Macaria 

„  66 

35,45 

Ceronia  or  Ceraunia 

„  65,40 

J) 

35,45 

Mouth  of  R.  Lapethos 

„  65,30 

)> 

35,55 

Lapethos  city 

„  65,20 

)) 

35,55 

C.  Crommyon 

„  65,10 

» 

36,10 

Soloi 

„  65 

» 

36 

C.  Callinusa 

„  64,40 

35,50 

Arsinoe 

„  64,40 

j> 

35,35 

The  Eastern  parts  of  the  island  fall  into  the  Salaminian  province. 
The  Western  into  the  Paphian. 

The  Southern  side  of  the  middle  portion  into  the  Amathusian,  with  the  mount  Olympus. 
And  the  Northern  into  the  Lapethian. 


CL.  PTOLEMAEUS.    MUQADDASI.    BENJAMIN  OF  TUDELA. 


5 


The  cities  of  the  interior  are  these : 


Chytros 

Tremethus 

Tamassos 


Long.  66,30 


„  66,25 
„  66,20 


Lat.  36,30 
„  35,25 
„  35,45 


The  islands  on  its  coast  are  those  called 

Cleides,  their  middle  lies  in 
And  the  Carpasian  islands 


67,20 
64,  5 


35,45 
35,45 


Lib.  VIII.  c.  20. 

Of  the  notable  cities  in  Cyprus  Paphos  has  its  longest  day  of  14*25  equinoctial  hours,  and 
varies  eastwards  from  Alexandria  one  quarter  of  an  equinoctial  hour. 

Amathus  has  its  longest  day  of  14"25  hours,  and  varies  eastwards  from  Alexandria 
twenty-four  sixtieths  of  an  hour. 

Salamis  has  its  longest  day  of  14"30,  and  varies  eastwards  from  Alexandria  thirty-two 
sixtieths  of  an  hour. 


Shams  al  Din,  commonly  known  as  Muqaddasi,  was  born  at  Jerusalem  a.d.  946,  and  wrote  his 
Deiscription  of  Syria  at  Baghdad  in  985. 

I  transcribe  a  short  notice  of  Cyprus  from  page  82  of  the  translation  made  from  the  Arabic  in  1886, 
for  tlje  Palestine  Pilgrims'  Text  Society,  by  Mr  Guy  Le  Strange. 

Over  against  Tyre  lies  the  island  of  Qubrus,  said  to  be  twelve  days'  journey  round.  It 
is  full  of  populous  cities,  and  offers  the  Muslims  many  advantages  in  their  trade  thither,  by 
reason  of  the  great  quantities  of  merchandise,  stuffs  and  goods,  which  are  produced  there. 
The  island  is  in  the  power  of  whichever  nation  is  overlord  in  these  seas.  It  lies  distant 
across  the  water  a  sail  of  a  night  and  a  day,  and  from  thence  on  to  the  country  of  the  Greeks 
is  the  same  distance  again. 


The  Travels  of  Rabbi  Benjamin,  of  Tudela  in  Navarre,  date  from  1160  to  1173.  I  copy  a  short 
passage  from  Bohn's  Early  Travels  in  Palestine,  page  77.    Ed.  1848. 

From  Rhodes  it  is  four  days  to  Cyprus,  Besides  the  Rabbanitic  Jews  in  this  island, 
there  is  a  community  of  heretic  Jews  called  Kaphrosein  or  Cyprians.  They  are  Epicureans, 
and  the  orthodox  Jews  excommunicate  them.  These  sectarians  profane  the  evening  of  the 
Sabbath  and  keep  holy  that  of  the  Sunday. 


MUQADDASI. 


BENJAMIN  OF  TUDELA. 


6 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


BENEDICT  OF  PETERBOROUGH. 

The  Chronicle,  under  the  title  Gesta  Regis  Henrici  II.  et  Ricardi  I.,  ascribed  to  Benedict,  who'  was 
Abbot  of  Peterborough  from  1177  until  his  death  in  1193,  was  edited  in  the  Kolls  series  (2  vols.,  8vo, 
London,  1867)  by  Professor  W.  Stubbs. 

I  owe  the  translation  which  follows  (from  Vol.  ii.  pp.  162 — 168  and  172,  173)  to  the  kindness  of  the 
Rev.  Prof.  H.  T.  F.  Duckworth,  M.A.  Oxon. 

In  the  same  month  of  April  the  king  of  England  demolished  the  castle  which  he  had 
built  in  the  place  called  Mategriffon,  and  on  Wednesday  in  Holy  Week  (April  10,  1191)  he 
and  all  his  army  set  sail  from  the  port  of  Messina,  on  board  150  large  ships,  and  53  galleys. 
On  Friday  a  terrible  storm  came  up  from  the  south,  about  the  ninth  hour  of  the  day,  and 
scattered  his  fleet. 

The  king  however,  with  some  of  his  ships,  put  in  to  the  island  of  Crete,  and  thence 
crossed  over  to  the  island  of  Rhodes.  But  three  large  vessels  from  his  fleet  were  driven  by 
the  aforesaid  tempest  to  the  island  of  Cyprus,  and,  being  wrecked  and  broken  up,  sank  in 
sight  of  the  port  of  Limezun.  With  them  went  down  certain  soldiers  and  attendants  of 
the  king's  household,  amongst  them  being  master  Roger  Malus  Catulus,  the  king's  vice- 
chancellor.  The  royal  seal  was  found  hung  round  his  neck.  Isaac  the  Emperor  of  Cyprus 
seized  the  chattels  of  those  who  were  drowned,  and  robbed  of  their  money  all  who  escaped 
from  the  shipwreck.  Moreover,  in  the  fury  of  his  savagery,  worse  than  any  beast  of  prey,  he 
refused  permission  to  enter  the  port  to  a  galliot  which  had  been  driven  thither  by  the  wind, 
and  which  carried  the  Queen  of  Sicily,  and  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Navarre. 

How  Richard,  king  of  England,  seized  and  conquered  Cyprus. 

When  news  of  this  was  brought  to  the  king  he  hastened  to  their  rescue,  with  many 
galleys  and  a  great  following  of  ships,  and  found  the  ladies  outside  the  port  of  Limeszun, 
exposed  to  the  winds  and  sea.  Then  in  great  wrath  he  sent  messengers  to  the  Emperor  of 
Cyprus,  once,  twice,  and  yet  a  third  time,  making  his  request  with  mild  entreaty,  that  his 
fellow  pilgrims,  whom  the  Emperor  was  keeping  in  durance,  should  be  restored  to  him 
together  with  their  belongings.  To  whom  the  Emperor  made  answer  with  proud  words, 
refusing  to  surrender  either  the  prisoners  or  their  belongings,  and  saying  that  he  had  no  fear 
of  the  king  of  England  or  of  his  threats. 

Then  spake  the  king  to  all  his  army,  saying,  "  To  arms,  and  follow  me !  Let  me  take 
vengeance  for  the  insults  which  this  traitor  hath  put  upon  God  and  ourselves,  in  that  he 
oppresses  innocent  men,  whom  he  refuses  to  surrender  to  us.  But  truly,  '  he  who  rejects  the 
just  demands  of  one  armed  for  the  fray,  resigns  all  into  his  hands '  [arma  tenenti  Omnia  dat, 
qui  justa  negat;  Lucan,  Pharsalia,  I.  379].  And  I  trust  confidently  in  the  Lord  that  He 
will  this  day  give  us  the  victory  over  this  Emperor  and  his  people." 

Meanwhile  the  Emperor  had  occupied  the  shore  in  every  direction  with  his  men.  Many 
of  them  were  armed,  but  still  more  had  no  arms  at  all.  But  the  king  of  England  and  his 
men,  as  soon  as  they  had  armed  themselves,  disembarked  from  their  large  ships  into  their 
boats  and  galleys,  and  came  to  land  with  a  rush.  The  king,  accompanied  by  his  bowmen, 
was  first  to  land,  the  rest  followed,  and  as  soon  as  they  reached  the  shore  one  and  all  flung 


BENEDICT  OF  PETERBOROUGH. 


7 


themselves  upon  the  Emperor  and  his  Griffons.  The  arrows  fell  like  rain  upon  the  grass. 
After  a  prolonged  conflict  the  Emperor,  having  lost  a  multitude  of  his  men,  fled,  and  all  his 
host  with  him.  The  king  of  England,  exulting  in  his  great  victory,  pursued,  and  made  a 
very  great  slaughter  of  all  who  resisted,  and,  had  not  night  fallen  soon,  he  would  have  taken 
the  Emperor  himself  that  day,  either  alive  or  dead.  The  king  and  his  men  however  knew 
not  the  roads  and  mountain  paths  by  which  the  Emperor  and  his  followers  made  their 
escape,  and  would  not  pursue  them  further,  but  returned  with  a  great  prey  both  of  men  and 
animals  to  the  town  of  Limezun,  whence  the  Grilfons  and  Herminians  (Greeks  and  Armenians) 
had  fled,  leaving  it  empty. 

On  the  same  day  (May  6)  the  king  of  Navarre's  daughter  and  the  Queen  of  Sicily,  who 
was  sister  to  the  king  of  England,  entered  the  port  of  Limezun,  attended  by  the  king's  fleet. 
The  Emperor,  having  rallied  round  him  his  men,  who  were  scattered  amid  the  thickets  in  the 
mountain  valleys,  pitched  his  camp  the  same  night  on  the  banks  of  a  river  about  five  miles 
distant  from  the  town  of  Limezun,  declaring  with  an  oath  that  he  would  fight  the  king  of 
England  on  the  morrow.  The  report  whereof  was  brought  by  scouts  to  the  king,  who  long 
before  daylight  armed  himself  and  his  men  for  battle,  and  advancing  silently  came  upon  the 
Emperor's  men,  whom  lie  found  asleep.  Then,  with  a  loud  and  terrifying  shout,  he  charged 
into  their  tents,  and  they,  suddenly  awakened  from  sleep,  were  as  dead  men,  knowing  not 
what  to  do,  nor  whither  to  fly.  The  Emperor  himself  escaped  with  a  few  men,  naked,  and 
leaving  behind  him  his  treasure,  his  horses,  his  armour,  his  magnificent  tents,  and  his 
imperial  standard  wrought  all  over  with  gold,  which  the  king  of  England  at  once  dedicated 
to  the  blessed  Hdmund,  King  and  Martyr  of  glorious  memory. 

On  the  morrow  many  counts  and  barons  of  the  kingdom  came  to  the  king  of  England, 
and  became  his  men,  swearing  fealty  to  him  against  the  Emperor  and  all  men,  and  gave  him 
hostages.  Three  days  later  Guy,  king  of  Jerusalem,  Gaufrid  of  Lezinant  his  brother,  Anfrid 
of  Turun,  Raimund  [Bohemund  IIL]  Prince  of  Antioch,  Boemund  [Raymond  III.]  his  son, 
count  of  Tripoli,  and  Leo,  brother  [cousin]  of  Rupin  of  the  mountain,  came  to  meet  the  king 
of  England  in  Cyprus  and  there  they  became  his  men,  and  swore  him  fealty  against  all  men. 

On  the  same  day  the  Emperor  of  Cyprus,  seeing  that  all  his  people  were  deserting  him, 
sent  ambassadors  to  the  king  of  England,  to  sue  for  mercy,  and  offered  to  make  peace  on 
these  conditions,  namely,  that  he  should  give  the  king  of  England  20,000  marks  of  gold,  by 
way  of  compensation  for  the  money  taken  from  the  bodies  of  those  who  had  perished  m  the 
shipwreck,  and  surrender  the  persons  and  goods  of  the  survivors;  also,  that  he  should 
himself  accompany  the  king  to  Syria,  and  remain  there  in  the  service  of  God,  together  with 
a  lu.n.lred  men-at-arms,  and  four  hundred  Turcople  horsemen,  as  long  as  the  king  stayed 
there  •  also  that  he  should  deliver  his  only  daughter  and  heiress  into  the  king  s  hand  to  be 
married  by  him  to  whomsoever  he  would,  and  with  her  his  Empire;  furthermore,  that  he 
should  surrender  the  castles  of  his  realm  to  the  king,  as  a  pledge  for  the  steadfast  observance 

of  the  treaty.  ,    ,  i.    xi,    i  •  f 

These  conditions  liaving  been  proposed  and  accepted,  the  Emperor  came  to  the  king  of 
England,  and,  in  the  presence  of  the  king  of  Jerusalem,  the  Prince  of  Antioch  and  the  rest 
of  the  Lords  and  of  the  Princes  of  all  lus  Empire,  swore  fealty  to  the  king  of  England  and 
his  heirs,  as  his  liege  lords,  against  all  men,  binding  himself  also  by  his  oath  to  keep  and 
perform  the  aforesaid  treaty,  steadfastly  and  unshakeably,  in  good  faith  and  wnthou  guile.  ^ 
On  the  same  day  after  the  mid-day  meal  the  Emperor  was  in  his  tent :  whilst  the  king  s 
men-at-arms,  into  whose  charge  he  had  been  given,  took  their  mid-day  slec^,  the^  Emperor 
repenting  of  having  made  the  abovementioned  treaty  with  the  king  of  England,  secretly 


8 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


made  his  escape.  Then  he  sent  a  message  to  the  king  to  say  that  never  would  he  keep  peace 
or  treaty  with  him.  This,  as  it  appeared,  gave  the  king  great  pleasure,  and,  like  a  wary  and 
prudent  man,  he  immediately  placed  a  large  part  of  his  army  under  the  command  of  Gruy, 
king  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  other  princes,  saying  to  them,  "  Pursue  and  take  the  man,  if  you 
can.  Meanwhile,  I  will  sail  round  Cyprus  with  my  galleys,  and  station  guards  all  round  the 
island,  lest  that  forsworn  deceiver  escape  my  hands." 

As  he  had  spoken,  so  did  he.  The  galleys  he  divided  into  two  squadrons,  handing  one 
over  to  Robert  of  Turnham,  and  retaining  the  other  under  his  own  command.  Then  they 
embarked,  and  setting  sail,  the  king  in  one  direction,  and  Robert  in  the  other,  sailed  round 
the  whole  island,  seizing  all  the  ships  and  galleys  they  found  in  their  course.  The  Griffons 
and  Herminians,  who  had  been  charged  with  the  defence  of  the  Emperor's  towns  and  castles 
and  stores,  seeing  such  a  host  of  armed  men  and  ships  coming,  fled  into  the  mountains, 
leaving  them  without  a  guard.  So  the  king  and  Robert  took  all  the  castles,  towns  and  ports 
which  they  found  empty,  and  having  garrisoned  and  provisioned  them  and  left  guard  ships, 
returned  to  Limeszun ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  king  of  Jerusalem  and  his  forces  were  able  to 
achieve  but  little  in  the  course  of  their  expedition. 

On  the  12th  day  of  May,  being  Sunday,  and  the  feast  of  SS.  Nereus,  Achilleus  and 
Pancratius,  Richard,  king  of  England,  took  to  himself  in  marriage  Berengaria,  daughter  of 
the  king  of  Navarre.  Nicolas,  the  king's  chaplain,  performed  the  office  of  this  sacrament. 
On  the  same  day  the  king  caused  his  -wife  to  be  crowned  Queen  of  England  in  the  city  of 
Limeszun  by  John,  bishop  of  Evreux,  in  the  presence  of  the  archbishops  of  Apamea  and 
Auch,  the  bishop  of  Bayonne,  and  many  others. 

After  this  the  king  of  England,  hearing  that  the  Emperor's  daughter  was  in  a  very 
strong  castle  called  Cherin,  went  thither  with  his  army.  On  his  approach  towards  the 
fortress  the  Emperor's  daughter  came  to  meet  him,  and  falling  at  his  feet,  did  him  obeisance, 
putting  herself  and  the  castle  at  his  mercy.  Then  was  delivered  to  him  the  exceeding  strong 
castle  called  Buffevent,  and  after  that  all  the  towns  and  fortresses  of  the  Empire  were 
surrendered. 

The  wretched  Emperor  lay  in  hiding  in  a  certain  strongly  fortified  abbey  called  Cape 
S.  Andrea.  Hearing  that  the  king  was  at  hand,  he  went  out  to  meet  him,  and  falling  at  his 
feet  prayed  the  king  to  spare  him  in  life  and  limb,  saying  never  a  word  about  the  realm,  for 
as  much  as  he  knew  that  all  was  now  in  the  king's  hand  and  power.  This  only  he  begged 
from  the  king,  that  he  would  not  suffer  him  to  be  bound  in  fetters  of  iron.  The  king  heard 
his  prayer,  and  put  him  in  charge  of  Ralph,  son  of  Godfrey,  his  chamberlain,  to  watch  and 
ward,  giving  word  that  fetters  of  gold  and  silver  should  be  made,  to  bind  the  Emperor's 
hands  and  feet  withal,  and  that  he  should  be  made  fast  in  them.  All  these  things  befell  in 
Cyprus  in  the  month  of  June,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  being  the  vigil  of  Whitsunday. 

All  things  having  been  ordered  for  the  security  of  the  king's  Empire,  and  garrisons 
placed  in  the  towns  and  castles,  the  king  put  in  charge  of  Cyprus  Richard  of  Camville  and 
Robert  of  Tornham. 

On  the  same  day  (June  1,  1191)  Berengaria,  Queen  of  England,  the  Queen  of  Sicily,  and 
the  daughter  of  the  Emperor  of  Cyprus,  accompanied  by  the  greater  part  of  the  king's  fleet, 
came  to  the  camp  before  Acre.  On  the  same  day  also  died  Philip,  Count  of  Flanders,  in  the 
siege  of  Acre. 

On  Wednesday  after  Whitsunday  the  king  of  England  set  forth  from  the  island  of 
Cyprus  in  his  galleys,  taking  with  him  the  king  of  Jerusalem,  the  Prince  of  Antioch,  the 
Count  of  Tripoli,  and  the  rest  of  the  princes  who  had  come  to  him  in  Cyprus.    He  also  sent 


BENEDICT  OF  PETERBOROUGH.  NEOPHYTUS. 


9 


Ralph  son  of  Godfrey  with  the  Emperor  of  Cyprus  to  Tripoli.  But  before  the  king's 
departure  from  Cyprus  the  counts  and  barons  and  all  the  men  of  the  island  delivered  up 
to  the  king  the  half  of  all  their  possessions  in  return  for  the  laws  and  institutes  which  they 
had  in  the  time  of  Manuel,  Emperor  of  Constantinople.  These  the  king  granted  to  them, 
confirming  the  grant  by  a  charter. 

In  the  same  month  of  June  Richard  of  Camville,  whom  the  king  had  appointed  one  of 
his  justiciaries  in  Cyprus,  fell  sick,  and  without  obtaining  the  king's  leave,  came  to  the  camp 
before  Acre,  where  he  died.  After  his  death  the  Griffons  and  Herminians,  who  had  not  yet 
accepted  the  king's  peace,  set  up  for  themselves  a  new  Emperor  in  the  person  of  a  monk,  who 
was  kin.sman  of  the  P^mperor  Isaac.  'J'hen  Robert  of  Tornham,  who  was  now  sole  justiciary  of 
the  king  in  Cyprus,  assembled  a  great  army  and  joined  battle  with  the  new  Emperor,  whose 
host  he  put  to  flight.    The  Emperor  himself  he  took  prisoner  and  hanged  upon  a  gallows. 

In  the  same  month  died  Ralph  son  of  Godfrey,  to  whose  charge  had  been  committed  the 
Emperor  of  Cyprus.  The  king  then  put  the  Emperor  in  ward  with  Gamier  of  Nablous,  the 
Grand  Master  of  the  Hospital. 


NEOPHYTIJS. 

Tlie  letter  or  tract  of  the  monk  Ncopliytus  Conveniivg  the  minfortnncs  of  Crjprun,  ascribed  by 
Comte  (le  Mas  Latric  to  tlie  year  1196,  was  printed  by  Cotelier,  E  Cod.  Keg.  2376,  in  his  Eccleni(c  Grcccce 
MonumenUi,  vol.  ii.  4to,  Paris,  1681,  p.  460,  S.  19.  The  Greek  text  is  here  printed  entire.  There  is  an 
English  version  in  the  Rolls  Series,  but  it  was  not  at  hand,  and  our  translation  is  new.  The  letter  is 
mentioned  by  the  Rev.  F.  E.  Warren  in  his  edition  of  the  "Ritual  Ordinance"  of  Neophytus  (Archteologia, 
Vol.  xLVii.  IHHl)  to  which  is  appended  a  note  by  Mr  E.  Freshficld  "  0/(  the  Description  of  Cyprus,  hy 
KcDpliytiis,  (tiiil  tin'  coiKlilioii  of  the  Island  in  Jiis  time."  The  "  Ritual  Ordinance  "  was  first  printed  at 
Venice,  by  N.  (Hykys,  in  1779,  together  with  some  sermons,  Xoyoi  ds  ti)v  'E^arjfifpov.  A  sketch  of  the  life 
of  Neophytus,  who  must  have  been  alive  in  I'iO.j,  is  given  by  Mr  Warren. 

In  the  monastery  founded  by  Neophytus,  the  'KyKXeia-rpa,  a  picturesque  spot  near  the  village  of 
Tsada,  about  six  miles  from  Nea  Paphos,  are  still  shown  the  rock-cut  cell  and  chapel  of  the  hermit.  The 
'KyicXfiorpa  is  a  "peculiar"  (called  in  Cyprus  a-Tavpmrrjyiov)  independent  of  the  bishop  of  the  diocese 
(Paphos)  in  which  it  is  situcated :  a  privilege  it  is  believed  to  have  enjoyed  since  its  foundation  in  the 
reign  of  the  Emperor  Isaac  .\ngelus,  circ.  1185.  There  is  a  pleasant  description  and  view  of  the  site  in 
Mr  D.  (i.  Hogarth's  Devia  L'ypri<i,  1H89  (pp.  21 — 23).  The  letter  (it  is  not  known  to  whom  it  was 
addressed)  is  in  itself  an  interesting  document,  and  valuable  as  a  contemporary  account  of  one  of  many 
sudden  crises  in  the  history  of  Cyprus,  though  coloured  no  doubt  by  the  hatred  of  an  Orthodox  monk  to 
Christians  of  the  Latin  rite.  If  Salah-ed-din  is  an  "  abandoned  wretch,"  Richard  the  Lionhearted  is  his 
fellow.    The  Moslem  are  dogs,  the  Latins  wolves. 

It  may  be  ii()tc<l  (from  M.  do  Mas  Latrie)  that  the  one  hundred  thousand  hesants  Sarranins,  promised 
by  the  knights  Templar  as  the  price  of  Cyprus,  were  gold  by/ants  of  nine  francs  or  nine  and  a  half  francs 
each.  But  the  9r)(),()()()  francs  of  that  day  would  be  worth  7,60(),0()0  of  ours,  £304,000,  or  say  the  sum  of 
three  years  of  the  "Turkish  Tribute."  With  vAkkui,  long  boats,  cf.  Germ.  NacJieii:  not,  I  think,  smacks 
or  mucks. 

The  castle  of  Marcappus  is  Marqab,  on  a  high  hill  close  to  the  sea,  south  of  Laodicea  (Lazaqiat  el 
'Arab,  or  Latakia).    It  was  the  chief  seat  of  the  order  of  Hospitallers. 


10 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


THE  WORDS  OF  NEOPHYTUS,  A  PRIEST  AND  CLOISTERED  MONK, 
CONCERNING  THE  MISFORTUNES  OF  THE  LAND  OF  CYPRUS. 

A  cloud  veils  the  sun,  and  a  mist  mountains  and  hills,  and  these  for  a  while  shut  out 
the  warmth  and  bright  ray  of  the  sun ;  and  us  too,  for  now  twelve  years,  a  cloud  and  mist,  of 
successive  calamities  which  have  befallen  our  country,  wrap  round. 

For  Jerusalem  having  fallen  under  the  rule  of  the  godless  Saladin,  and  Cyprus  under 
that  of  Isaac  Comnenus,  fights  thenceforth  and  wars,  tumult  and  turbulence,  plunder  and 
dread  events,  covered  the  land  in  which  these  men  ruled,  worse  than  cloud  and  mist.  For 
lo !  the  life-giving  sepulchre  of  our  Lord,  and  the  other  holy  places,  for  our  sins  have  been 
given  to  the  Musalman  dogs,  and  at  this  great  calamity  every  Godloving  soul  weeps :  as  it  is 
written  (Psalm  xlvi.  6),  "the  nations  raged,  the  kingdoms  were  moved,"  the  sovereigns  of 
Grormany  and  England,  and  of  nearly  every  nation  are  moved,  I  say,  on  behalf  of  Jerusalem, 
and  have  done  nothing.  For  Providence  was  not  well  pleased  to  thrust  out  dogs,  and  to 
bring  wolves  in  their  room. 

And  now  for  twelve  years  the  waves  swell  up  even  worse :  and  he,  our  beloved 
spiritual  son,  to  whom  forsooth  we  write  these  things,  enduring  not  to  see  and  to  hear  the 
horrors,  and  partly  to  suffer  them,  after  many  questionings  and  contrivances,  by  a  divine 
impulse  fled  from  their  bloodstained  hands  with  all  his  people,  and  ha\'ing  approached 
Angelus,  the  sovereign  of  Constantinople,  was  honourably  welcomed  by  him,  and  from  him 
received  the  dignity  of  "  Augustus."  And  I,  in  fulfilment  of  my  promise,  lo !  by  the  grace 
of  Grod,  write  the  rest  as  I  promised,  setting  forth  to  those  who  may  read  these  our  present 
difficulties.  Which  difficulties,  when  they  shall  end,  no  one  among  men  knoweth,  but  He 
only  who  rebuketh  the  sea  and  the  winds,  and  they  are  still. 

Strange  things  and  unheard  of  have  befallen  this  land,  and  such  that  all  its  rich  men 


NEO<J>YTOY   nPESBYTEPOY  fiovaxov  koI  iyKXeiaTov,  irtpX  tSiv  Kara  ywpav  KvTrpov  crKaiaiv. 

Nec^e'Ar^  KaXvTTTei  tJAiov,  koI  bfxiyXTj  opr]  Koi  /3owoi)S,  8i'  wv  aTreipyeTat  $d\ij/L<;  Koi  (^lOTauyijs  rjXiov 
(Iktis  ^ovu)  tlvl-  €tpyei  Se  kol  r^jaSs  SoiSexa  ^pdvous  rfhrj  vec^eXr^  koI  6fXL)(X7]  (lA.X£7raXA,7^A.cov  Setvojv  Ttov 
TTj  X'^'P^  a-vpijitlijjKOTUiv  •  KpaTTjOeicrrj';  fiiv  yap  Trj<;  'lepova-aX-qp,  vtto  tov  aOtov  SaXai^aVTi,  r^s  §€  KiJTrpov 
vtro  'la-aaKiov  tov  Koyu,vr;vo{),  ixoL)(ai  Xonrov  koL  TroXefioL,  rapa^^at  koL  aKaracTTaa-Lai,  A.a<^i;paya>ytat  Kai 
Seivai  crvvavTTjawi  rrjv  yrjv  iv  fj  ol  BrjXwOevTt^  rjp^av  KareKaXvij/av  vc^cAt^s  koi  ofxix^V'  '"'Xeov  l8ov  yap' 
6  ^<i)r]<j>6pos  TOV  Kvptov  rjfMwv  rac^os  koI  to.  Xoiira  ayia  iSoOrjaav  rots  kvctl  Moiicroi;Ap,avois,  Sia  ras 
d/xapTtas  rjp,Civ.  Kai  8aKpveL  iv  Tjj  TOLavrr)  (rv^^opS,  Tracra  i/'vx''?  (f^tXoOeos,  Tapa^OevTa  Se  kol  to,  idvr], 
Koi  /SacnXeLaL  KpLdetaaL,  /cara  to  yeypa/A/Aevov,  6  ' AXaftavias,  <f>r]fu,  koi  6  'Ey/cptvias  Koi  irav  tOvos  <Txe86v, 
KeKivTjVTaL  VTrep  t^s  'lepovaaXijp.,  koi  rjvvaav  ouSev-  oiSe  yap  rjv^oKrja-ev  rj  Trpovoia  /cwas  i^ewcrai,  Kai 
AvKOus  avTiara^aL. 

Kai  iSoii  ifi'  xpoyo?  iirt  to  x'^'^P^^  Kvp.aTa  Kopv(f>ovvTai.  (.tl  Se  koI  avTo<;  6  vios  yjp.iov  o  TrvevyaaTiKos, 
Trpos  ov  8rjXa8-q  tovto  iypd<f}0fX€v,  to.  Seiva  ixi)  VTrocfiipwv  (SXeTreiv  T£  Kai  Slkovuv,  Kai  ck  fiepov<;  avTwv 
Tracrxfi'',  /oteTO,  TroAAas  irepivoias  Kai  jxrjxava<;,  i^fcfjvye  ^eipas  p,iai</)dvoi;s  crvu  TravTi  toJ  Aac5  avTOv,  6eia 
poirfj,  Kai  Trpoa-ffiOiTi^cras  'AyyeAio  t<2  ySacriAet  KwvaTavTivovTroXems,  TrpoaeSexOi]  IvTip.oi'i  Kai  to  ^ef^aaTov 
yepas  elXr](ji€v  avTOv-  iyw  8e  Trjv  viroa-xeTiv  iKirXrjpijiv,  ISov,  crvv  6e<S  ypa^o)  Kai  ra  iiriXonra  (I)S 
virtcrxop.'qv,  Toii;  ivTvyxd-vovcri  irapaBrjXwv  ttjv  iveffTwaav  Bva-x^peiav  twv  TrpayfJia.TWV  tJtis  apa  Svax^peia 
TTov  8r]  KaTaXrj^ii,  otSev  oiSets  ev  dv^pwTrots,  ci  jtxT;  /xdvos  6  iiriTifJioiv  rrj  OaXacrcnj  Kai  tois  dvcp-ots  Kai 
yaXrjviwaiv.     aeva  Tiva  Kai  8vcr-i]K0V(TTa  to.  Trj  X^P?'  TavTrj  crvfji^clirjKOTa  Seiva,  Kai  TOiavTa  o)?  TrdvTttS 


NEOPHYTUS. 


11 


have  forgotten  their  wealth,  their  fine  dwellings,  families,  servants,  slaves,  their  many  flocks, 
herds,  swine,  cattle  of  all  kinds,  grainbearing  fields,  fertile  vineyards  and  variegated  gardens, 
and  with  great  care  and  secrecy  have  sailed  away  to  foreign  lands,  and  to  the  queen  of  cities! 
And  those  who  could  not  fly— who  is  fit  to  set  forth  the  tragedy  of  their  sufeerings  ?  The 
searches,  the  public  prisons,  the  exaction  of  money  squeezed  from  them,  thousands  upon 
thousands !  But  these,  by  the  just  judgment  of  God,  were  allowed  to  befal  us  on  account 
of  the  burthen  of  our  sins,  that  we  might  be  humbled,  and  perchance  be  deemed  worthy 
of  forgiveness. 

England  is  a  country  beyond  Romania  on  the  north,  out  of  which  a  cloud  of  English 
with  their  sovereign,  embarking  together  on  large  vessels  called  smacks,  sailed  towards 
Jerusalem.  For  at  that  time  the  monarch  of  the  Germans,  it  is  said  with  900,000  soldiers, 
was  making  his  way  to  Jerusalem;  and  passing  by  the  land  of  Iconium,  and  coming  through 
the  eastern  countries,  his  troops  perished  from  the  length  of  the  journey,  and  from  hunger 
and  thirst.  And  their  sovereign,  as  he  was  riding,  was  drowned  in  some  river.  But  the 
English  king,  the  wretch,  landed  in  Cyprus,  and  found  it  a  nursing  mother:  had  it  not  been 
so,  he  too  perchance  would  have  sufi^ered  the  fate  of  the  German.  But  how  Cyprus  was 
taken,  this  too  I  will  briefly  relate. 

When  it  became  necessary  that  the  most  pious  sovereign  Manuel  Comnenus,  of  happy 
memory,  should  send  a  garrison  to  the  royal  strongholds  in  Armenia,  he  sent  one  of  his  kin, 
quite  a  youth,  Isaac  by  name,  who  after  guarding  the  fortresses  for  some  years  engaged  in 
war  with  the  Armenians.  He  was  taken  captive  by  them  and  sold  to  the  Latins.  They  held 
him  for  many  years  bound  with  chains,  for  his  uncle,  the  Emperor  Manuel,  was  dead,  leaving 
his  realm  to  his  son  Alexius,  also  a  child.    Whereupon  his  uncle  Andronicus,  who  reigned 


Tovs  avTTys  TrKovtriov;  eTrikaOtirOai  ttX-ovtov  uvtwv,  kafiTrpdv  olKYj/jLtiTiDV,  crvyyivwv,  olKerCiv,  dvSpaTroSojv, 
irX-qOov^  TTOifivitov,  ^ovKakiwv,  XaKiviwv,  pocTKrjfiiXTmv  iravToLoiv,  y^iopiuv  (TiTocjjoptov,  Koi  irafjL<j>6pu)v  dyu,7reA,ojv, 
Koi  wapafiuatDV  TroiKiXmv,  Ktii  jxtra  ttoXX-^?  mrov^yj^  aTrOTrAeCtrat  XuOpa  irpoi  \<j)pa^  dAAoSaTra?,  /cat  Trpos 
Tyjv  /3a(7iA.i8«,  Tojf  TToAeaJv.  "Ocot  St  8ia<f)vy{iv  ovk  la^vtrav,  ri's  iKavo^  iKTpaytuSr/aai  ras  6A.tt^£ts  avrwv, 
TOWS  ($€Ta(rfLOv<;,  tovs  B7]fjiO(Tiov<;  <f>v\aKi(rfiov<:,  rryv  6\Krjv  twv  tiTraiTOVfievoiv  ■)(pr)ix6.Tii)v,  p-ixpi  xiXiaZoiv 
TotTtDV  K(u  t6<t(i>v,  TuvTa  Sc  (rvyK€)(ci>pr]Tai  yeveaOai  Si'  a/j.apTia<;  oyKov,  </";<^<j'  dtov  SiKata,  iva  TairtLvwOivTc;, 
KaTa^i(j)6li>fj.€v  urd)?  (Tvyyv<!)fir]^ . 

Xujpu  urTLi'  'lyKkiTtppiL  TToppm  TT/9  l'(i)/xai/ta9  Kara  (ioppav  179  v€(j>o<;  lyKXtVctii',  crvv  t<u  apxovTi 
avrCiiv,  th  TrXoIa  ptydXa  ktyofxeva  vukku^  irvvdatXOwTts,  rov  ttXovv  Trpos  'Itpoa-oXvfjia  e^pw  rore  yap 
Koi  6  'A\ap.dvu>v  tip)^iDV  ptra  ivvfaKorrioiv  ^(lAtdStoi',  los  <f)a(n,  aTpaToirlimv,  Trpo?  '\tpo(T6Xvp.a  koi  avros 
TT/v  bppJijV  iwoiuTt)-  irapiXOiov  Se  rrfv  ^oipav  tov  'Ikovuw,  kui  to.  avaroXiKa  p-eprj  8i(p)(6p.fvo^,  BL{(j)Oapr](rav 

TO.  ITTpilTOTTtBa  T<U  pr'jKtL  TtJ?  oSoO  Kttt  TO)  Xip.W,  Kul  TU)  8l'l/'€l  •   6         UVTUIV  ^aKTlXtV^  tV  TIVL  TTOTafHW  aTTitrviyr], 

iTro\(>vp€V(>^  L-n-TTw.  'lyKXiVep  rfj  Kvtt/ju)  TrapaXafiiov,  evpfv  avTtjv  6  TravdOXio<:  o)S  TiOrivovaav  fir/Tipa, 
Koi  (I  p.i]  yiyove.  tovto,  ra  tov  ^AXap.dvov  urios  t/aeXAe  TTUtTurdaL  koX  auTO?.  irois  KvTrpos  edAco, 
itn?)p<)fJLahr)v  At^u>  Kai  tovto. 

'12?  iyivtTO  iv  )(pr)tTU  o  eV  paKupia  rrj  Xrj^ti  (iae^taTaro^  /JacriAcvs  MavovrjX  6  Kofxvr)v6<;  (f>povpov 
o-TtlAtti  Tiva  Trpos  Til  l3u<riXiKii  (f>povpia  rrjs  'Apjuevtas,  areXXd  riva.  tuiv  avrov  avyytvwv,  KOfxiSy  veov 
'\(TadKLov  Towopa-  os  )(j>(mn«:  TLva<:  ra  xdarpa  ■mpi^vXd^a'i  cnivdimi  TroAe/AOV  p.tTa.  rmv  App.tvLWV.  Kal 
Trap'  avTU)v  dXw&fU  irnrpdaKtrai  tois  AttTiVois.  O'l  Si.  <Ti8rjpoSe(Tp.iov  avTOV  Kareixov  xpo^ois  t/cavots, 
yap  T£Ati'TT/<ra9  6  ^aaiXivi  "MavovyX,  o  Oeios  avTov,  e'daas  rrjv  fiaaiXtlav  'AAt^t'u)  to  vlw  avrov,  7rat8apia> 
ovTi  Koi  avTu)-  Bl  i)V  airiav,  (rupySao-iAtuo-as  avrtp  ' AvhpovLKO'i,  6  Oeio's  avrov,  avaiptl  to  TratSdpcov,  KpaTrjaas 

2—2 


12 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


with  him,  killed  the  boy  and  seized  the  kingdom.  But  at  the  entreaty  of  the  assembly  he 
sent  a  very  large  ransom,  and  bought  the  said  Isaac  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Latins.  Isaac 
came  to  Cyprus,  took  it,  and  was  proclaimed  king.  He  ruled  over  it  for  seven  years,  and 
not  only  utterly  despoiled  the  land,  and  perpetually  harassed  the  lives  of  its  rich  men,  but 
every  day  he  hounded  and  oppressed  its  nobles,  so  that  all  lived  in  distress,  and  sought  how 
by  any  means  they  might  protect  themselves  against  him. 

While  things  were  so,  lo,  the  Englishman  lands  in  Cyprus,  and  forthwith  all  ran  unto 
him !  Then  the  king,  abandoned  by  his  people,  gave  himself  also  unto  the  hands  of  the 
English.  Him  the  English  king  bound  in  irons,  and  having  seized  his  vast  treasures,  and 
grievously  wasted  the  land,  sailed  away  to  Jerusalem,  leaving  behind  him  ships  to  strip  the 
countiy  and  to  follow  him.  But  king  Isaac  of  Cyprus  he  shut  up  in  chains  in  a  castle  called 
Marcappus.  The  wicked  wretch  achieved  nought  against  his  fellow  wretch  Saladin,  but 
achieved  this  only,  that  he  sold  our  country  to  the  Latins  for  two  hundred  thousand  pounds 
of  gold.  Whereon  great  was  the  wailing,  and  unbearable  the  smoke,  as  was  said  before, 
which  came  from  the  north.    He  that  would  tell  of  them  at  length,  the  time  shall  fail  him. 

The  state  of  our  country  now  is  no  better  than  that  of  the  raging  sea  under  a  great 
storm  and  tempest.  Nay  it  is  worse  than  a  wild  sea.  For  a  calm  succeeds  the  wildness  of 
the  sea,  but  here  day  by  day  the  tempest  increases,  and  its  fury  knows  no  end.  Unless 
indeed  it  hear  "  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come,  but  no  further :  and  here  shall  thy  proud  waves 
be  stayed"  (Job  xxxviii.  11).  In  the  book  of  Leviticus  (xxvi.)  are  clearly  written  the  evils 
which  have  come  upon  us,  to  wit,  wars  and  defeats;  our  seed  is  without  fruit,  the  labour 
of  our  hands  the  enemy  hath  devoured  it,  and  our  strength  is  become  a  thing  of  nought,  and 
we  few  in  number,  and  an  alien  people  hath  waxed  many  in  our  land.  Ye  have  walked 
contrary  unto  Me,  saith  God,  and  I  will  walk  contrary  unto  you  also  in  fury.    Even  so  it  is. 

jSao"tA.€ias  •  SvcrwTrij^eis  Se  Trapa  ri}?  CTvyKK-qTOV  /SovXrj';  areX-XeL  TrdfnroXka  XvTpa,  Koi  e^wveirai  eK 
AaT6Va)v  Tov  prjOevra  'laaaKLOv  os  i\6<i)V  Iv  rfj  KiJTrpo)  Kparel  avTyjv,  koL  (^ly/Ai^erai  ySaa-iAevs,  koI  Kparei 
avT7}v  erri  \p6vov<s  t,',  exaKOjfre  Se  ov  rrjv  \uipav  airXCi^  koI  tCjv  TrXovaiiDV  tovs  ^lov^  KaOoXov  BiijpTracrev, 
aXXa  KOL  Tous  lBlovs  ap-^ovTas  avTOv  TTOLvrjXarSiv  KaO  eKacTTrjv  kol  $Xl/3<i>v,  <o<tt€  TravTas  iv  afjLTq-^avLa 
8tay€iv,  Kol  TpoTTOv  Tiva  eTri^rjTOVVTa?  (f)vXa^a.(r6aL  arr  avTov. 

TovTWi'  Se  ovT(j)S  ixpvTdiv,  iSov,  Koi  'lyKXirep  Trpoa/idXXeL  rrj  KiJTrpu),  kol  Ooxtov  Trpos  avrov  eSpa/xov 
■ffavres"  totc  o  /JatriXevs  iprj/xos  evaTro/xetVas  Xaov,  TrpouStoKe  Koi  auros  X^P^'  'lyKXireppuiv  •   ov  km. 

8>Jcras  crtSiypois,  koL  toiis  avrov  6r]a-avpov<;  StapTracra?  a<f)68pa  ttoAAovs,  koi  rrjv  ^wpav  (TKvXevaa^  Scivcos, 
dir07rA,£r  Trpos  'lepovaaXr]fi,  TrXola  KaraXeLij/a';  tov  ax^8ev€Lv  rrjv  yuipav,  koI  (TTiXXuv  OTriaOev  avrov-  rov 
8e  jSaatXea  KvTrpov  'laaaKLOv  KaraKXeUc  o'L^-qpohta'ix.iov  iv  KUcrriXXio  KaXovfievi^  MapKaTTTro)-  Kara  Se 
TOV  bp.oLov  avri2  ^aXa)(avTLVOv  avvaa<;  p-rj^iv,  6  dXiTjypios  TjvLcre  rovro  Kal  p.6vov,  SiaTrpdcras  rrjv  -^wpav 
Aari'vois  ^vaiov  •)(iXidh(j)V  Xirpuiv  SiaKOCTLOiv  Sto  Kal  7roA.t>s  6  oXoXvyp.o'i  Kal  a(f)6pr]TO'i  6  Karrvo^,  d)S 
■jrpoeipyjraL,  6  iX6(j)v  sk  rov  (ioppd,  irepl  civ  6  OiXmv  ^rjXCta-at  Kara  p,€pos  Kal  6  )(p6vo^  eTTiActi/zct. 

Maivo/Aevr^s  6aXa(r(rr]<;  ex  ttoXX'^s  TpLKvp-ias  Kal  TroXXrjs  KaratytSos  ouSev  arroSiei  vvv  ra  rrj<;  X'^^P^'^ 
■r]p.C)V  p.aXXov  Se  Kal  yjapov  dyptas  OaXa.acrr}s-  eKCivr}';  yap  rrjv  dypLorrjra  SiaSe'xeTat  yaXrjvr]-  evOa  8c  6 
kXvSwv  Ka6  kKadrrfv  iirav^ii,  koX  ro  paySatov  avrov  riXo'i  ovk  c'x*'-"  I^V  '"'"^  aKOvaeu,  Me^pi  rovrov 
iXtvarj,  Kal  ovk  VTrep/Sycy,  aXX  iv  creavrfj  crvvrpL^'qaerai  o"ou  to.  Kvjxara.  Ev  rrj  AevinKyj  y8(./3Aa) 
ycypaTTTtti  SLapprjSrjv  ra  iv  ry  yfj  rj/jLiov  a-vvavrrjO'avTa  ■wrjp.ara,  yroi  TroXe/xoL,  rjrraL,  cnropal  8ia  Ktvrj'i, 
VTT  ivavrloiv  e8to8r^,  Kapiro^  Kapidrdiv  rjp.S>v  Kal  r]  icr^vs  rjp,Cjv  iyive.ro  eis  ov^iiv  koX  iyevop-eOa  oXiyoaroL- 
Kttt  Xaos  dXXorpios  iTrXrjOvvOr]  iv  ry  yy  yp-wv  iiroptvOyrf.  Trpos  /xe  TrActytoi,  Xiyei  6  0cos,  Kayo)  iroptv<rop.ai 
Trpos  vp.d'i  iv  6vp.m  TrAayto)  •    koI  yap  ovrws        ' '        p.y   ttw  yap  tis  vocrycras  xpXavu,  ovS'  6   iarp  is 


NEOPHYTUS.    W.  VON  OLDENBURG. 


13 


For  unless  a  man  shall  fall  sick,  and  halt,  neither  will  the  physician  apply  cutting  ^vith 
bitterness  and  burning.  It  is  manifest  that  had  we  not  grievously  angered  our  all-good 
Physician,  and  walked  contrary  unto  Him,  He  would  not  have  been  contrary  disposed  unto 
us,  chastening  us  for  our  salvation. 

CTTtiyei  to/xt;c  fj^era  ttik/kus  kol  Kavirew    S^Aov  on  Koi  rjfi€'i<;  el  fxr)  ttov  ttoWol  tov  iravdyaOov  larpov 
TrapciriKpayufxtv  Kai  7rA,aytojs  irpos  airov  €Tropfv6rjfjiev,  ovk  av  Koi  airos  TrAayiws  Trpos  r)ixa-;  huTiOrj, 
(TOirqpL<j)Bw<;  KaTaTriKpalvoiV  ij/iias. 


W.  VON  OLDENBURG. 

Wilhrandi  de  Oldenborg  Peregrinatio,  a  journal  of  pilgrimage  written  in  neat  Latin,  was  first  printed 
in  1653,  and  republished  by  .1.  C.  M.  Laurent  in  Peregriiia fores  inedii  uevi  qiiatuor,  2nd  ed.,  Leipzig,  1873. 

Wilbraud,  Count  of  (Mdenburg,  son  of  Henry  II.  Count  of  Oldenburg  and  Beatrix,  Countess  of 
Hallenuund,  was  in  1211  Canon  of  Hildeslieim,  in  1212  of  Paderborn,  in  1228  Bishop  of  Utrecht,  and  died 
July  27,  1234.  He  reached  Acre  August  2.5,  1211,  and  coasting  North  and  West  came  to  Corycus  in  Cilicia 
Tracheia.    Of  the  "  prepositus  Hermannus  de  Lugonne  "  nothing  is  known. 

Lecky,  Rationalium,  Vol.  i.  p.  24  (ed.  1897),  in  a  note  quotes  Malleus  Maleficarum  (1489)  p.  522,  stating 
tliat  "  the  Incubi  generally  had  no  children,  but  there  were  some  exceptions  to  this  rule ;  for  Nider  the 
inquisitor  assures  us  that  the  island  of  Cyprus  was  entirely  peopled  by  their  sons." 

Cap.  XXVII.  p.  IHO.  From  Corycus,  only  two  miles  from  Seleucia  and  the  river  [Seleph 
or  Calycadnus]  in  which  the  Emperor  Frederic  I.  Barbarossa  was  drowned,  we  took  .ship  and 
crossed  to  Cyprus.  The  island  is  extremely  fertile,  and  produces  excellent  wine.  It  lies  near 
the  Cyclades,  but  is  not  one  of  them.  Its  length  is  four  days'  journey,  its  breadth  more  than 
two.  It  has  liigh  mountains.  There  is  one  archbishop,  who  has  three  suifragans.  These  are 
Latins.  But  the  (ireeks,  over  whom  throughout  tliis  land  the  Latins  have  dominion,  have 
thirteen  bishops,  of  whom  one  is  an  archbishop.  They  all  obey  the  Franks,  and  pay  tribute 
like  slaves.  Whence  you  can  see  that  the  Franks  are  the  lords  of  this  land,  whom  the 
Greeks  and  Armenians  obey  as  serfs.  They  are  rude  in  all  their  habits,  and  shabby  in  their 
dress,  sacrificing  chiefly  to  their  lusts.  We  shall  ascribe  this  to  the  wine  of  that  country 
which  provokes  to  luxury,  or  rather  to  those  who  drink  it.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  Venus 
was  said  to  be  worshipped  in  Cyprus.  And  she  herself  was  called  Cypris,  as  it  is  said,  "the 
goddess  Cypris  yields  to  Mars,  or  to  her  own  arts."  For  the  wines  of  this  island  are  so  thick 
and  rich  that  tlu>y  are  sometimes  specially  prepared  to  be  eaten  like  honey  with  bread. 
Cyprus  rears  nuiny  wild  asses  and  rams,  stags  and  hinds :  but  it  has  no  bears,  lions  or  wolves, 
or  other  dangerous  beasts.  Let  him  who  desires  to  be  more  fully  informed  concerning  this 
land,  how  it  was  first  made  habitable,  and  how  virgins  were  here  beguiled  by  demons  and 
bore'  them  offspring,  and  how  far  those  demons  haunted  the  men  who  first  colonised  the 
island,  study  the  book  of  the  Provost  Hermann  of  Lyon,  in  which  that  dignitary  of  pious 
memory  describes  fully  and  exactly  all  these  things  and  nnich  more  about  the  condition  of 
Cyprus.    Of  your  charity  let  his  soul  find  remembrance  in  your  prayers. 

We  first  touched  land  at  Schenue  [Keryneia]  a  small  town  but  fortified,  which  has  a 
castle  with  walls  and  towers.  Its  chief  boast  is  its  good  harbour.  In  this  district  the  king 
of  Cyprus  has  four  good  castles.  Note  that  the  Emperor  Henry  VI.  made  the  first  lord  of 
this  country  a  king,  and  crowned  Iutu  by  the  hands  of  Conrad  the  chancellor.  Hence  it 
follows  that  the  king  of  this  land  is  bound  in  fealty  to  the  Roman  Emperor. 


14 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Passing  on  we  readied  Cossia  [Nicosia],  This  is  the  king's  capital  city,  situated  almost 
in  the  middle  of  the  plain;  it  has  no  fortifications.  A  strong  castle  has  just  now  been  built 
in  it.  It  has  inhabitants  without  number,  all  very  rich,  whose  houses  in  their  interior 
adornment  and  paintings  closely  resemble  the  houses  of  Antioch.  In  this  city  is  the  seat  of 
the  archbishop.  Also  the  court  and  palace  of  the  king,  where  I  first  saw  an  ostrich.  This 
city  is  five  miles  from  Schernas.  On  the  road  thither  we  came  on  many  cypress  trees,  which 
grow  here  and  there  in  great  numbers.    From  these  I  think  the  island  takes  its  name. 

We  continued  our  pilgrimage  thence  to  visit  the  cross  of  the  thief  who  was  crucified  on 
our  Lord's  right  hand,  and  reached  Lamezis  [Limassol] .  This  is  a  city  but  slightly  fortified, 
lying  by  the  sea,  with  a  much  frequented  harbour.  Here  is  the  first  suffragan  see  of  the 
lord  bishop  of  Nicosia.  Near  it  are  the  vineyards  of  Bngaddi,  concerning  which  see  the 
Song  of  Songs  i.  14  "my  beloved  is  unto  me  as  a  cluster  of  Cyprus  in  the  vineyards  of 
Engaddi."  Here  also  balsam  used  to  be  found  but  is  no  longer  found.  The  wines  of  the 
place  are  excellent ;  for  their  sweetness  trust  to  our  experience,  for  we  tried  and  tasted  them. 

Hence  we  made  the  ascent  of  the  mountain  called  of  the  Holy  Cross,  which  outtops  all 
the  mountains  of  Cyprus.  On  its  peak  is  a  small  convent.  The  life  of  its  inmates,  if  they 
will  allow  me  to  say  so,  is  very  unlike  that  of  monks.  Within  the  convent  is  a  small  chapel, 
in  which  that  precious  cross  is  kept  with  much  honour.  It  hangs  and  swings  in  the  air,  they 
say,  resting  on  no  support.  But  it  is  not  easy  to  see  this.  This  was  the  manner  and  this  the 
reasoii  of  its  being  set  there.  The  devil,  that  enemy  of  all  good,  pursued  the  settlers  and 
dwellers  of  this  land  with  such  malice  that  he  used  to  tear  up  by  night  the  bodies  of  the  dead 
who  had  been  interred  during  the  day,  and  brought  them  back  to  the  homes  of  their  friends. 
So  that  the  natives  could  not  bury  their  dead.  Helena  the  mother  of  Constantino  who  was 
then  ruler  there  pitied  their  trouble,  and  set  that  cross  which  she  had  brought  whole  from 
Jerusalem,  as  it  stands  to-day,  on  that  mountain;  and  thus  she  drove  with  power  those 
malicious  foes  not  only  from  the  land,  but  from  the  lower  air  which  is  thought  to  be  the 
prison  of  devils,  as  though  she  used  that  word  of  the  Lord  "  let  the  dead  bury  their  dead." 
And  thus  that  ancient  enemy,  who  conquered  on  the  cross,  was  by  that  cross  conquered. 

From  this  mountain  we  saw  Paphos:  this  too  is  on  the  shore,  and  contains  the  second 
suffragan  see  of  the  lord  bishop  of  Nicosia.  It  is  a  small  town,  and  they  still  show  there  the 
tower  on  which  in  the  days  of  heathen  ignorance  Venus  was  worshipped  by  her  lovers. 

Our  pilgrimage  was  now  done,  and  we  toiled  on  to  Famagusta.  We  had  gone  so  far  on 
foot,  and  were  compelled  for  very  weariness  to  hire  asses,  and  thought  we  were  going  to  race 
on  them  as  on  stout  horses.  Then  one  of  our  party,  whom  I  do  not  presume  to  name,  whose 
tongue  many  a  cup  had  quickened,  when  he  thought  to  mount,  found  his  legs  going  in 
different  ways  and  fell  from  his  ass,  and  while  trying  to  rise  even  received  some  kicks  from 
it.  So  was  our  Silenus  overthrown,  and  spurned  by  the  ass's  hoof !  He  was  for  throwing  all 
his  mishap  on  the  wine,  when  he  ought  rather  to  have  followed  that  maxim  of  Cato's 

"  You  whom  wine  causes  to  err,  absolve  not  yourself : 
No  fault  lies  with  the  wine,  the  fault  is  the  drinker's." 

Hence  we  reached  Famagusta,  a  city  built  close  to  the  sea,  with  a  good  harbour,  slightly 
fortified.  Here  is  the  third  suffragan  see  of  the  lord  bishop  of  Nicosia.  Near  it  is  the  site  of 
some  city  now  destroyed,  from  which,  they  say,  came  that  famous  and  blessed  Epiphanius, 
who  is  commemorated  in  the  Canon. 

Prom  this  city,  after  a  delay  of  three  weeks  while  we  waited  for  a  favouring  wind,  we  set 
sail,  and  with  much  toil  and  through  a  great  storm  we  returned  to  Acre. 


W.  VON  OLDENBURG.    DANTE.    W.  VON  BOLDENSELE. 


15 


DANTE. 

Dante  Alighieri,  in  a  mystical  passage  of  the  Paradise,  xix.  145-148,  speaking  with  the  mouth  of 
tlie  Roman  Eagle  (standing  here  as  the  symbol  of  the  justice  of  the  Empire)  within  the  outlines  of  which 
he  sees  gathered  the  souls  of  those  kings  of  the  earth  who  did  justly  and  loved  mercy,  seems  to  say  that 
m  earnest  of  that  day  when  injustice  and  vice  shall  meet  their  doom,  Nicosia  and  Famagusta  already 
groan  with  sorrow  and  growl  witli  anger  at  the  selfish  wickedness  of  Henry  II.  of  Lusignan  (1285—1310) 
a  worthy  sty-mate  of  other  bestial  kings.  Here  is  the  text,  Gary's  translation,  and  the  comment  of 
Benvenuto  da  Imola. 

E  creder  dee  ciascun  clie  gid,  per  arra 

Di  questo,  Nicosia  e  Famagosta 

Per  la  lor  bestia  si  lamenti  e  garra, 
Che  dal  fiance  dell'  altre  non  si  scosta. 

In  earnest  of  that  day,  e'en  now  are  heard 
Wailings  and  groans  in  Famagosta's  streets 
And  Nicosia's,  grudging  at  their  beast. 
Who  keepetli  even  footing  with  the  rest. 

"AtuI  evoryonc  ought  to  believe  tliat  by  this  same  token,  that  is  by  the  token  of  this 
prophecy  or  hook,  that  Nicosia  and  Famagosta,  by  which  he  means  to  be  understood  the 
kingdom  of  Cyprus— for  Nicosia  is  a  city  in  Cyprus :  Famagosta  another  city,  greater  and 
richer,  to  which  tliere  is  a  general  concourse  of  merchants — laments  and  groans,  that  is,  is  in 
tumult  over  their  l)east,  tliat  is  their  king,  wlio  lives  as  a  beast.  Wherefore  he  says  which, 
that  is,  which  king,  does  not  separate  itself  from  the  side  of  the  others,  that  is,  does  not  differ 
nor  depart  \rom  the  side  of  the  other  beasts,  that  is,  of  other  vicious  kings.  And  truly  he 
does  not  separate  himself  and  keep  liimself  apart  from  the  bestial  living  of  others,  nay  rather 
o'ertops  and  exceeds  with  his  Cypriot  subjects  all  rulers  and  peoples  of  the  kingdoms  of 
Christendom  in  superfluity  of  luxury,  gluttony,  effeminacy  and  every  kind  of  pleasure.  But 
to  be  at  pains  to  describe  the  kinds  of  feasts,  tlieir  sumptuonsness,  variety  and  superfluities, 
would  be  tiresome  to  tell,  and  tedious  to  write,  and  harmful  to  hear.  Wherefore  men  who 
live  soberly  and  temperately  ought  to  turn  away  their  eyes  from  seeing,  and  their  ears  from 
hearing  the  meretricious,  lewd  and  fllthy  habits  of  that  island,  which  by  God's  leave  the 
Genoese  have  now  invaded,  conquered,  evil-entreated  and  amerced." 


W.  VON  BOLDENSELE. 

Wilhelm  von  Boldensele  or  Boldensleeve  (Otto  von  Neuhaus)  deserted  the  Dominican  Convent  of 
S.  Paul  at  Minden,  got  absolution  at  Rome,  and  undertook  in  1833  the  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Places. 
The  journey  was  made  perhaps  at  the  instance  of  Cardinal  Elie  de  Talleyrand,  Comte  de  Perigord,  Bishop 
of  Limoges :  or,  as  Basnage  says,  the  Cardinal  may  have  only  prompted  him  to  describe  it,  for  his  own 
information  or  for  that  of  Ik-nedict  XII.,  who  was  preaching  a  new  Crusade. 

His  H()(h>cj>()ficoii  ad  Terrain  Saiictam  was  written  in  1336,  and  published  in  Canisius,  LectioneH 
Antiquae,  ed.  by  J.  Basnage,  fol.  Anvers,  1725  (see  vol.  iv.  p.  338). 

Fi-oni  Kliodes  I  went  on  towards  Cyprus.  This  island  is  rich  in  excellent  wine,  whence 
the  bride  in  the  Songs  compares  the  bridegroom  to  a  cluster  of  Cyprus  in  the  vineyards  of 


16 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Engaddi.  These  vineyards  are  in  Cyprus,  near  the  city  Nicomosa,  and  are  called  to-day  by 
the  inhabitants  Engaddia. 

The  wines  of  Cyprus  are  naturally  red,  and  after  a  year  they  grow  white,  and  the  older 
they  are  the  whiter  they  grow :  they  smell  well,  are  wholesome  and  very  strong,  and  unless 
largely  mixed  with  water  are  hardly  fit  to  drink. 

There  is  in  Cyprus  on  a  certain  high  mountain  in  the  care  of  the  monks  of  S.  Benedict  the 
cross  of  the  good  thief,  and  part  of  a  nail  of  the  Passion ;  and  other  worshipful  relics.  Also 
in  Cyprus  is  the  body  of  the  blessed  Hilarion  under  the  royal  care  in  the  castle  which  is 
called  Gedamors  [Dieu  d' amours].  And  another  saint  who  is  called  Zozonion  or  Zozomion 
is  held  in  this  island  in  great  reverence,  whose  head  is  preserved  in  the  royal  chapel. 
S.  Barnabas  also  of  the  city  Salamina  or  Constantia  now  destroyed,  near  Famagusta,  was 
born  in  Cyprus. 

There  are  in  the  mountains  of  Cyprus  wild  sheep,  with  hair  like  that  of  goats  and  dogs, 
which  are  said  to  be  found  nowhere  else.  It  is  a  very  swift  animal  and  its  flesh  is  good  and 
sweet.  When  I  was  out  hunting  I  saw  several  caught  by  dogs,  and  especially  by  the  tame 
leopards  of  Cyprus. 

On  Christmas-day  I  reached  Syria. 


J.  DE  VERONA. 

Jacobus  cle  Verona,  an  Augustinian  monk,  left  Verona  May  7,  1335,  embarked  at  Venice  May  29, 
visited  Cyi^rus,  preached  at  Nicosia  before  Hugues  IV.  de  Lusignan,  and  left  the  island  on  July  21  for  the 
Holy  Land,  Sinai  and  Egypt,  returning  in  October  to  his  home. 

We  translate  from  the  rude  Latin  of  the  text  published  in  the  Revue  de  VOrient  Latin  (1895, 
pp.  175-  179)  by  M.  Reinhold  Roehricht. 

With  a  calm  sea  and  favourable  wind  we  sailed  past  Rhodes,  which  belongs  to  the 
Brethren  of  S.  John  of  Jerusalem,  and  reached  Cyprus  in  great  alarm,  because  a  pirate, 
a  savage  robber  of  the  sea,  one  Bartholomew  Malopolus,  was  following  us  or  close  to  us.  At 
length  by  God's  help  we  escaped  him  and  arrived  at  the  city  of  Paphus,  commonly  called 
Bafa ;  then  passing  by  the  city  of  Cyprus  we  anchored  in  the  harbour  of  Famagosta,  a  city 
of  Cyprus,  on  Friday,  the  last  day  of  June  (1335) ;  and  on  the  following  day,  the  first  of  July, 
we  all,  merchants  and  pilgrims  and  sailors  and  crew,  went  to  the  church  of  S.  Maria  de  la 
Cava,  which  is  about  two  bowshots  outside  the  town,  and  there  in  most  devout  fashion 
I  celebrated  mass,  and  we  offered  one  large  or  double  candle  to  the  glorious  Virgin  who 
delivered  us  from  so  many  dangers,  for  while  we  were  yet  at  sea  we  had  thus  made  our  vow. 
The  church  is  worthy  to  be  visited  devoutly  and  often :  it  is  in  a  cavern,  and  you  descend 
into  it  by  thirty-six  steps.  It  is  well  lighted  and  adorned  and  painted,  but  of  small  size. 
Everyone  who  lands  goes  there  forthwith.  There  are  three  chaplains  who  remain  there 
continually,  and  celebrate  daily  for  the  crowd  of  visitors.  For  at  sea  when  the  sailors  at 
even  sing  8alve  Regina  one  of  them  always  invokes  the  help  first  of  the  Holy  Cross  of  Mount 
Calvary,  then  that  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  of  the  Cave,  and  for  many  years  the 
worshippers  in  that  church  respond  Deus  exaudiat. 

I  stayed  twenty  days  in  that  island  of  Cyprus,  and  got  to  the  city  of  Nicosia,  and  visited 
the  Lord  Hugo,  king  of  Cyprus,  who  is  virtuous,  gracious  and  devout.  Every  Sunday  and 
Feast  day  he  hears  sermons  from  clergy  in  his  own  chapel — I  too  preached  before  him — and 


\V.  VON  BOLDENSELE.   J.  DE  VERONA. 


17 


he  has  ten  chaplains  who  celebrate  daily,  and  himself  is  always  present  at  the  service. 
Among  the  clergy  are  three  monks  of  our  Order,  two  Preachers,  and  the  secular  priests. 
That  city  of  Nicosia  is  adorned  with  many  gardens,  and  has  many  nobles.  It  is  a  day's 
journey  from  Famagosta.  But  from  Candia,  a  city  in  Crete,  to  Famagosta  the  distance  is 
eight  hundred  miles;  and  from  Candia  to  Venice  fifteen  hundred,  and  from  Venice  to 
Famagosta  two  thousand  three  hundred  miles. 

In  that  city  of  Cyprus  and  in  the  island  I  saw  the  novelties  which  I  note  here  below. 
The  first  is  that  on  that  day,  the  last  of  June,  and  that  very  hour  when  I  entered  the  harbour 
several  large  vessels  and  galleys  and  gripparia  came  from  Armenia,  from  the  city  of  Logaze, 
crowded  with  old  men,  children,  women,  orphans  and  wards  more  than  fifteen  hundred  in 
number,  who  were  flying  from  Armenia  because  the  Soldan  had  sent  hosts,  many  and  mighty, 
to  destroy  it,  and  they  burnt  all  that  plain  and  carried  off  captive  more  than  twelve  thousand 
persons,  over  and  above  those  whom  they  had  slain  with  the  sword,  and  they  began  to 
destroy  it,  as  I  was  told  by  Venetian  merchants  who  were  there,  on  Ascension  Day,  which 
fell  on  May  25.  0  Lord  Grod,  sad  indeed  it  was  to  see  that  multitude  in  the  square  of 
Famagosta,  children  crying  and  moaning  at  their  mothers'  breasts,  old  men  and  starving 
dogs  howling.  Hear  it,  ye  Christians  who  live  in  your  own  towns  and  homes,  eating  and 
drinking  and  reared  in  luxury,  who  care  not  to  make  the  Holy  Land  your  own,  and  to 
restore  it  to  the  Christian  Faith ! 

Moreover  in  that  same  city  of  Famagosta,  while  I  was  there  a  certain  rich  citizen  died, 
and  all  our  clerks  were  invited  to  pay  him  honour,  and  I  went,  and  while  we  were  at  the 
door  of  the  deceased  I  heard  women  singing  sweetly ;  then  I  entered  the  house,  and  looked 
where  the  corpse  lay,  and  lo,  at  his  head  were  two  women  singing  aloud,  and  two  at  his  feet 
piously  wailing,  and  these  are  the  fiute-players  (8.  Matt.  ix.  23)  of  whom  the  Evangelist  speaks. 
They  were  singing  in  the  Greek  tongue,  so  we  could  not  understand  them,  because  all  men 
in  Cyprus  speak  Creek :  they  understand  well  the  Saracen  and  Frankish  tongues,  but  chiefly 
use  Creek.  1  asked  what  they  were  saying  and  was  told  that  they  praised  the  dead  man  for 
his  beauty  and  thrift  and  other  virtues. 

Also  in  the  same  city,  one  Sunday,  I  saw  a  bride  go  to  the  house  of  the  bridegroom 
thus;  before  her  were  borne  twenty  large  candles  liglited,  and  after  her  twenty,  and  in  the 
midst  she  sat  on  a  horse,  with  her  eyebrows  and  forehead  painted,  and  after  the  candles 
came  forty  or  more  ladies  with  black  cloaks  over  their  heads  and  reaching  to  the  feet,  in 
very  decent  fashion,  and  thus  go  all  the  ladies  of  Cyprus,  showing  nothing  but  their  eyes, 
and  when  they  go  out  of  doors  they  always  wear  this  black  cloak ;  and  this  from  (1291)  the 
time  that  the  Christians  lost  Acre,  which  is  Aeon  or  Ptolemais. 

Also  in  the  same  city  are  several  sects  which  have  their  own  worship  and  their  own 
churches.  First,  true  Christians;  secondly  the  Greeks,  who  consecrate  not  with  unleavened 
wafers,  but  with  leavened  bread ;  they  do  not  elevate  the  Body  of  Christ,  nor  do  they  believe 
that  the  Spirit  proceeds  from  the  Son.  There  are  also  Jacobites,  who  are  circumcised,  and 
are  baptised  with  the  Greek  rite.  There  are  also  Armenians,  who  perform  their  worship  like 
true  Christians,  but  say  the  service  in  the  Greek  tongue,  also  Georgians  and  Maronites. 
Those  two  sects  are  baptized  like  Christians,  but  use  the  Greek  service.  Also  Nestorians,  so 
called  from  the  faithless  heretic  Nestor,  who  say  that  Christ  was  only  a  mere  man,  and 
perform  their  services  in  (ireek,  but  do  not  follow  the  Greeks  but  have  a  service  of  their  own. 

Also  in  that  island  the  heat  is  such  that  in  summer  a  man  can  scarcely  live,  and  no  one 
leaves  his  house  except  at  night,  and  in  the  morning  until  the  third  hour,  and  from  the  hour 
of  vespers  onwards.    1  was  nearly  dead  of  that  heat. 

3 

c. 


18 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Also  in  that  island  and  province  of  Cyprus  tliere  is  a  native  wine  called  Marea.  If  it 
were  drunk  neat  the  heat  of  the  wine  would  burn  up  a  man's  entrails.  It  does  not  appear  so 
strong  to  the  taste,  anyone  who  would  drink  it  must  put  one  glass  of  wine  to  four  of  water, 
and  even  so  it  is  strong  enough.    The  circumference  of  the  island  is  six  hundred  miles. 

In  that  island  is  a  very  high  mountain  which  is  seen  from  the  sea,  and  on  the  mountain 
a  renowned  monastery  of  Black  Monks  called  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  a  church.  Between 
two  rocks  hangs  the  cross  of  the  good  thief,  to  whom  the  Lord  said  "  To-day  shalt  thou  be 
with  ME  in  Paradise."  It  is  held  in  great  and  devout  veneration,  and  a  vast  multitude  visit 
it.  It  is  called  the  mountain  of  the  Cross ;  it  is  fifteen  miles  from  the  sea,  and  a  good  day's 
journey  from  Famagosta. 

To  this  monastery  of  the  Black  Monks  of  the  Holy  Cross  I  went  on  my  return  from 
Nicosia.  I  arrived  there  with  devotion  and  reverence,  and  saw  and  touched  that  blessed 
wood,  which  is  held  in  reverence  by  all,  and  seafaring  men  in  storms  at  sea  invoke  the 
blessed  Cross  of  Cyprus. 


L.  VON  SUCHEN. 

Some  fragmentary  but  interesting  notes  on  Cyprus  from  the  De  Terra  Sancta  et  itinere  Ihierosol.  of 
Ludolf,  priest  of  the  church  of  Suchen  in  Westphaha,  are  here  translated  from  vol.  ii.  pp.  210 — 217  of 
Mons.  de  Mas  Latrie's  Histoire  de  Vile  de  Chypre.  The  original  work,  printed  in  the  fifteenth  century 
without  note  of  date  or  place  (Strassburg,  1468?),  is  extremely  rare.  The  visit  took  place  between 
1336  and  1341.  One  text  was  edited  by  Prof.  F.  Deycks,  Stuttgart,  1861 :  another,  "  Ludolphus  de 
Sudheim,  de  Itinere  Terrae  Sanctae,"  in  1884  by  Dr  G.  A.  Neumann,  Ord.  Cist.  (Archives  de  VOrient 
Latin,  ii.  pp.  305 — 377 :  see  also  R.  Rohricht,  Deutsche  Pilgerreisen,  Gotha,  1889,  p.  102).  Suchen  or 
Suchem,  supposed  to  be  in  the  diocese  of  Paderborn,  Westphalia,  has  not  been  identified. 

Concerning  the  kingdovi  of  Cyprus.  From  Rhodes  we  sail  to  Cyprus,  an  island  most 
noble  and  fertile,  most  famous  and  rich,  surpassing  all  the  islands  of  the  sea,  and  teeming 
with  all  good  things,  first  inhabited  by  Japhet,  son  of  Noah.  It  is  productive  beyond  all 
other  lands.  The  distance  by  sea  which  divides  Cyprus  from  the  cities  situate  on  the  coasts 
of  Egypt,  Syria,  Armenia,  Turkey  and  Greece  is  scarcely  a  day's  journey,  as  you  shall  hear 
later.  This  glorious  island  belonged  once  to  the  Templars.  They  sold  it  to  the  king  of 
Jerusalem,  and  when  the  Holy  Land  and  Aeon  were  lost  and  laid  waste,  the  king  of 
Jerusalem  with  the  princes,  nobles  and  barons  of  his  realm  removed  to  Cyprus,  and  have 
remained  and  lived  there  up  to  the  present  day.  And  so  it  was  that  Cyprus  was  made  a 
kingdom. 

There  are  three  Bishoprics  in  Cyprus,  at  Paphus,  Nymocia  and  Famagusta,  and  one 
Metropolitan  at  Nycosia :  in  my  time  this  last  was  Helie  [de  Nabinal  1332 — 1367]  a  brother 
•of  the  Friars  Minor.    Pope  Clement  V.  made  him  Cardinal. 

Paphus,  whilom  a  great  and  goodly  city,  is  the  oldest  in  Cyprus :  it  lies  on  the  seashore 
■opposite  Alexandria,  and  is  now  well-nigh  destroyed  by  frequent  earthquakes.  SS.  Paul  and 
Barnabas  turned  this  city  to  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  thence  was  the  whole  world  turned  to 
that  faith,  as  is  shown  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 

Concerning  the  castle  of  Venus.  Near  Paphus  once  stood  the  castle  of  Venus,  where 
they  were  wont  to  adore  an  idol  of  Venus,  and  came  to  visit  its  threshold  from  distant 
countries,  and  all  noble  lords  and  ladies  and  damsels  were  gathered  there.    It  was  there  that 


J.  1)E  VERONA.    L.  VON  SUCHEN. 


19 


counsel  was  first  taken  for  the  destruction  of  Troy,  for  Helen  was  taken  captive  as  she 
journeyed  thither.  In  this  temple  also  all  ladies  and  damsels  before  their  betrothal  yielded 
themselves  to  men ;  for  in  Cyprus  above  all  lands  men  are  by  nature  most  luxurious.  For 
the  soil  of  Cyprus,  and  especially  where  the  castle  is,  if  a  man  sleep  thereon,  of  its  own  self 
will  all  the  night  through  provoke  a  man  to  lust. 

Near  Paphus  is  the  place  where  S.  Hylarius  lived  and  worked  many  mii'acles,  and  many 
other  places  where  many  saints  lived,  and  especially  S.  Mamas,  who  was  by  family  of 
Lucania,  whom  the  Greeks  devoutly  and  intently  invoke  for  the  cure  of  abscesses. 

Concerning  the  vineyard  of  Engadi.  In  this  same  province  of  Paphus  is  the  vineyard  of 
Engadi :  its  like  is  nowhere  found.  It  is  situated  in  a  very  high  mountain,  and  measures  two 
miles  in  length  and  in  breadth,  girt  on  all  sides  with  a  lofty  rock  and  a  wall ;  on  one  side  it 
has  a  very  narrow  entrance,  and  within  it  is  quite  level.  In  this  vineyard  grow  vines  and 
clusters  of  many  different  kinds,  some  of  which  produce  grapes  of  the  bigness  of  plums, 
others  small  grapes  like  peas,  others  again  grapes  without  stones,  or  grapes  in  shape  like  an 
acorn,  all  transparent,  and  grapes  and  clusters  of  many  other  kinds  are  seen  therein.  It 
belonged  tf)  the  Templai-s,  and  more  than  a  hundred  Saracen  captives  were  daily  therein, 
whose  only  task  was  to  clean  and  watch  that  vineyard,  and  indeed  I  have  heard  from  many 
of  experience  that  God  had  made  for  the  use  of  men  no  fairer  or  nobler  ornament  under  the 
sun.  And  so  we  read  of  it  in  the  Song  of  Songs  "my  beloved  is  unto  me  as  a  cluster  (of 
Cyprus)  in  the  vineyard  of  Engadi." 

Concerning  the  little  Engadi,  and  the  city  of  Nymocinum.  Not  far  from  Paphus  is  the 
city  of  Nymocia,  which  was  once  fair  but  now  laid  waste  by  constant  earthquakes  and  by 
Hoods  coming  suddenly  from  the  mountains.  This  city  is  set  on  the  seashore  directly  facing 
Tyre  and  Sydon  and  Baruch.  After  the  loss  of  Aeon  the  Templars  and  the  Friars  of  the 
Ho.spital  of  S.  John  and  other  nobles  and  burghers  dwelt  here,  and  many  of  their  palaces  and 
castles  are  seen  there. 

Concerning  the  vineyard  of  Engadi.  Near  Nyinocine  is  another  vineyard  called  the 
little  Pjngadi,  in  which  grow  vines  of  many  different  kinds,  which  a  man  cannot  gird  with  his 
arms,    lint  they  are  not  tall,  nor  do  they  produce  much  fruit. 

In  this  diocese  there  live  monks  of  the  house  of  the  Teut(mic  (knights)  in  a  place  called 
(Praviniunt  (/r  Perrinunt),  also  English  monks  of  the  order  of  S.  Thomas  of  Canterbury. 
There  too  is  a  very  high  mountain,  very  like  to  the  little  Thabor,  on  the  top  whereof  is  a  fair 
moiuistery,  in  which  are  monks  of  S.  Benedict.  In  this  mcmastery  is  the  whole  cross  on 
which  luing  the  thief  at  the  right  hand  of  Christ,  which  was  brought  thither  by  S.  Helena, 
and  this  monastery  was  by  her  endowed  and  built.  The  cross  is  devoutly  saluted  by  all 
seafarers  when  near  to  death,  and  in  this  mountain  for  the  honour  paid  to  that  cross  God 
works  many  miracles.    Froui  hence  mount  Libanus  is  clearly  seen. 

Concernim/  the  city  of  Famagusta.  The  third  city  of  Cyprus  is  called  Famagusta, 
situate  on  the  seashore:  here  are  the  harbours  of  all  this  sea  and  realm  and  a  concourse  of 
merchants  and  pilgrims.  It  lies  directly  opposite  to  Armenia,  Turkey  and  Aeon.  It  is  the 
richest  of  all  cities,  and  her  citizens  are  the  richest  of  men.  A  citizen  once  betrothed  his 
daughter  and  the  jewels  of  her  head-dress  were  valued  by  the  French  knights  who  came 
with  us  iis  more  precious  than  all  the  ornaments  of  the  Queen  of  France.  A  certam 
merchant  of  this  city  sold  to  the  Sultan  a  royal  orb  of  gold,  and  thereon  four  precious 
stones,  a  ruby,  an  emerald,  a  sapphire  and  a  pearl,  for  sixty  thousand  rionns;  and  anon  he 
sought  to  buy  back  that  orb  for  a  hundred  thousand  florins,  but  it  was  demed  him.  The 
Constable  of  Jerusalem  had  four  pearls  which  his  wife  wore  by  way  of  a  clasp,  and,  when 

3 — 2 


20 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


and  where  he  would,  he  could  pledge  it  for  three  thousand  florins.  In  this  city  in  one  shop 
is  more  aloe  wood  than  five  carts  could  carry  away.  I  am  silent  touching  drugs,  for  they  are 
as  common  there  as  bread  is  here,  and  are  sold  as  commonly.  But  I  dare  not  speak  of  their 
precious  stones  and  golden  tissues  and  other  riches,  for  it  were  a  thing  unheard  of  and 
incredible.  In  this  city  dwell  very  many  wealthy  courtesans,  of  whom  some  possess  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  florins.    I  dare  not  speak  of  their  riches. 

Cmicerning  Cotistantia  or  Salamina.  Near  Famagusta  is  another  city  called  Constantia 
or  Salamina,  set  on  the  seashore,  where  was  once  a  harbour,  and  a  very  noble,  famous  and 
wealthy  city,  as  its  ruins  testify.  Here  Epiphanius,  a  man  of  marvellous  holiness,  was  in 
wondrous  wise  elected  bishop,  and  here  he  was  buried.  Here  too  S.  Katharina  was  born, 
and  her  chapel  still  is  shown.  In  this  city  too  S.  Barnabas  the  apostle  suffered  martyrdom, 
and  near  it  was  burned  and  there  buried.  S.  Epiphanius  gave  glory  to  this  city  and  to  all 
the  land  by  his  many  miracles,  but  it  is  now  in  part  destroyed. 

Concerning  the  city  of  Nycossia.  There  is  another  great  city  in  Cyprus  called  Nycosia. 
It  is  the  capital  of  the  island,  and  lies  under  the  mountains  in  a  fine  open  plain  with  an 
excellent  climate.  In  this  city,  by  reason  of  its  well-tempered  air  and  healthfulness,  the 
king  of  Cyprus  and  all  the  bishops  and  prelates  of  his  realm,  the  princes  and  nobles  and 
barons  and  knights,  chiefly  live,  and  daily  engage  in  spear-play  and  tourneys,  and  especially 
in  hunting.  There  are  in  Cyprus  wild  rams  which  are  not  found  in  other  parts  of  the  world. 
But  they  are  caught  with  leopards,  in  no  other  way  can  they  be  taken.  And  in  Cyprus 
the  princes,  nobles,  barons  and  knights  are  the  richest  in  the  world.  For  one  who  has  a 
revenue  of  three  thousand  florins  is  no  more  accounted  of  there  than  if  he  had  an  income  of 
three  marks.  But  they  spend  all  on  the  chase.  I  knew  a  certain  Count  of  Japhe  [Hugues 
d'Ibelin,  Comte  de  Jaffa  et  d'Ascalon]  who  had  more  than  five  hundred  hounds,  and  every 
two  dogs  have  their  own  servant  to  guard  and  bathe  and  anoint  them,  for  so  must  dogs  be 
tended  there.  A  certain  nobleman  has  ten  or  eleven  falconers  with  special  pay  and 
allowances.  I  knew  several  nobles  and  knights  in  Cyprus  who  could  keep  and  feed  two 
hundred  armed  men  at  a  less  cost  than  their  huntsmen  and  falconers.  For  when  they  go  to 
the  chase  they  live  sometimes  for  a  whole  month  in  their  tents  among  the  forests  and 
mountains,  straying  from  place  to  place,  hunting  with  their  dogs  and  hawks,  and  sleeping 
in  their  tents  in  the  fields  and  woods,  carrying  all  their  food  and  necessaries  on  camels  and 
beasts  of  burden.  You  must  know  that  in  Cyprus  all  the  princes,  nobles,  barons  and  knights 
are  the  noblest,  best  and  richest  in  the  world.  They  live  there  now  with  their  children,  but 
they  used  to  live  in  the  land  of  Syria,  and  the  noble  city  of  Aeon,  but  when  that  land  and 
city  were  lost  they  fled  to  Cyprus,  and  there  have  remained  until  the  present  day. 

Moreover  there  are  very  rich  merchants,  a  thing  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  Cyprus  is 
the  furthest  of  Christian  lands,  so  that  all  ships  and  all  wares,  be  they  what  they  may,  and 
come  they  from  what  part  of  the  sea  they  will,  must  needs  come  first  to  Cyprus,  and  in  no 
wise  can  they  pass  it  by,  and  pilgrims  from  every  country  journeying  to  the  lands  over  sea 
must  touch  at  Cyprus.  And  daily  from  the  rising  of  the  sun  to  its  going  down  are  heard 
rumours  and  news.  And  the  tongues  of  every  nation  under  heaven  are  heard  and  read  and 
talked :  and  all  are  taught  in  special  schools. 

There  too  in  the  highest  mountains  facing  the  sun  is  produced  excellent  wine.  At  first 
it  is  red,  but  let  it  stand  in  an  earthen  jar  four,  six  or  nine  years  it  becomes  white.  Yet  is 
it  not  thereby  diminished  but  grows  ever  stronger,  so  that  commonly  men  mix  one  part  of 
wine  with  nine  of  water.  And  were  a  man  to  drink  a  whole  cask  he  would  not  be  drunken, 
but  it  would  burn  and  destroy  his  bowels.    Yet  many  hold  it  wholesome  to  drink  this  wine 


L.  VON  SUCHEN.   J.  MAUNDEVILLE. 


21 


neat  on  an  empty  stomach.  In  all  the  world  are  no  greater  or  better  drinkers  than  in 
Cyprus.    The  trees  and  herbs  that  grow  here  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  Holy  Land. 

In  my  days  many  nobles,  barons  and  knights  came  hither  from  Germany,  to  wit  the 
Count  of  Fyanden  [(xraf  Gottfried  III.  von  Vianden],  the  Count  of  Suartzborg  [Heinrich 
von  Schwarzburg],  the  lord  of  Sledin  [Schleiden]  and  nobles  of  Litchtenstein  [Liechtenstein] 
and  several  others.  The  seacoasts  of  Turkey  pay  tribute  to  the  king  of  Cyprus,  to  wit 
Candelor,  Scabmir  [Anamur],  Sicce  [Sechin]  and  Scacalia  [Adalia]  and  some  other  towns 
and  castles.... 

It  would  be  a  long  task  to  set  down  the  other  wonderful  riches  of  the  island,  or  to  tell  of 
its  nobles. 


J.  MAUNDEVILLE. 

Sir  Jolin  Maunflcville  was  born,  it  is  imagined,  at  St  Albans,  set  out  on  his  travels  in  1322,  and  was 
buried  in  1382  at  Liege,  where  his  Voiage  and  Travaile  was  written  in  1356.  The  work  as  we  have 
it  is  really  a  compilation  of  later  date  from  the  French. 

We  transcribe  from  pp.  37—40  of  the  edition  illustrated  by  Arthur  Layard,  8vo,  A.  Constable,  1895. 

From  this  isle  of  Rhodes  men  go  to  Cyprus,  where  be  many  vines,  that  first  be  red,  and 
after  one  year  they  become  white :  and  those  wines  that  be  most  white  be  most  clear  and 
best  of  smell....  From  Rhodes  to  Cyprus  be  five  hundred  miles  and  more;  but  men  may  go 
to  Cyprus  and  not  touch  at  Rhodes.  Cyprus  is  a  right  good  isle,  and  a  fair  and  great,  and  it 
hath  four  principal  cities  within  him,  and  there  is  an  Archbishop  at  Nicosia,  and  four  other 
bishops  in  that  land.  And  at  Fainagosta  is  one  of  the  princii)al  havens  of  the  sea  that  is  in 
the  world;  and  there  arrive  Christian  men  and  Saracens,  and  men  of  all  nations. 

In  Cyprus  is  the  hill  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  there  is  an  abbey  of  black  monks,  and  there 
is  the  cross  of  Dismas,  the  good  thief,  as  I  have  said  before,  and  some  men  believe  that  there 
is  half  of  the  Cross  of  our  Lord,  but  it  is  not  so,  and  they  do  evil  who  make  men  to  believe  so. 

In  Cyprus  lies  St  Zenonimus  of  whom  men  of  that  country  make  great  solemnity ;  and 
in  the  castle  of  Amours  lieth  the  body  of  St  Hilarion,  and  men  keep  it  right  worshipfully, 
and  beside  Famagusta  was  St  Barnabas  the  Apostle  born.  In  Cyprus  men  hunt  with 
papyons  [pajylones  quos  appellant,  canes  silvestres,  acriores  quam  lupi,  Jac.  de  Vitriaco,  Hist. 
Orient.  III.],  that  be  like  leopards,  and  they  take  wild  beasts  right  well,  and  they  be 
somewhat  more  big  than  lions,  and  they  take  more  sharply  the  beasts,  and  more  nimbly  than 

^  hTcvprus  it  is  the  manner  of  lords  and  all  other  men  to  eat  on  the  earth;  for  they  make 
ditches  in  the  earth  all  about  m  the  hall,  deep  to  the  knee,  and  they  do  pave  them^  -d 
when  they  will  eat,  they  go  therein  and  sit  there,  and  the  reason  is  that  they  may  be  the 
more  cool  for  that  land  is  much  hotter  than  it  is  here,  and  at  great  feasts,  and  for  strangers. 
They  se    orms  and  tables  as  men  do  in  this  country;  but  they  had  rather  si  m  the  earth 

F  om  Cyprus  men  go  to  the  land  of  Jerusalem  by  the  sea,  and  m  a  day  and  night  h 
thit  hath  good  wind  may  come  to  the  haven  of  Tyre,  that  is  now  clept  Sur.  Men  migh 
go  mo;;!  d^  that  haven,  and  t^uch  not  at  Cyprus,  but  they  go  gladly  to  Cyprus,  to  rest 

them  on  the-  lan.l,  or  else  to  buy  things  that  they  need  for  their  living. 


22 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


MARTONI. 

Nicolai  de  Marthono  Notarii  Liber  Peregrinationis  ad  Loca  Sancta  was  edited  in  1895  for  the 
Revue  de  I'Orient  Latin,  t.  iii.  no.  1,  by  M.  Leon  Le  Grand,  from  MS.  6521  in  the  National  Library  at 
Paris.  The  author,  a  notary  of  Carinola,  near  Calvi  in  Campania,  embarked  at  Gaeta  June  17,  1394,  for 
Alexandria;  visited  Cairo,  M.  Sinai  and  Jerusalem,  and  on  November  27  arrived  at  Famagosta.  In 
barbarous  Latin,  but  simj)ly  and  conscientiously,  he  relates  what  he  saw  in  that  city,  at  Nicosia  and 
S.  Croce.  He  tells  us  naively  enough  of  the  risks  he  ran,  seeing  he  was  small  of  stature,  short-sighted 
and  could  not  swim.  His  troubles  were  severe,  the  worst  however  met  him  on  his  return  to  Carinola, 
when  he  learned  the  death  of  his  wife,  which  had  been  hastened  by  anxiety  for  his  safety. 

When  I  reached  Famagosta,  and  hoiv  it  was  huilt. 

On  the  27th  of  the  said  month  of  November  (1394)  I  landed  at  Famagusta.  Famagusta 
belonged  formerly  to  the  king  of  Cyprus,  and  is  situated  in  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus.  Cyprus 
is  a  good  island,  with  a  circuit  of  five  hundred  miles.  But  now  the  Grenoese  hold  the  said 
town.  The  city  of  Famagusta  is  large,  as  large,  I  reckon,  as  the  city  of  Capua,  and  has  fine 
squares,  and  houses  very  much  like  those  of  Capua,  but  a  great  part,  almost  a  third,  is 
uninhabited,  and  the  houses  are  destroyed,  and  this  has  been  done  since  the  date  of  the 
Genoese  lordship.  The  said  city  has  finer  walls  than  I  have  seen  in  any  town,  high  with 
broad  alleys  round  them,  and  many  and  high  towers  all  round.  This  city  is  jealously 
guarded  day  and  night  by  the  Genoese  through  fear  of  the  king  of  Cyprus.  There  are  seven 
hundred  armed  soldiers  in  the  pay  of  the  Genoese  who  guard  that  city  with  great 
punctuality. 

Of  the  castle  of  the  city. 

The  castle  of  the  city  is  fine,  and  is  nearly  all  in  the  sea,  except  perhaps  a  fourth  part  on 
the  city  side,  and  there  are  fine  ditches  there  constructed  on  either  side  which  are  filled  with 
the  sea  water,  and  remain  always  full  of  the  said  water,  making  the  said  castle  impregnable. 

Of  the  harbour  of  Famagosta. 

The  city  of  Famagosta  has  a  pretty  fine  harbour,  protected  from  every  wind.  And  in 
this  harbour  in  front  of  the  city  gate  is  a  wooden  jetty,  a  stone's  throw  in  length,  and  vessels 
come  up  to  this  jetty,  and  therefrom  merchandise  is  carried  to  the  vessels. 

Of  the  population  of  the  city,  and  the  had  air. 

In  this  city  live  a  certain  number  of  Genoese,  and  a  large  number  of  Greeks,  because  the 
whole  island  of  Cyprus  is  peopled  by  Greeks ;  and  there  is  made  a  great  quantity  of  camlet. 
There  is  one  custom  in  force  in  this  city,  and  throughout  the  island,  that  no  woman  can  go 
out  of  the  city  of  Famagosta  without  the  leave  of  the  Commandant,  and  cannot  escape  giving 
bail  in  the  Commandant's  court  for  her  return  to  the  city :  and  this  is  rarely  granted  to  any 
woman.  The  reason  alleged  is  that  men  cannot  live  in  that  city  but  for  the  women  who  spin 
and  prepare  wool  for  the  camlet,  for  they  have  hardly  any  other  means  of  living.  There  is 
another  reason  too  for  keeping  up  the  men  in  the  city,  which  for  decency's  sake  I  pass  over 
in  silence.  But  the  air  of  the  city  is  very  bad ;  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  there  is  mortality, 
and  men  die  in  great  numbers,  of  the  Genoese  far  more  than  of  the  Greeks.    While  I  was 


MAHTONI. 


23 


there  for  a  montK  or  more  the  new  Commandant  who  came  from  Genoa  died,  and  many 
others  were  dying,  which  terrified  me  greatly,  and  I  remained  those  days  in  the  city  in  great 
fear,  chiefly  because  I  was  separated  from  my  companions,  and  had  no  helper  or  worldly 
adviser  to  keep  me  sound  and  restore  me  to  my  country. 

Of  the  church  of  8.  Nicolas. 
The  mother  church  of  Famagosta  is  dedicated  to  S.  Nicolas,  vaulted  and  very  fair,  with 
many  chapels  round  it.  The  Bishop  of  that  church  is  a  Genoese,  who  formerly  when  the  city 
was  under  the  rule  of  the  king  of  Cyprus  had  annually  from  the  revenues  of  the  church 
4000  ducats.  Now,  he  told  me,  he  had  not  2000  ducats  a  year,  because  he  had  lost  all  his 
duos  from  the  island  since  the  Genoese  came  to  rule  in  that  city.  And  I  can  well  believe  his 
poverty,  for  one  day  after  hearing  mass  in  the  said  church  of  8.  Nicolas,  finding  myself 
badly  in  want  of  money  I  thought  to  ask  an  alms  for  the  love  of  God  of  the  said  bishop,  and 
I  approached  him  with  reverence  as  a  pilgrim,  and  said  to  him  "  Father  and  lord,  it  is  my 
fate  to  say  those  words  of  the  Gospel :  '  I  cannot  dig,  to  beg  I  am  ashamed.'  I  beg  your 
paternity  to  help  a  poor  pilgrim  with  some  charitable  donation."  He  replied  that  he  had  not 
wherewithal  to  live  in  that  church.  I  heard  matins  on  the  night  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  masses  and  other  customary  offices  during  the  same  feast. 

Of  the  fruit-market. 

Between  that  church  of  S.  Nicolas  and  the  palace  where  now  dwells  the  Commandant, 
which  formerly  belonged  to  the  king  of  Cyprus  when  he  ruled  in  that  city — a  fine  palace 
with  a  large  fore-court,  many  buildings  and  a  fair  garden — is  a  court  larger  than  that  of 
Capua,  in  which  ai-e  sold  bread,  a  great  quantity  of  vegetables  and  otlier  fruits,  just  as  at 
Capua ;  and  daily  there  are  sold  there  cloths  and  many  other  things  at  auction.  This  court 
is,  I  tliiuk,  ill  the  middle  of  the  city. 

Of  the  hotc.se  of  S.  Francis. 
In  this  town  is  a  liouse  of  8.  Francis,  passing  fair,  with  a  fair  cloister,  a  dormitory,  many 
cells  and  other  rooms,  with  a  fine  garden  and  a  quantity  of  conduits,  wells  and  cisterns.  The 
Guardian  told  inc  tliat  tlu'y  live  badly,  and  get  indifferent  alms. 

Of  the  church  of  S.  Stephen. 
In  the  same  city  is  a  church  dedicated  to  S.  Stephen,  a  fine  building  with  a  hospital, 
though  at  that  time  the  hospital  was  shabbily  kept.  In  which  church  I  heard  a  solemn  mass 
on  8.  Stephen's  day,  and  saw  some  bones  of  his  body  and  many  other  relics  of  saints.  In 
this  church  is  a  crucifix  fairer  than  I  have  seen  anywhere,  adorned  and  chased  all  round  in 
pure  gold. 

Of  the  Monastery  of  S.  Maria  de  Cammino. 
In  the  same  city  is  a  monastery  of  S.  Maria  de  Cannnino.    The  church  is  very  fair  and 
dignified,  vaulted,  with  chapels  round,  with  very  beautiful  scenes  and  pictures,  and  a  right 
fair  cloister  with  oranges  and  other  fruits.    There  is  also  a  dormitory,  and  many  other  rooms 
for  the  use  of  the  monks.    In  this  church  I  saw  the  undermentioned  holy  relics,  to  wit : 
The  head  of  the  blessed  Ursuline,  very  beautifully  shrined  in  silver. 
A  bone  of  the  shin  of  S.  I-eo,  Pope. 
The  head  of  S.  Cufinus. 
The  head  of  S.  Sosius. 

And  a  piece  of  the  wood  of  the  holy  cross  of  our  Lord. 


24 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Of  the  Monastery  of  8.  Dominic. 

There  is  in  this  city  a  monastery  of  S.  Dominic,  in  which  is  a  fair  vaulted  church. 
There  is  a  fair  cloister  with  gardens,  a  dormitory  and  other  buildings  for  the  use  of  the 
monks,  though  most  of  them  are  in  ruins.  At  present  all  the  monks  live  in  a  shabby  way  in 
this  city  of  Famagosta. 

Of  the  villages  of  Famagosta. 

Outside  the  city  of  Famagosta  there  were  formerly  large  and  populous  villages — 
I  reckon  there  were  two  thousand  hearths — and  in  them  many  fair  churches.  But  now 
the  said  villages  are  wholly  destroyed,  so  that  there  is  not  one  sound  house,  and  not  one 
person  lives  there.  There  are  many  seemly  churches,  among  which  is  the  church  of  S.  Maria 
of  the  cave,  very  seemly,  and  many  people,  Latins,  and  Greeks,  go  to  the  said  church  to  pray. 

Of  the  building  of  the  city  of  Famagosta. 

One  part  of  this  city  of  Famagosta  is  close  to  the  sea,  and  another  larger  part  is  away 
from  the  sea :  it  is  encompassed  with  very  fine  ditches  built  throughout.  The  whole  city,  or 
at  least  its  walls,  are  based  on  stone  as  hard  as  marble,  so  that  it  cannot  possibly  be  hewn 
out :  and  in  the  city  on  the  seaside  is  an  arsenal,  large  and  fine  like  that  of  Naples. 
Formerly,  that  is  a  hundred  years  ago,  the  city  was  set  elsewhere,  and  stood  where  is  a  place 
named  Constanza,  four  miles  from  Famagosta.  The  city  was  then  called  Constanza  from  a 
king  Constantius,  father  of  the  blessed  Catherine,  who  built  it.  It  was  two  miles  from  the 
sea,  and  had  no  harbour.  And  when  Acre  was  lost,  which  was  the  last  place  in  Syria  lost 
by  the  Christians,  all  the  people  who  escaped  from  Acre  fled  to  the  island  of  Cyprus,  and 
then  that  ancient  city  Constanza  was  removed  to  the  place  where  is  now  Famagosta. 

Of  the  women's  dress. 

And  hence  comes  a  custom  that  all  women,  as  well  of  that  town  of  Famagosta  as  of  the 
other  towns  of  the  island,  wear  black  mantles  on  their  heads  so  that  their  faces  can  hardly 
be  seen.  And  this  custom  began  and  has  been  followed  on  account  of  the  sorrow  and  dire 
grief  for  the  loss  of  that  city  of  Acre  and  other  cities  of  Syria,  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
city  of  Famagosta  was  made  up  of  the  people  of  Acre. 

Of  the  bad  air. 

Between  the  city  of  Famagosta  and  the  ancient  city  of  Constantia  is  a  large  marsh, 
which  seems  like  an  arm  of  the  sea.  And  it  is  held  that  on  account  of  that  marsh,  and  the 
great  number  of  courtesans,  a  bad  air  affects  the  men  who  dwell  in  that  city. 

Of  the  place  where  8.  Catherine  was  born. 

And  because  through  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  Who  permitted  me  to  do  so 
I  saw  all  the  story  of  the  blessed  Catherine,  and  all  that  she  did,  as  well  in  Alexandria,  the 
place  of  her  prison  and  the  glorious  martyrdom  which  she  endured  in  honour  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  on  the  wheel  between  those  two  columns,  as  in  her  church,  where  her  glorious 
body  was  placed  by  the  holy  angels  on  the  summit  of  that  great  mountain,  and  then  her 
holy  body  which  was  translated  from  that  lofty  mountain  to  her  own  church  of  S.  Catherine, 
I  desired  also  to  see  the  place  of  her  nativity ;  wherefore  on  the  fifth  day  of  December  of  the 
third  indiction  I  went  to  that  ancient  city  Constantia  four  miles  distant  from  Famagosta, 


MARTONI. 


25 


which  was  once  a  great  city  built  by  the  Emperor  Constantius,  father  of  the  blessed 
Catherine,  but  now  is  utterly  destroyed,  and  went  to  the  place  where  one  can  see  the  castle 
of  the  city  stood,  which  seems  to  have  been  of  great  size,  and  there  directly  is  that  room,  now 
destroyed,  where  the  blessed  Catherine  was  born :  near  it  now  stands  a  seemly  chapel,  to 
which  the  people  of  Famagosta  go  with  great  devoutness  and  frequency. 

Of  the  great  tank. 

In  the  middle  where  the  castle  stood  is  a  certain  ancient  cistern,  no  bigger  one  I  think 
•  is  found  in  the  world,  with  a  vault  raised  on  thirty-six  columns  and  with  apertures  above 
whence  the  water  was  drawn.    Into  this  tank  water  flowed  continuously  from  a  certain 
mountain,  along  a  conduit  built  with  pillars  and  arches,  just  as  at  Scolo,  an  appurtenance  of 
the  castle  of  Trajetto  or  Garigliano. 

Of  the  'place  where  the  blessed  Catherine  was  betrothed  by  an  angel  as 

the  spouse  of  Christ. 

Concerning  the  blessed  Catherine  I  was  told  in  that  city  of  Famagosta  a  story  (I  cannot 
just  now  remember  if  it  is  contained  in  her  Legend)  how,  when  she  was  grown  up  and  the 
fairest  and  wisest  of  women,  her  father  and  mother  sought  to  give  her  in  marriage,  and  the 
Saint  who  was  rapt  in  divine  love  said  thus:  "I  will  not  accept  a  husband  unless  I  find  one  as 
fair  and  wise  and  rich  as  I  am."  At  last  the  Empress,  S.  Catherine's  mother,  seeing  this  to 
be  her  daughter's  will,  said,  "  Thou  seekest,  my  child,  one  of  whom  I  cannot  tell  you,  a  man 
as  fair  and  wise  and  rich  as  thou  art.  In  an  island  in  the  sea  not  far  hence  is  a  hermit  who 
serves  God,  go  to  him  and  ask  him  about  a  husband  dowered  with  rank,  beauty  and  wealth 
even  as  thou  art."  »S.  Catherine  replied,  "  I  am  ready,"  and  went  to  that  hermit,  and  asked 
him  about  taking  such  a  husband.  He  said  to  her,  "  I  cannot  tell  you  about  taking  a 
husband,  except  One  who  is  wise  and  learned,  fair  and  rich  as  you  desire."  S.  Catherine 
said,  "  Who  is  he  of  whom  you  speak  ?  "  The  hermit  said,  "  It  is  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
Then  said  S.  Catherine,  "  And  I  desire  Him  for  my  spouse  and  lord,  and  to  serve  only  Him." 
And  as  she  stood  tli(>re  an  angel  of  the  Lord  came  down  by  night  from  heaven,  and  on  behalf 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  betrothed  her  with  a  ring,  and  received  her  for  the  bride  of  Christ. 
And  80  it  was  on  the  sixth  of  tliat  month  of  December  I  went  myself  to  the  said  island  where 
S.  Catherine  was  betrothed  to  Christ  by  the  angel,  which  island  is  about  two  bowshots 
distant  froin  Famagosta,  and  near  the  harbour.  The  island  is  about  one  modius  (IO665  yards) 
large,  and  therein  is  a  cliuicli  dedicated  to  S.  Catherine,  very  seemly. 

When  I  left  Famagosta  to  go  to  the  city  of  Nicosia. 

Being  desirous  of  visiting  the  spot  where  is  the  blessed  cross  of  Cyprus  whereon  hung 
the  body  of  the  good  thief,  on  Wednesday,  the  ninth  day  of  December,  I  went  first  to  the 
city  of  Nicosia,  where  resides  the  king  of  Cyprus.  I  hired  at  a  certain  sum  a  cart  to  take  me 
to  Nicosia.  The  owner  of  the  cart,  who  was  a  Greek,  made  me  drive  the  cart  with  the  oxen 
which  carried  me,  and  often  quarrelled  with  me  because  I  did  not  drive  them  properly,  and 
because  I  beat  the  oxen  too  much.  I  did  not  know  what  to  do,  because  I  had  never  practised 
this  art.  With  which  quarrelling  I  travelled  all  day  to  a  village  where  I  slept  that  night  on 
a  rug  on  the  ground,  for  in  those  parts  beds  are  not  to  be  found  for  money,  and  nearly  every- 
one sleeps  on  the  groinid ;  and  thr(jughout  the  island  there  are  so  many  fleas  that  a  man 

4 


26 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


cannot  sleep  at  night,  and  this  on  account  of  the  pigs  which  they  keep  in  their  houses.  In 
the  morning  I  rose  early,  and  continued  my  journey  to  Nicosia  on  foot,  being  unwilling  to 
squabble  with  the  owner  of  the  cart  who  was  always  complaining  about  my  beating  the  oxen 
and  my  bad  driving. 

When  I  reached  Nicosia,  and  about  the  shape  of  the  city. 

On  Thursday,  December  10,  I  walked  all  day,  and  towards  sunset  reached  the  city  of 
Nicosia.  Nicosia  is  larger,  I  consider,  than  Aversa,  and  through  its  midst  flows  a  brook 
which  a  man  can  cross  on  stones  when  it  does  not  rain.  When  it  is  rainy  weather  a  great 
quantity  of  water  runs  down,  and  so  there  are  several  bridges  over  the  stream,  some  of  stone 
and  some  of  wood,  by  which  men  cross  during  rain.  In  some  parts  the  city  is  but  sparsely 
inhabited,  and  there  are  fine  houses.  The  house  in  which  the  king  of  Cyprus  lives  is  fine  ;  it 
has  a  courtyard  as  large  as  that  of  the  new  castle  at  Naples,  and  many  fine  apartments  round 
it,  among  which  is  a  large  hall.  At  the  end  of  that  hall  is  a  very  beautiful  throne  with  many 
fair  columns  and  ornaments  of  various  kinds.  I  fancy  that  few  things  or  none  will  be  found 
more  beautiful  than  that  throne.  Around  the  hall  runs  a  kind  of  arcade,  beautifully  adorned 
with  columns.  Such  daring  had  I  that  I  went  right  up  to  the  entrance  of  the  king's  room, 
and  had  the  door  been  open  I  was  ready  to  enter  and  talk  with  him.  In  the  courtyard  of 
that  house  is  a  fountain  of  good  water,  to  which  many  of  the  city  folk  come  to  draw  water 
for  their  use.  The  king  of  Cyprus  lives  most  of  his  time  in  this  city  of  Nicosia,  since  he  lost 
the  city  of  Famagosta,  and  keeps  great  state,  especially  as  regards  the  chase,  for  he  has 
twenty-four  leopards  and  three  hundred  hawks  of  all  kinds,  some  of  which  he  takes  every 
day  to  hunt. 

Of  Santa  Sofia. 

The  said  city  of  Nicosia  has  an  Archbishop,  and  his  church  is  dedicated  to  S.  Sofia,  it  is 
a  fair  and  great  church,  vaulted,  and  the  whole  of  the  vault  from  the  choir-arch  to  the  high 
altar  is  painted  -with  fine  blue  and  golden  stars.  The  church  was  formerly  worth  25,000 
ducats  a  year,  but  now  the  king  of  Cyprus  annexes  and  takes  a  large  part  of  its  dues. 

Of  the  Monasteries  and  the  condition  of  the  city. 

In  this  city  are  monasteries  and  places,  of  S.  Francis  to  wit,  of  S.  Dominic  and 
S.  Augustine,  which  are  very  large  and  fair,  and  each  monastery  has  two  cloisters,  one  large 
and  another  small,  with  oranges  and  other  fruits.  Within  the  city  are  many  gardens  and 
orchards,  and  fields  sown  vsdth  green  stuff,  wheat  and  barley.  And  truly  near  the  monastery 
of  S.  Augustine  I  saw  a  field  sown  with  wheat  and  barley  within  the  walls  of  the  city  of 
about  30  modia  (over  6  acres).  I  saw  too  the  gardens  of  S.  Theodore,  which  is  a  church  of 
Nuns,  also  within  the  walls  of  the  city,  of  cabbages  and  sundry  other  fruits,  which  are  of 
about  20  modia  (over  4^  acres).  In  another  place  you  would  think  you  saw  the  city  of 
Alisia,  with  shrubs  and  gardens  in  it.  In  this  city  is  abundance  of  bread  and  wine,  and  the 
wine  is  generally  sweet,  and  is  kept  in  large  jars  because  they  have  no  casks.  I  intended  to 
remain  there  a  month  or  so,  on  account  of  the  abundance  of  bread  and  wine,  but  I  could  not 
because  there  are  no  innkeepers  who  keep  beds  to  lodge  strangers  in,  and  but  for  a  good 
woman  called  Ambrosa  from  the  parts  of  the  west,  who  for  the  love  of  Grod  lent  me  a  room 
with  a  bed,  I  should  have  had  to  sleep  all  those  days  on  the  ground. 


MARTONI. 


27 


Of  the  blessed  cross  of  Cyprus. 

Desirous  however  to  visit  the  blessed  cross  of  the  good  thief,  which  is  called  the  cross  of 
Cyprus,  I  left  Nicosia  after  dinner  on  December  15  and  went  towards  the  mountain  where  is 
the  holy  cross,  keeping  the  road  without  a  guide :  and  walking  all  day  I  arrived  at  night 
tired  and  troubled  enough  at  a  village  one  day's  journey  from  the  mountain  or  church  of  the 
holy  cross,  hoping  that  with  money  I  should  find  a  bed  for  the  night,  to  rest  and  refresh  my 
body.  I  could  get  nothing  but  a  rug,  upon  which  I  slept  that  night  with  the  greatest 
discomfort,  on  account  of  those  accursed  Heas  which  bit  me  incessantly.  So  I  rose  very 
early  in  the  morning  and  with  a  donkey  which  I  hired  arrived  at  dawn  in  bitter  cold  at  a 
village  on  the  skirts  of  the  mountain  of  the  holy  cross.  There  I  took  some  food  and  began 
to  ascend  the  said  mountain.  The  ascent  is  eight  miles  long,  and  there  are  several  hills  one 
after  another  all  full  of  trees  called  zihini,  a  wild  pine  which  produces  many  cones  in  which 
is  no  fruit.  These  trees  grow  in  great  numbers,  and  supply  roofing  for  houses  and  fuel  for 
fire.  With  what  trouble  and  toil  and  sweat,  what  weakness  of  soul  and  body  I  climbed  those 
hills  up  to  the  church  God  knows!  About  the  hour  of  vespers  I  reached  the  church.  It  is 
small,  but  very  seemly ;  on  the  right-hand  side  is  a  little  chapel,  and  there  is  the  said  blessed 
cross,  raised  and  suspended,  and  nowhere  attached,  which  seems  a  great  miracle ;  and  in  this 
cross  is  a  piece  of  the  wood  of  the  blessed  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  covered  with  silver. 
And  after  1  had  dtivoutly  seen,  examined  and  adored  that  holy  cross  the  monks  who  live 
there  showed  me  these  relics,  to  wit : 

A  large  piece  of  S.  Anne. 

An  arm  of  S.  Blaise. 

A  nail  fixed  in  the  hands  of  Christ. 

A  rib  of  H.  (ieorge. 

A  stone  with  which  S.  Stephen  was  stoned. 
And  a  piece  of  the  wood  of  the  said  cross. 
When  I  had  reverently  seen  these  I  begged  the  monks,  because  the  abbot  of  the  church 
was  not  there,  to  allow  me  to  sleep  that  night  with  them,  because  on  account  of  the  great  toil 
and  the  long  and  bad  road  I  knew  that  I  had  not  strength  to  go  down  that  night  to  the 
village  which  I  ha<l  left  in  tlie  nioniiiig.  And  such  was  their  inhumanity  that  they  refused 
to  keep  me  that  night,  saying  that  the  abbot  had  the  keys  of  tlie  rooms,  and  thus  in  sorrow 
I  began  to  descend.  Tlie  descent  seemed  to  fatigue  me  more  than  the  ascent.  But  God, 
Who  comforted  me,  willed  that  by  refreshing  myself  often  froin  the  many  runlets  which 
flowed  from  the  holy  mountain  at  night  about  sunset  I  reached  the  village,  so  tired  that 
I  feared  my  soul  would  leave  my  body.  There  I  found  the  abbot  of  that  church,  who  was 
the  lord  of  the  village,  and  I  complained  to  him  about  the  cruelty  of  his  monks,  who  would 
not  take  me  in  for  the  night.  It  displeased  the  abbot,  and  he  took  me  to  his  house  and  gave 
me,  for  the  love  of  God,  bread  and  wine  and  a  rug  upon  which  to  sleep  that  night,  and  wood 
foi-'a  fire,  for  the  cold  there  was  intense,  and  thus  I  remained  there  for  the  night. 

When  I  left  the  village. 
At  early  dawn  on  the  sixteenth  of  December  I  took  leave  of  the  abbot  and  went  my  way 
towards  Famagosta,  walking  with  a  poor  pilgrim  of  S.  Elia,  from  the  Benedictme  monastery 
of  M.  Cassino,  whom  I  took  for  my  partner  and  brother  in  that  journey.  We  walked  the 
whole  of  that  day  in  heavy  rain,  and  quite  late  reached  a  village,  where  for  all  I  offered 
1  could  not  find  a  bed.    A  good  Greek  carter,  for  the  love  of  God,  allowed  me  to  he  on  some 

4 — 2 


28 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


straw  in  a  corner  of  his  house  where  he  kept  oxen  and  donkeys,  and  there  I  slept  that  night 
on  that  straw  which  I  thought  an  excellent  bed. 

When  I  returned  to  Famagosta. 

On  the  morning  of  December  18  I  rose  early  and  took  the  road  to  Famagosta,  and 
passing  the  salt-lake  where  is  made  a  great  quantity  of  salt  I  came  near  a  castle  called  Baffa, 
in  the  lordship  of  the  king  of  Cyprus,  in  which  castle  is  made  a  great  quantity  of  sugar,  and 
walking  the  whole  day  I  found  many  villages  destroyed  by  the  Turks  and  deserted.  At 
night  I  reached  a  place  where  just  off  the  road  was  a  tavern  kept  by  a  poor  widow  who  had 
five  sons,  two  of  whom  were  in  swaddling  clothes.  I  asked  her  to  make  up  a  bed  for  me,  for 
which  I  would  pay,  where  I  might  rest  myself  and  my  weary  limbs.  She  made  up  a  small 
bed,  which  she  had  on  one  side  where  the  fire  was,  and  in  it  she  laid  those  two  children  in 
swaddling  clothes,  then  told  me  to  go  and  sleep  by  their  side.  I  saw  that  the  bed  was  not 
big  enough  for  me,  and  that  it  was  dirty  on  account  of  those  children,  and  refused  to  sleep 
there,  and  so  in  great  discomfort  I  slept  that  night  on  the  ground.  In  the  morning  I  arose 
and  took  my  way  to  Famagosta,  and  on  December  19  I  reached  Famagosta  (pp.  62 — 73). 


O.  D'ANGLURE. 

Orient  d'Ogier  VIII.,  Seigneur  d'Anglure,  Marne,  arr.  Epernay,  visited  Cyprus  1395 — 96.  His  travels 
were  printed  in  8vo,  Troyes,  1621,  and  Paris,  18mo,  1858.  So  much  as  relates  to  Cyprus,  and  is  translated 
here,  was  printed  afresh  from  the  original  manuscript  in  the  National  Library  at  Paris  by  M.  L.  de  Mas 
Latrie,  Histoire  de  Vile  de  Chypre,  ii.  430 — 432.  The  later  edition  by  F.  Bonnardot  and  Aug.  Longnon, 
8vo,  Paris,  1878  (Societe  des  anciens  textes),  is  somewhat  fuller,  and  has  a  good  biographical  and 
genealogical  preface. 

Carable  is  rendered  by  F.  Godefroy  bellette,  fouine  (weasel,  polecat).  Can  it  be  the  Felis  caracal,  the 
Lynx  of  the  ancients  ? 

We  landed  at  this  same  town  of  Limeso,  which  was  formerly  a  very  fair  city,  the 
following  Sunday,  the  feast  of  S.  Stephen,  the  first  martyr,  December  26,  1395. 

And  know  that  this  city  of  Limeso,  which  is  for  the  most  part  uninhabited,  was  thus 
destroyed  of  old  by  the  Genoese  when  they  made  war  on  the  king  of  Cyprus,  and  they  still 
hold  a  very  fair  city  and  good  harbour  which  is  called  Famagosta  in  Cyprus.  This  excepted 
the  king  of  Cyprus  enjoys  peaceably  the  whole  island,  which  has  a  circuit  of  seven  hundred 
miles. 

In  this  city  of  Limeso  we  sojourned  from  the  said  Sunday  until  the  following  Saturday, 
New  Year's  day,  and  on  that  day  the  king  of  Cyprus  [Jacques  I.  de  Lusignan]  sent  us  one  of 
his  esquires,  and  with  him  mules,  horses  and  porters  to  carry  our  baggage  to  the  city  of 
Nicosia. 

This  New  Year's  day  our  baggage  was  loaded,  and  we  mounted  our  horses  to  go  to  the 
said  city  of  Nicosia,  where  the  king  was.  And  we  took  the  road  to  go  as  pilgrims  straight  to 
the  Holy  Cross,  which  is  in  Cyprus.  It  is  the  cross  on  which  the  good  thief  was  hanged  at 
the  right  hand  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  This  cross  is  of  very  great  virtue,  and  a 
wonderful  thing  to  behold.  Know  then  that  this  holy  cross,  on  which  the  good  thief  was 
hanged,  Madame  S.  Helen,  mother  of  Constantine,  brought  it  and  set  it  on  the  highest 
mountain  of  all  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  which  mountain  is  in  truth  very  high  and  painful  to 
climb.  On  the  highest  peak  is  a  fair  church,  and  fair  dwellings  around  it.  In  this  church 
are  two  altars,  to  wit,  the  high  altar  of  the  church,  and  another  altar  in  a  chapel  behind  the 


I 


MARTOXI.    0.  D'ANGLURE. 


29 


high  altar.  There  we  were  shown  (me  of  the  nails  with  which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was 
nailed  upon  the  true  cross.  Behind  the  said  chapel  is  another  small  chapel  in  which  is  the 
said  holy  cross  of  the  good  thief.  And  know  that  this  holy  cross  is  a  thing  wonderful  to  be 
seen,  for  it  is  very  great  and  thick,  and  is  borne  in  the  air,  yet  you  shall  not  be  able  to  see 
that  anything  bears  it,  and  when  one  touches  it  it  shakes  much. 

After  this  we  left  that  place  about  noon  and  went  to  rest  at  a  town  called  Nissa.  There 
we  rested  m  a  house  which  belongeth  to  the  king. 

Tuesday  following,  January  4,  about  noon  we  entered  the  city  of  Nicosia,  which  is  a  very 
goo<lly  city,  and  fair  and  great.  And  in  this  city  the  king  of  Cyprus  dwells  more  often  than 
in  any  other  town  or  fortress  of  this  country. 

The  king  of  Cyprus  is  a  pretty  fine  man,  and  speaks  French  well  enough.  He  made  us 
good  cheer,  and  showed  great  signs  of  love  to  the  pilgrims:  for,  as  has  been  said  before,  as 
soon  as  he  knew  that  we  were  arrived  at  Limeso,  and  that  we  desired  to  see  him,  he  sent  us 
horses  and  mules  to  go  to  Nicosia,  that  is  to  the  Friars  Minor,  and  thither  he  made  them 
bring  us  clean  beds  from  his  palace,  namely  mattresses  of  wool  to  lie  on,  and  carpets  to  put 
around  our  rooms. 

Wednesday,  the  fifth  day  of  January,  which  was  the  eve  of  twelfth-night,  the  king  of 
Cyprus  sent  us  pilgrims  a  gift  of  one  hundred  fowls,  twenty  sheep,  two  oxen,  four  vessels  full 
of  a  very  good  red  wine,  and  four  skins  full  of  a  very  good  wine  of  Marboa,  and  very  great 
plenty  of  very  good  white  bread. 

The  following  Sunday,  the  ninth  day  of  January,  the  king  sent  us  again  presents,  to  wit 
one  hundred  partridges,  sixty  hares,  and  five  wild  sheep,  a  sight  fair  to  see.  He  was  a  prince 
who  greatly  loved  hunting.  He  had  a  little  beast  no  bigger  than  a  fox.  It  is  called 
carablf,  and  there  is  no  wild  animal  but  this  little  beast  will  catch  it,  especially  the  animals 
named  above.  For  the  rest  the  king  made  us  right  good  cheer,  and  sent  some  of  his  finest 
coursers  to  bring  us  before  him  in  his  c(jiirt.  .\nd  when  we  came  before  him  he  received  us 
very  grandly. 

And  when  he  had  spoken  with  us  for  a  space  he  sent  to  the  Queen  (Heloise  de 
Brunswick)  to  bid  her  come  to  the  hall.  Then  came  the  Queen  to  the  hall,  very  nobly  and 
royally  attended,  to  wit  by  four  of  her  sons  and  five  of  her  daughters,  and  knights  and  lords 
and  ladies  and  damsels,  and  she  greeted  us  all  very  graciously.  The  Queen  of  Cyprus  was 
very  honourably  adorned,  and  liad  a  very  rich  and  noble  chaplet  of  gold  and  precious 
stones  on  her  head.  Her  four  sons  were  habited  and  adorned  with  goodly  raiment.  The 
five  daughters  were  well  arrayed,  and  each  had  a  chaplet  of  gold  and  pearls  and  precious 
stones  on  her  head.  Then  the  Queen  turned  and  saluted  all  the  pilgrims  as  she  left.  After 
this  the  king  led  us  to  the  fields  to  go  a  hunting,  and  then  we  came  back  to  our  quarters  to 
rest. 

'i'rue  it  is  this  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  which  is  an  island,  is  a  very  unhealthy  and  sickly 
iiiinl  to  people  who  are  not  wont  to  dwell  therein,  for  a  kind  of  fever  prevails  there  which  is 
lightly  taken,  and  from  which  unless  his  luck  is  good  a  man  shall  scarcely  recover. 

[M.  de  Salebruclie  (or  Sarrebruck,  stepfather  of  M.  d'Anglure),  one  of  the  pilgrims,  a 
hale  and  hearty  man,  was  seized  with  this  on  Saturday,  January  15,  and  on  the  Tuesday 
following  resigned  his  soul  "  moult  debonnairement  et  doulcement "  to  his  Saviour.  He  was 
buried  in  the  church  of  the  Franciscans  at  Nicosia,  in  a  fair  tomb  duly  inscribed;  his  effigy 
and  arms  were  painted  on  the  wall  above  it,  and  a  lance  carrying  a  banner  with  his  arms. 
The  Archbishop  of  Tarsus,  who  visited  and  comforted  him  throughout  his  sickness,  sang 
High  Mass  at  his  funeral.    R.I. P.] 


30 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


DE  CAUMONT. 

Nompar  II.,  Seigneur  cle  Caumont  et  de  Chastelnuef,  a  Gascon  noble  of  illustrious  descent,  was  born 
in  1391  and  died  in  England  in  1446.  He  had  remained  faithful  to  Henry  V.  and  Henry  VI.  as  Dukes  of 
Guienne,  and  saw  his  domains  assigned  by  Charles  VII.  to  his  younger  brother  Brandelis,  ancestor  of  the 
Dukes  de  la  Force.  The  pilgrimage  which  he  records  in  his  Voyaige  d' Oultremer  en  Jheriisalem  was 
accomplished  between  February  27,  1418,  and  April  14,  1420,  but  his  manuscript  found  its  way  to  the 
British  Museum,  and  was  hardly  known  until  it  was  copied  and  printed  in  1858  by  the  Marquis  de  la 
Grange,  whose  preface  well  repays  perusal. 

The  "auzelles  de  Chipre  pour  parfumer  chambres"  which  the  pilgrim  brought  as  a  present  for  his 
wife  (p.  139)  were  balls  of  perfume  shaped  like  a  bird  (oiselet)  covered  with  a  bird's  feathers:  when 
crushed  they  scattered  a  sweet-smelHng  powder.    F.  Godefroy,  Lexique,  1901. 

I  left  Rama  (July  20,  1418)  and  went  to  Japhe,  twelve  miles,  where  the  ships  which 
brought  me  were  waiting  for  me.  I  embarked  on  the  very  day  of  my  arrival,  and  next  day 
we  sailed  for  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus.  And  there  we  came  to  anchor  at  a  city  called 
Famagosta,  where  we  reckoned  400  miles.  The  city  is  built  on  the  sea-shore,  and  in  it  is  a 
veiy  fair  church.    In  this  country  men  count  by  leagues. 

The  Kingdom  of  Cyprus. 

Item,  from  Famagosta  I  went  inland  to  the  king  of  Cyprus,  who  lives  twelve  leagues 
hence  in  a  great  city  called  Nicossia.  But  first,  after  leaving  Famagosta  I  passed  a  castle  in 
the  plain,  called  Chasteau  Franc,  four  leagues  away,  which  the  king  of  Cyprus  had  built  not 
long  since.  It  seemed  to  me  well  built  and  strong,  considering  the  flatness  of  its  site.  From 
this  castle,  without  a  halt,  I  pushed  on  four  leagues  to  a  place  belonging  to  the  Hospice  of 
Rhodes  called  Mores,  and  there  I  slept  the  night. 

Item,  from  Moures  four  leagues  to  Nicossia,  where  the  king  [Jean  II.]  was,  from  whom 
I  received  great  cheer  and  welcome.  He  was  lodged  in  a  great  hostel  of  S.  John  of  Rhodes, 
which  is  a  commandery :  in  this  hostel  is  a  chapel  where  there  are  fair  relics  which  were  shown 
me,  to  wit,  the  arm  of  Monseigneur  S.  George,  the  head  of  S.  Anne,  mother  of  our  Lady,  and 
the  whole  body  of  S.  Euphemia;  also  the  iron  of  the  lance  with  which  Monseigneur  S.  George 
killed  the  serpent,  and  many  other  holy  relics.  Now  when  I  had  stayed  with  the  said  king 
two  or  three  days  I  returned  by  the  very  same  road  I  had  taken  to  the  city  of  Famagosta 
whence  I  had  started,  and  where  the  ships  awaited  me.  Be  it  known  that  it  is  a  country  of 
very  great  heat,  so  that  the  people  hardly  dare  to  ride  by  day,  for  the  great  power  of  the 
sun,  but  by  night  only.  And  foreigners  can  scarcely  remain  there  long  in  health.  And  in 
this  country  the  grapes  are  generally  black,  and  the  wines  are  all  white. 

Item,  at  Famagosta  I  took  the  sea  and  journeyed  along  the  coast  of  Cyprus  to  Cape 
S.  Andrew,  a  distance  of  seventy  miles. 

Item,  from  that  Cape  S.  Andrew  to  the  town  of  Carpas,  twenty-five  miles. 
Item,  from  Carpas  to  the  Castle  de  la  Candera,  thirty  miles.  Item,  from  the  Castle  de  la 
Candara  to  the  Castle  of  Leonde,  otherwise  called  Buffavent,  thirty  miles.  Item,  from 
Buifalvent  to  the  Castle  and  town  of  Cherines,  ten  miles  :  this  is  a  seaport,  and  the  strongest 
fortress  in  Cyprus.  It  was  the  greathearted  Achilles,  who  was  king  of  Thessaly,  who  built  it. 
Item,  from  this  Cherines  to  the  Castle  of  S.  Hellarion,  five  miles.  Now  I  leave  the  kingdom 
of  Cyprus  and  come  to  a  country  of  Turkey,  which  formerly  used  to  be  called  Armenia,  and 
now  belongs  to  the  misbelieving  Turks  (pp.  76 — 79). 


1)E  CAUMONT.    PERO  TAFUR. 


31 


PERO  TAFUR. 

The  eightli  Volume  of  the  Coleccion  de  Libros  Espanoles  raron  o  curiosos,  Madrid,  1871,  contains 
the  Andancas  e  viajen  de  Pero  Tafur  por  diversas  parten  del  muiido  avidos,  a  transcript  from  a 
manuscript  of  the  eighteenth  century  preserved  at  Salamanca. 

Of  the  author  little  is  known.  His  name  points  to  an  illustrious  lineage,  and  he  must  have  enjoyed 
very  fully  the  confidence  of  Don  Juan  II.,  king  of  Castile,  whose  letters  commendatory  and  his  own  tact 
won  for  him  a  warm  reception  and  a  shower  of  Orders  at  the  courts  of  Pope  Eugenius  IV.,  the  Emperor 
Albert  II.,  king  Jean  II.  of  Cyprus,  the  Mamluk  ruler  of  Egypt  el  Ashraf  Seif  ed  Din  Bars  Bey,  and  the 
Emperor  of  Constantinople,  John  Palaeologus  II.  Political  events  mentioned  in  his  narrative  fix  the  date 
of  his  journeys  between  1435  and  1439. 

The  work  is  interesting  throughout:  the  editing,  preface  and  notes  of  the  Marques  Jimenez  de 
la  Espada  are  beyond  praise. 

We  left  Jieirut,  keeping  along  the  coast  of  Syria  up  to  Armenia,  where  they  say  Antioch 
stood,  which  they  pointed  out  to  us  thence ;  and  advancing  along  the  coast  we  saw  the  castle 
of  Cusco,  which  was  anciently  called  Colchos,  whence  came  Medea,  and  was  the  island  home 
of  the  ram  with  the  golden  Hoece.  And  that  castle  belongs  to  the  kings  of  Cyprus,  and  on  its 
account  they  all  call  themselves  kings  of  Armenia.  In  that  part  of  Armenia  is  a  lofty  range 
which  they  call  the  Black  Mountain,  on  which  it  is  said  that  the  ark  of  Noah  rested  after  the 
deluge.  Opposite  that  castle  is  the  island  and  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  and  that  part  which  is 
over  against  Armenia  is  the  city  of  Famagosta,  an  ancient  city,  which  the  Genoese  captured 
when  they  took  the  king  of  Cyprus  and  carried  him  to  Genoa,  him  and  his  wife,  and  there  the 
Queen  bore  a  son  called  Janus,  father  of  the  king  that  now  is.  This  place  is  depopulated  on 
account  of  the  bad  air  and  bad  water.  They  say  there  is  a  lake  there,  which  they  call 
Constanza,  and  that  makes  the  unhealthiness  of  the  district,  though  the  whole  kingdom 
of  Cyprus  is  generally  unhealthy.  We  arrived  there  at  daybreak,  and  anchored  to  take 
certain  merchandi.se.  1  took  my  leave  of  the  captain  and  of  my  friends,  and  had  all  my 
things  taken  on  shore,  and  made  them  look  out  for  animals  for  myself  and  my  servants  and 
what  there  was  to  carry,  and  left  at  once,  and  took  the  road  to  Nicosia,  which  is  ten  leagues 
distant.  This  is  the  greatest  and  most  healthy  city  of  the  kingdom  where  the  kings  and  all 
the  lords  of  the  realm  always  live.  And  because  it  was  late  1  had  to  wait  in  a  village  two 
leagues  away,  and  on  arriving  I  was  seized  with  so  severe  a  headache  that  I  thought  I  should 
die.  And  that  same  pain  went  down  to  my  breast,  and  stomach  and  belly  and  hips  and 
thighs,  and  so  to  my  knees  and  feet,  and  lasted  all  that  night  and  up  to  vespers  the  next  day, 
so  tliat  I  thought  that  if  each  lasted  three  hours  1  should  die. 

That  evening  I  left  the  place  and  went  to  the  city  of  Nicosia,  where  the  kmg  holds  his 
court,  and  went  to  an  inn  where  I  remained  that  night.  On  the  morning  of  the  next  day, 
while  I  was  hearing  mass  in  a  church  of  S.  George,  there  came  to  me  an  esqmre  of  Madame 
Ines,  sister  of  king  James,  who  sent  for  me.  And  when  mass  was  over  I  went  with  the 
esquire  to  the  lady's  palace  and  there  made  my  reverence,  and  she  received  me  very  kindly, 
asking  who  I  was  and  whence  I  came  an.l  whither  I  was  going:  and  after  much  talk  she 
ordered  that  I  should  be  lodged  in  her  house  and  given  all  that  was  necessary  for  myself  and 
my  servants  This  lady  was  very  noble,  and  never  married  but  remained  a  spinster,  and  was 
always  of  the  king's  counsels,  and  gtmerally  ruled  the  kingdom  as  she  would.  She  would  be 
about  fifty  years  ol.l.  And  after  I  had  rested  that  day  the  lady  went  on  the  next  to  see  the 
king  her  nephew,  and  the  Cardinal  [Hugues  de  Lusignan,  son  of  Jacques  I.  and  Agnes 


32 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


of  Bavaria]  her  brother,  and  there  I  made  my  reverence  to  the  king  and  to  the  Cardinal  his 
uncle,  who  received  me  gladly  :  and  there  I  told  them  the  story  of  my  journey,  that  I  had 
come  there  chiefly  to  visit  the  king  and  his  court,  and  then  to  obtain  a  safe-conduct  for 
Babylon  [Cairo]  and  mount  Sinai.  And  as  I  had  brought  letters  of  introduction  from 
the  king  Don  Juan  to  the  Cardinal  of  Cyprus,  who  had  been  lately  in  Italy  and  whom  I  met 
there,  he  told  me  it  would  give  him  pleasure  to  further  my  wishes.  At  that  time  Monsieur 
Suarez,  Admiral  of  Cyprus,  was  present  and  came  up  to  me  in  a  very  friendly  way,  explaining 
that  he  was  a  Castilian  like  myself,  and  begged  the  king  and  Cardinal  and  Madame  Ines  that 
they  would  allow  me  to  be  his  guest ;  and  so  importunate  was  he,  especially  with  the  lady, 
that  he  gained  his  point,  and  straightway  I  left  with  him. 

He  was  a  gentleman  born  in  Segovia,  of  the  family  of  the  Cernadilla,  and  when  he  was 
a  youth  and  wandering  about  the  world  found  himself  in  Cyprus  the  day  of  the  battle  which 
the  king  Janus  [at  Choirokoitia,  July  7,  1426]  fought  with  the  troops  of  the  Soldan,  and 
showed  such  personal  bravery  that  he  saved  the  king's  life,  and  was  taken  prisoner  with  him 
and  carried  to  Babylon.  It  is  a  custom  with  the  Moors  that  no  one  shall  go  on  horseback 
who  is  not  a  Christian  and  renegade,  and  the  day  the  captive  king  entered  Babylon  they 
brought  two  horses,  one  for  the  king  and  the  other  for  Monsieur  Suarez ;  and  when  they 
were  brought  before  the  Soldan  and  he  knew  the  truth  of  the  story  he  ordered  that  the  same 
honour  should  be  paid  to  Suarez  as  to  the  king.  And  when  some  days  had  passed  when  they 
were  talking  of  the  king's  ransom  the  Soldan  said  to  M.  Suarez  that  if  he  intended  to 
interest  himself  in  the  king's  freedom  that  he  would  let  him  go  on  parole,  so  that  he  returned 
with  the  money  promised,  or  at  least  in  person.  M.  Suarez  gave  his  word,  and  the  Soldan 
ordered  all  that  he  needed  to  be  given  him,  and  they  even  say  that  he  asked  him  what 
manner  of  dress  he  wished  to  wear,  and  he  replied,  after  the  Syrian  fashion.  The  Soldan 
ordered  it  to  be  provided  at  once  and  dismissed  him.  He  left  and  came  to  Cyprus,  and  there 
with  the  Cardinal  and  Madame  Ines,  and  the  rest  of  the  Council,  it  was  arranged  to  send 
certain  gentlemen  to  the  kings  and  princes  of  Christendom  to  beg  their  help  for  the  ransom 
of  the  king.  And  I  saw  there  in  Cyprus  the  gentleman  who  came  here  who  was  called 
Jacques  Gruiri.  It  fell  to  M.  Suarez'  lot  to  go  to  the  Pope.  After  a  while  all  had  returned, 
each  with  what  he  brought  and  what  he  could  get  from  the  kingdom  to  which  he  was  sent, 
and  the  king's  ransom  was  completed.  And  M.  Suarez,  with  others  of  the  king's  Council, 
took  that  amount  of  gold — it  was  300,000  ducats — and  left  to  fetch  their  king.  And  when 
they  arrived  at  Babylon,  and  the  Soldan  knew  of  it,  he  ordered  men  to  go  out  to  meet  him, 
and  did  him  as  much  honour  as  though  he  were  his  son.  And  there  was  given  the  order  for 
the  release  of  the  king  after  this  wise.  The  Soldan  received  that  sum  of  gold,  and  the  king 
of  Cyprus  further  engaged  to  pay  him  each  year  8000  ducats,  and  so  the  affair  ended.  And 
the  Soldan  ordered  the  preparation  of  all  things  needful,  and  of  ships  to  carry  him  to  his 
kingdom,  and  gave  great  thanks  to  M.  Suarez :  and  to  the  Soldan's  chief  dragoman,  a  native 
of  Castile,  a  Jew  of  Seville,  who  turned  renegade  in  Babylon,  for  the  sei'vices  he  rendered  to 
the  king  in  his  captivity,  they  give  every  year  200  ducats.  And  the  king,  when  he  reached 
his  kingdom  and  held  counsel  with  its  nobles,  took  M.  Suarez  by  the  hand,  and  made  him  sit 
at  his  side,  saying  that,  if  he  had  no  legitimate  son,  to  him  he  would  leave  his  kingdom  :  and 
at  once  sent  to  call  a  bastard  daughter  who  was  there,  and  married  him  to  her  and  made 
him  his  admiral,  and  her  his  heir  in  the  kingdom.  After  I  had  been  four  or  five  days  in  the 
house  of  the  admiral  M.  Suarez  the  Cardinal  sent  for  me  and  said  that  I  was  to  go  and  hear 
mass  with  the  king,  who  would  give  me  a  safe-conduct  for  the  journey  to  Babylon,  and  that 
I  was  to  dine  with  him.    And  after  we  had  heard  mass  the  king  went  apart  to  a  corner  of 


PERO  TAFUR. 


33 


the  church  with  the  Cardinal  and  his  aunt  and  some  of  his  Council,  and  the  Cardinal  told  me 
on  behalf  of  the  king  that  he  had  heard  I  wished  to  go  to  Babylon  and  M.  Sinai,  and  as  the 
king  had  to  send  an  ambassador  on  his  own  affairs  to  the  Soldan  he  begged  me  to  accept  this 
office,  and  thereby  greatly  oblige  the  king :  and  I  knew  well  that  the  Cardinal  had  managed 
it  so  to  satisfy  me.  And  I  answered  that  I  was  well  content  to  serve  him,  forasmuch  as  he 
was  a  king,  and  a  Christian,  and  of  the  land  of  France.  The  king  bid  me  dine  there  with 
him  and  the  Cardinal,  and  there  he  gave  the  orders  for  my  journey.  And  thence  I  left  for 
the  port  of  Paphos,  where  the  king  had  sent  orders  that  I  should  be  lodged  in  a  village  on  a 
mountain,  a  wholesome  spot,  on  account  of  the  great  unhealthiness  of  Paphos,  and  I  rested 
in  the  house  of  Diego  Thenorio,  an  esquire  of  Castile,  and  had  much  pleasure  with  him.  And 
after  three  days  there  arrived  in  the  port  of  Paphos  a  fusta  of  eighteen  thwarts,  which  was 
to  take  me,  and  it  brought  the  king's  dragoman  who  was  to  go  with  me,  and  much  victuals, 
as  for  a  king's  household,  and  the  instructions  as  to  what  I  was  to  do  with  the  Soldan.  On 
the  following  day  we  sailed  and  were  at  sea  for  eleven  days,  sometimes  with  a  favourable 
wind,  and  reached  at  last  the  harbour  of  Damiata,  where  the  Nile,  which  rises  in  the 
terrestrial  Paradise,  enters  the  Mediterranean  sea.  We  passed  up  the  river  a  league  and  a 
half  to  the  city  of  Uarniata,  which  is  about  the  size  of  Salamanca.... There  I  saw  the  first 
pigeons  which  carry  a  letter  on  the  feather  of  the  tail :  it  is  done  by  carrying  them  from  the 
place  where  they  are  bred  to  another  place,  and  attaching  the  letter  and  letting  them  go,  and 
the  bird  returns  to  its  home.  It  is  done  to  have  early  news  of  people  arriving  by  land  or  sea, 
that  they  may  n(jt  be  taken  by  surprise,  since  they  live  without  a  fortress  and  wthout 
walls  (pp.  66 — 72). 

[Pero  Tafn,r  mihd  up  the  Nile  to  Cairo,  saw  crocodiles,  elephants  and  giraffes,  the 
pyramids  (irhirh  he  calls  Joseph's  harm)  and  other  wonders.  He  obtained  an  audience  of  the 
Sultan,  who  granted  the  king's  reqwists — one  of  these  was  that  "  he  might  he  allowed  to  sell  his 
salt,  which  was  a  great  source  of  income,  throughout  Syria  without  paying  dues."  He  then 
journeyed  to  Mount  Sinai  and  returned  safely  to  Cairo  in  company  with  one  Nicola  de  Conto, 
■who  beguiled  their  time  and  toll  irith  strange  tales  of  Preste  Juan  and  the  sources  of  the  Nile.] 

From  Damiata  I  put  to  sea  and  arrived  in  seven  days  at  the  port  of  Paphos,  where  I  had 
embarked,  a  very  nnhc;ilthy  place:  the  very  day  I  arrived  the  Bishop  (Angelo  de  Narni)  and 
two  of  his  cscpiires  had  died.  And  (iod  was  gracious  to  me  so  that  directly  I  set  foot  on  land 
1  mounted  the  animals  of  the  Bishop  and  his  men  and  left  for  the  court  of  the  king  of  Cyprus, 
who  was  in  Nicosia.  And  my  dragoman  whom  the  king  had  given  me  went  ahead  to  tell  the 
king  and  the  Cardinal,  and  they  sent  to  bid  me  halt  that  night  in  a  village,  because  the  next 
morning  they  wi.shed  to  give  me  an  honourable  reception,  and  so  they  did.  The  next  mornmg 
as  1  was  going  on  my  road  I  found  many  of  those  gentlemen  of  the  king's  court,  who  came 
out  to  receive  me,  and  accompanied  me  to  the  king's  presence,  and  when  I  arrived  I  found 
the  king  and  the  Cardinal  and  many  of  the  grandees  with  them,  and  I  was  very  well  received, 
and  treated  with  as  much  kindness  as  if  I  had  been  of  their  family  :  they  praised  God  that  I 
was  returned  safe  from  so  great  a  journey,  and  thanked  me  warmly  from  the  king  for  what  I 
had  done  in  his  service,  offering  me  freely  things  which  I  might  like.  I  then  took  my  leave 
of  the  king,  aiul  the  admiral  who  was  there  took  me  to  his  house  as  before,  where  I  was  very 
well  lodged.  The  next  morning  there  arose  a  great  tumult  throughout  the  town,  and  all  took 
to  arms,  the  (Sirdinal  among  the  first  and  Madame  Ines  his  sister  and  some  of  the  grandees 
of  the  realm  against  the  king  to  kill  or  take  a  favourite  of  his,  called  Jacobo  Guiri  [Jacques 
Gourry],  by  office  a  judge.  The  king  fled  to  a  fortress  on  the  edge  of  the  city,  called  the 
Citad(>l,  and  there  they  surrounded  him,  and  made  these  terms  with  him,  that  he  would  put 

5 

c. 


34 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


away  his  favourite  and  not  let  him  approach  the  court  for  a  year.  The  king  swore  to  this, 
and  it  was  straightway  carried  out  and  the  people  retired. 

The  next  day  the  king  sent  for  me,  and  before  the  Cardinal  and  some  nobles  told  me  and 
begged  me  to  accept  from  him  what  I  pleased  for  the  expenses  of  my  journey,  and  I  replied 
that  I  thanked  him  much,  that  I  had  enough  for  my  return,  and  that  I  prayed  him  to  order 
that  leave  be  given  me  to  go,  and  a  fusta  to  take  me  as  far  as  Rhodes  :  and  I  strove  as  much 
as  I  could  to  leave  and  he  to  keep  me.  And  he  bid  me  stay  there  at  least  eight  days,  and  I 
because  I  saw  that  it  pleased  him  had  to  do  so,  and  certainly  in  these  days  I  was  so  greatly 
refreshed  that  I  could  not  have  been  better,  and  the  vessel  which  was  to  take  me  was  made 
ready,  and  I  took  my  leave  of  the  king,  and  with  real  unwillingness  he  gave  me  the  permission 
to  go,  and  there  he  gave  me  his  Order,  which  I  have  still :  he  gave  me  also  ten  pieces  of 
camlet  and  delicate  linen,  and  a  leopard,  and  so  much  victuals  to  take  me  to  Rhodes  as  would 
suffice  for  a  year.  And  at  the  time  I  was  there  there  came  two  embassies  to  the  king  of 
Cyprus,  one  from  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  and  another  from  a  Duke  of  Germany,  each  of  them  to 
arrange  a  marriage  between  his  daughter  and  the  king :  and  he  made  no  bargain  with 
either,  because  (it  was  said)  the  Grrand  Master  of  Rhodes  was  proposing  to  him  a  much 
desired  alliance  with  a  daughter  of  the  Count  of  Urgel  of  Arragon,  sister  to  the  wife  of  the 
Infante  Don  Pedro,  Regent  of  Portugal.  It  appeared  however  to  me  that  that  to  which  the 
king's  councillors  most  inclined  was  with  the  daughter  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  and  that 
I  believe  was  adopted. 

The  king  was  a  youth  of  sixteen  or  seventeen,  and  tall,  although  his  legs  were  certainly 
as  thick  or  but  little  less  thick  about  the  knees  as  at  the  thighs.  He  is  a  graceful  person, 
and  for  his  age  of  plenty  of  intelligence,  lively  and  active,  especially  in  riding.  Certainly 
were  the  country  not  so  unhealthy  I  would  willingly  enough  have  determined  to  enter  his 
service  for  a  while.  But  it  was  almost  impossible  for  a  stranger  to  live  in  so  unwholesome  a 
country,  and  for  that  reason  and  for  the  longing  I  had  to  return  to  Castile,  on  account  of  the 
war  with  the  Moors,  I  had  to  continue  my  journey  with  all  speed. 

I  left  the  city  of  Nicosia  and  went  to  Aherines,  where  the  vessel  awaited  me  which  was 
to  take  me  to  Rhodes.  It  is  an  ancient  city  built  by  Achilles,  from  whom  it  takes  its  name  : 
small  but  strong,  and  well  walled,  with  a  good  harbour,  which  though  small  is  closed  with  a 
chain  and  well  defended.  Hither  took  refuge  the  present  king,  with  his  uncle  the  Cardinal 
and  Madame  Ines  and  many  others  of  the  kingdom  when  king  Janus  was  taken  prisoner. 
It  is  the  most  healthy  district  of  the  whole  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  because  it  lies  open  to  the 
west  wind  (pp.  119—123). 


PERO  TAFUR    W.  WEY.  CAPODILISTA. 


35 


W.  WEY. 

William  Wey,  Fellow  of  Eton  College,  reached  Paphos,  July  9,  1458,  and  returned  to  it  on  August  7, 
to  find  the  king,  Jean  II.,  dead,  and  his  daughter  Charlotte  reigning  in  his  stead. 

From  the  Itineraries,  published  by  the  Roxburghe  Club,  4to,  London,  1857,  I  copy  one  short  passage, 
and  translate  another. 

In  Cipresse  ye  schal  haue  grotis  of  sylver  and  half  grotis,  and  other  denars  of  black 
money,  and  be.sauntis:  and  halfe  a  besaunte  ys  worth  XLVIII  denars,  and  vil  besauntys 
and  half  to  a  doket  of  Venyse.    A  grot  of  Cypres  ys  worth  XXXVIII  denars  (page  3). 

From  Rhodes  we  came  to  Paphus  on  July  9.  There  8.  Paul  was  imprisoned  in 
a  spot  belonging  to  the  Friars  Minor,  and  there  is  S.  Paul's  fountain.  Also  two  miles 
from  Famacosta,  in  a  city  called  Constantia,  S.  Katerina  was  born.  Also  in  Famacosta  is 
a  chapel  in  tlu;  church  of  the  Friars  Minor  behind  the  High  Altar  and  the  spot  where 
S.  Katerina  learned  to  read.  Also  in  the  city  of  Nicocea,  which  is  one  of  the  chief  cities  of 
Cyprus,  there  lies  the  whole  body  of  the  lord  Moinitford,  once  an  English  Knight,  in  the 
abbey  of  the  Order  of  S.  Benedict,  and  there  he  is  revered  as  a  .saint,  and  two  hundred  years 
and  a  little  more  have  passed  since  he  was  buried  there.  Also  outside  Nicocea  is  the  body  of 
S.  Mamma,  which  exudes  oil  :  also  the  body  of  the  Abbot  Ilarion. 


CAPODILISTA. 

Count  GaV)riele  Caiwdilista,  a  gentleman  of  Padua,  visited  Cyprus  in  1458.  On  his  return  to  Italy  a 
friend,  Paolo  Boncanibio,  edited  from  his  notes  the  Itinerario  della  Terra  Santa  nel  1458,  a  rare  volume 
in  small  quarto,  without  a  date,  but  printed  probably  at  Perugia  about  1485. 

Queen  Helena  I'aLaeologus,  wife  of  Jean  II.,  died  April  11,  1458.  Lo  Postoleo  (le  Postide  on  VElu, 
H.  de  C,  III.  H'2,  I' ApontoiUv,  ui.  105,  rApo.stnlle,  in.  106,  Ajjontelerius  Cypricus,  in.  166,  6  'Anoa-ToXr)!, 
G.  Boustron,  el  pnilre  el  fene  Fontiilatu,  Malipiero)  was  Jaques  II.  de  Lusignan,  then  titular  archbishop  of 
Nicosia. 

This  extract  is  translated  from  De  Mas  Latrie,  Histoire,  vol.  iii.  pp.  76,  77. 

I'^riday,  June  10,  in  the  morning,  their  course  brought  them  close  to  the  island  of  Cyprus. 
Tliey  passed  C.  Epiphauio,  and  a  city  called  Papho,  ruined  and  almost  without  inhabitants. 
At  XXIII  of  the  clock  they  reached  a  little  village  called  Episcopia,  very  rich  in  sugar,  which 
belongs,  I  think,  to  some  Venetian  gentlemen  of  the  house  of  Cornero.  At  this  place  they 
received  news  that  the  Queen  of  Cyprus  was  dead,  and  that  the  king,  scarcely  caring  any 
more  for  sovereignty,  had  made  a  bastard  son,  called  Lo  Postoleo,  his  lieutenant;  also  that 
it  was  supposed  that  th(>  Turk  was  coming  to  those  parts. 

'Phey  stayed  a  little  while  in  this  village  and  saw  some  most  lovely  gardens  of  oranges, 
citrons  and  carobs,  and  some  other  trees  called  banana,  which  produce  fruit  very  much  like 
small  cucumbers;  when  it  is  ripe  it  is  yellow  and  very  sweet  of  savour. ..and  they  saw  many 
fields  of  sugar  cane :  and  these  gardens  and  fields  are  watered  by  running  streams,  and  bulbs 
and  squills  grow  there  in  abundance.  Miser  Gabriel  and  his  companions  went  on  shore  at  this 
l)lace  Ei)iscoi)ia;  the  air  there  is  very  bad,  and  they  all  got  ill,  one  of  a  fever,  another  of 
a  Hu.x,  except  M.  (iabriele  who  remained  well ;  but  for  fifteen  days  his  chest  and  stomach 
suffered  from  nausea  from  having  imbibed  that  foul  and  almost  pestiferous  air;  and  some 
of  his  companions  died. 

5—2 


36 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Sunday,  June  18,  coasting  along  the  island  they  passed  Cape  G-avata  and  Limisso,  and 
then  came  on  Saline  where  was  once  a  city  called  vSellamina,  and  here  MM.  Anthonio  and 
Grabriele,  on  their  return  from  Jerusalem,  went  on  shore,  and  taking  horses  travelled  all 
night,  and  with  morning  arrived  at  a  city  of  Cyprus  called  Nicossia,  eleven  miles  from  Saline. 
They  alighted  at  the  house  of  that  worshipful  gentleman  M.  Andrea  Cornero,  of  Venice,  by 
whom  they  were  received  with  affectionate  courtesy,  as  though  they  had  been  his  own 
brothers.  On  the  morrow  he  took  Miser  Antonio  and  Miser  G-abriele  to  visit  the  king's 
Majesty.  He  was  in  a  convent  of  monks,  and  received  them  with  gracious  kindness,  and 
gave  to  the  honourable  Miser  Gabriele  his  order,  fastening  it  on  his  breast  with  his  own  hand. 
It  is  a  sword  encirled  by  the  legend  "  POUR  LIUTE  MANTENER."  With  the  royal  permission, 
and  after  homage  paid  to  this  most  noble  king,  they  returned  to  Miser  Andrea's  house,  and 
the  next  day,  after  they  had  seen  the  town,  they  went  to  a  palace  of  the  king's  two  miles 
beyond,  called  La  Cava,  where  was  an  endless  profusion  of  oranges,  citrons,  lemons,  and 
many  other  valuable  fruits,  and  very  great  wells  from  which  all  that  garden  is  watered. 

FELIX  FABER. 

Felix  Faber,  a  Dominican  monk  of  Ulm,  made  and  recorded  two  pilgrimages  to  the  Holy  Land.  He 
started  on  the  first  and  shorter  of  these  on  April  14,  1480,  and  touched  Cyprus  twice :  on  the  second 
occasion  he  left  Ulm  April  14,  1483,  landed  in  Cyprus  on  June  25,  and  again  on  his  retm-n,  November  7  of 
the  same  year.  Yet  in  the  third  of  the  articles  drawn  up  at  Venice  between  the  pilgi-ims  and  the  owner 
of  the  galley  it  is  specified  (i.  89)  that  the  captain  shall  visit  no  unusual  ports  :  "  and  we  particularly  desire 
that  he  shall  keep  away  from  Cyprus,  and  not  touch  there,  or  if  he  be  obliged  to  touch  there  that  he  shall 
not  remain  more  than  three  days  in  port ;  because  we  have  it  by  tradition  from  our  elders  that  the  air  of 
the  island  is  pestiferous  to  Germans.  If,  however,  any  of  us  wish  to  visit  Nicosia,  to  present  ourselves  to 
the  Queen,  and  to  receive  the  insignia  of  her  Order,  the  captain  must  wait  for  them,  as  is  the  old  custom 
with  nobles  while  the  island  had  still  a  king."  (This  was  no  doubt  the  Order  of  the  Sword,  with  its 
noble  motto  "  Cest  pour  Loiaute  maintenir"  founded  by  Guy  de  Lusignan,  1195.  So  Favine,  TlieMre 
d'honneur  &c.  1620,  but  M.  de  Mas  Latrie  makes  Pieri-e  I.  the  founder.) 

This  Evagatorium  in  Terrae  Sanctae,  Arabiae  et  Egypti  Peregrinationem  was  edited  in  3  vols.,  8vo, 
1843 — 1849,  from  his  autograph  ms.  preserved  in  the  Library  at  Ulm,  for  a  literary  society  at  Stuttgart,  by 
C.  D.  Hassler,  a  Professor  in  the  Gymnasium  of  Ulm.  His  style  is  divertingly  quaint,  his  Latin  divertingly 
bad.  Travelling  more  than  a  hundred  years  before  I.  van  Kootwyck  he  has  even  worse  to  relate  of  the 
dangers  and  discomforts  of  the  journey.  What  is  valuable  to  us  is  what  this  active  and  intelligent  monk 
saw  with  his  eyes  and  recorded  with  his  pen,  not  the  scraps  of  old  world  learning  which  he  painfully 
collected  in  the  library  at  Ulm.  So  we  omit  his  history  of  Cyprus  (in.  217 — 230)  from  Japhet  to  Catarina 
Cornaro. 

A  good  paper  by  Professor  E.  Oberhummer,  printed  as  a  Separatabdruck  aus  Ausland,  1892,  nr.  23 — 26, 
gives  a  summary  of  all  that  has  been  written  about  M.  Santa  Croce,  from  the  earliest  Greek  geographer 
to  the  latest  German  geologist. 

A  Marcellus  =  2  baiocchj,  10^  silver  Marcelli  =  l  ducatone  of  Venice,  al.  coined  by  the  Doge  Nicolo 
Marcello  (1472—1474)  and  worth  about  10  soldi. 

On  Monday  we  came  to  Cyprus,  and  made  for  the  harbour  of  Limovicus,  because  a 
contrary  wind  forced  us  to  seek  a  port.  When  that  died  down  we  sailed  to  the  hai-bour  of 
Nimonia,  to  tarry  there  some  days,  because  our  captain  had  a  brother  with  the  Queen  of 
Cyprus  in  Nichosia,  with  whom  he  had  business,  and  we  had  to  wait  until  it  was  done  (l.  41). 

\_The  'pilgrims  go  to  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem,  and  in  less  than  a  month  are  again  in  Cyprus, 
all  of  them  weary  or  sickJ] 


CAPODILISTA.    FELIX  FABER. 


37 


With  good  weather  we  returned  to  the  port  called  Salina :  there  we  took  the  weaker 
pilgrims  to  a  town  hard  by,  the  sounder  of  us  went  with  our  captain  on  hired  horses  to 
Nychosia,  which  is  the  metropolis  of  Cyprus  and  the  royal  residence,  six  German  miles  from 
the  sea.  It  is  an  ancient  custom  that  the  knights  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  present  themselves 
to  the  king  of  Cyprus  and  make  with  him  a  kind  of  pact.  He  calls  them  his  companions, 
and  enters  their  names  in  a  book,  and  gives  them  a  silver  dagger  in  a  sheath  with  a  belt  for 
it,  and  at  the  end  of  the  dagger  hangs  a  silver  flowret  like  a  violet,  in  token  of  the  alliance 
between  them.  For  this  reason  my  lord  (reorius  de  Lapide,  whom  I  never  left,  with  other 
nobles  entered  Nichosia  and  stayed  there  three  days.  But  because  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus 
has  now  no  king,  the  nobles  begged  of  the  Queen  to  be  received  into  the  companionship  of 
the  kings  of  Cyprus.  She  summoned  them  to  a  large  banqueting  hall,  and  when  they  were 
set  before  her  proposed  to  them  through  an  interpreter  the  statutes  of  that  companionship, 
which  are :  that  they  should  strive  to  help  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus  in  its  need,  since  it  lies 
midway  between  Saracens,  Turks  and  Tartars.  They  pledged  their  faith  to  the  Queen  with 
their  hands,  and  she  delivered  to  them  the  daggers,  and  allowed  them  to  depart.  We  then 
returned  on  horseback  to  the  sea.  Moreover  we  passed  on  the  road  the  skirts  of  a  certain 
very  high  mountain,  on  the  crest  of  which  is  a  chapel,  in  which  they  told  us  is  set  the  cross  of 
the  thief  on  our  Lord's  right,  suspended  in  wonderful  \vise,  which  I  would  gladly  have  seen. 
But  I  had  no  time,  and  so  put  this  off  until  my  second  pilgrimage. 

When  we  reached  (nir  galley  we  found  two  pilgrims  dead :  one  was  a  priest  of  the  Order 
of  S.  Francis,  a  strong  and  learned  man,  the  other  was  a  tailor  of  Picardy,  an  honest  and 
good  fellow,  ethers  wi're  in  their  death  agonies.  We  too  who  came  from  Nichosia  took  to 
our  beds  with  a  great  illness,  and  the  sick  were  now  so  many  that  there  were  no  servants  to 
supply  their  urgent  wants.  The  old  ladies,  seeing  our  need,  were  moved  to  pity  for  us,  and 
tended  us,  for  not  one  of  them  was  ill.  Herein  did  Cod  by  the  strength  of  these  women 
confound  the  pride  of  the  knights  who  had  Houted  them  at  Venice,  and  willed  not  to  travel 
with  them.  For  they  ran  about  the  galley  from  one  sick  man  to  another,  and  tended  in 
their  berths  those  who  had  spurned  and  derided  them. 

Besides  these  sicknesses  and  discomforts  there  arose  new  fear  of  the  Turks,  and  our  terror 
was  greater  than  ever.  Meanwhile  the  captain  had  taken  the  galley  to  sea,  but  the  wmd 
gave  us  no  help,  and  we  cruised  uselessly  along  the  coast  of  Cyprus.  So  we  put  in  again  at 
the  barren  port  of  Limona,  and  waited  impatiently  for  a  favouring  breeze.  Two  days  later 
we  put  out  again  to  sea.  But  a  foul  wind  carried  us  farther  than  ever  away  from  the  land, 
and  out  of  our  course,  and  so  we  strayed  about  for  many  days  to  no  purpose,  and  began  to 
suffer  on  board  froTu  a  lack  of  all  necessaries.  One  knight  died  miserably,  whom  we  wrapped 
in  a  sheet  weighted  with  stones,  and  committed  with  weeping  to  the  deep.  Three  days  later 
another  knight  went  mad,  and  died  howling  in  his  pain.  Him  we  took  m  a  boat  to  bury  on 
shore,  for  we  were  close  to  the  coast  near  Paphus.  We  had  a  wretched  passage  and  suffered 
for  want  of  water,  bread  and  other  things.  A  foul  wind  drove  us  out  ot  sight  of  Cyprus, 
and  for  three  days  and  nights  we  saw  no  land;  later  on  we  were  agam  earned  into  the 
harbour  <.f  I'aphus,  which  is  mentioned  in  Acts  xiii.  There  we  bought  what  was  needful,  and 
sailing  out  drifted  aimlessly  along  the  coast  (l.  42—44). 

On  June  'i.^,  \m,  we  came  over  against  the  most  ancient  harbour  of  Cyprus  which  is 
called  Paphus,  and  mentioned  m  Acts  xiii.  (5  and  13,  near  which  we  saw  the  mount  of  Venus, 
as  shall\ell  on  my  return,  and  sailed  slowly  up  to  mid  day.  Then  a  fresh  ^^"^ 
and  carried  us  along  the  coast  speedily  to  the  port  of  Limonnia  and  Biscopia,  and  towards 


38 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


evening  we  put  into  the  port  of  Salina,  and  made  fast  the  ship  with  anchors  and  poles.  The 
captain  had  himself  and  his  servants  at  once  taken  ashore,  hired  horses  and  rode  to  Nicosia, 
which  is  the  capital  of  Cyprus,  to  the  Queen,  for  he  wished  to  see  his  wife  who  was  the 
Queen's  bedchamber  woman. 

When  the  captain  had  left  we  pilgrims  stood  on  the  galley  looking  at  the  shore,  and 
I  stood  with  them,  talking  to  those  who  were  near  me  about  the  barrenness  of  that  port,  and 
the  condition  of  the  land,  for  in  my  former  pilgrimage  I  had  stayed  there  several  days. 
I  pointed  out  to  the  gentlemen  the  places  which  I  knew,  and  among  them  the  mountain  of 
S.  Cross.  It  is  the  highest  in  the  whole  kingdom,  and  on  the  crest  is  a  church  in  which  hangs 
the  cross  of  the  thief  who  was  crucified  on  Christ's  right  hand,  and  I  told  them  what  is  said 
about  that  cross  as  will  appear  presently.  And  when  these  gentlemen  and  other  pilgrims 
were  wondering  about  the  cross,  and  looking  at  the  mountain,  which  was  five  Grerman  miles 
from  us,  I  said  to  them,  "  Look  here,  my  dear  brethren,  the  captain  has  gone  to  Nicosia,  and 
will  hardly  be  back  by  to-morrow  evening.  We  cannot  start  before  his  return,  and  to-morrow 
we  shall  have  a  very  long  and  wearisome  day.  Now  then,  if  any  one  will  come  with  me  to 
the  holy  mountain,  let  him  come  to  the  poop,  and  we  will  visit  the  holy  cross  and  be  here 
early  to-morrow.  With  these  words  I  went  off  to  the  poop,  and  many  of  the  nobles  followed 
me  thinking  I  was  joking.  I  brought  up  a  servant  to  the  poop  who  knew  the  way  to  the 
holy  cross,  and  promised  that  each  of  my  companions  should  give  him  a  Marcella,  and  hired 
a  boatman  to  put  us  on  shore.  And  when  the  gentlemen  saw  that  the  affair  was  no  joke 
they  left  my  company,  with  the  exception  of  these  who  stayed  with  me. 

My  lord  Heinrich  von  Schaumburg,  a  noble  knight  and  brave  man. 

John  the  Priest,  an  archdeacon  of  Transylvania,  a  devout  and  learned  man. 

Caspar  Siculi,  knight,  a  daring  and  vigorous  youth. 

Burchai'd  von  Nusdorf,  knight,  a  good  and  cheerful  man. 

One  Rudolf,  a  Swiss  of  Zurich,  a  tall  and  honest  man. 

One  John,  a  merchant  of  Flanders,  a  very  thirsty  soul. 

And  I  brother  Felix,  who  had  stirred  them  all  to  go,  and  a  servant  whom  I  had  hired, 
called  Andreas.  We  eight  got  into  the  boat,  landed  and  conferred  about  our  pilgrimage. 
The  hour  was  late,  the  sun  had  set,  it  was  growing  dark.  Our  servant  and  guide  led  us  thus 
in  the  dusk  to  a  town  called  Ornyca,  a  mile  from  the  sea,  and  there  fetched  up  a  countryman 
known  to  him.  This  man  brought  out  bread  and  wine  and  cheese,  and  we  ate  and  drank. 
We  hired  in  the  town  eight  mules,  which  we  mounted,  and  went  off  jubilant.  Meanwhile 
the  moon  rose,  scattered  the  darkness  and  gladdened  us  with  her  light.  We  were  eight 
picked  friends,  the  weather  was  fine,  the  country  famous  and  the  road  good.  The  bushes 
gave  out  a  most  sweet  smell,  for  nearly  all  the  plants  of  the  island  are  aromatic,  and 
particularly  fragrant  at  night  when  bathed  in  dew.  We  continued  our  journey  until  the 
rising  of  the  morning  star,  and  reached  a  village  called  Santa  Croce;  there  we  tied  up  our 
beasts,  and  my  companions  lighted  a  lamp  and  drank.  I  said  matins  and  abstained,  because 
I  proposed  to  celebrate  mass  on  the  mountain.  We  lay  down  to  take  a  little  rest,  and  slept 
until  it  was  high  morn,  lying  beside  our  beasts  on  the  ground. 

On  the  26th,  the  feast  of  the  holy  martyrs  John  and  Paul,  when  we  got  up  we  begged 
the  Greek  before  whose  house  we  rested  to  provide  a  good  meal  for  us,  for  we  intended  to 
return  from  the  mountain  hungry.  We  mounted  our  beasts  and  went  on,  having  the  holy 
mount  before  our  eyes,  and  shuddering  somewhat  at  its  height.  However,  at  its  foot  we  came 
to  a  delightful  valley,  through  the  midst  of  which  flowed  a  stream,  clear,  sweet  and  sparkling; 
its  course  was  full  of  beautiful  flowers  unknown  to  us,  and  of  fragrant  shrubs.    There  were 


FELIX  FABER. 


39 


many  trees  full  of  carobs,  which  the  vulgar  call  8.  John's  bread.  We  wound  up  this 
valley  in  grateful  shade,  for  the  sun  which  was  already  firing  the  adjoining  hills  could  not 
yet  reach  us  in  the  valley.  At  last  we  arrived  at  a  steep  slope  which  our  beasts  could  not 
climb :  we  tied  them  to  trees,  and  toiled  up  on  foot  perspiring  freely.  For  the  mountain  is 
high  and  precipitous,  and  exactly  resembles  M.  Thabor  in  the  Holy  Land,  on  which  our 
Lord  was  transfigured.  I  heard  this  from  one  who  had  ascended  both.  When  we  reached 
the  top  we  knelt  in  prayer  before  the  church,  and  sat  down  in  the  breeze  before  entering  it, 
to  recover  our  breath,  to  wipe  off  our  sweat  and  get  cool.  Then,  as  was  fitting,  I  hurried  on 
before  the  rest,  entered  the  church  and  pulled  the  bell  to  warn  the  sacristan.  There  appeared 
at  once  a  clerk  who  knew  no  Latin.  He  brought  out  some  very  old  Latin  books,  with  what 
else  was  necessary  for  the  mass.  The  bell  was  rung,  and  I  read  the  mass  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
with  the  collects  for  the  holy  martyrs  John  and  Paul,  and  for  travellers.  After  mass  I 
returned  tf)  my  brethren  and  preached  to  them  on  the  fitting  veneration  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
and  explained  the  difference  between  the  cross  we  were  going  to  see,  and  that  of  our  Lord, 
and  the  respect  to  be  shown  to  each.  I  exhorted  them  also  not  to  pry  too  curiously,  nor 
crave  to  see  a  miracle,  for  not  even  in  Jerusalem,  in  the  most  holy  sepulchre  of  our  Lord, 
were  we  going  to  see  a  miracle,  much  less  should  we  expect  one  here.  This  I  said  because 
we  heard  about  that  cross  strange  and  wonderful  things  which  were  to  be  seen  there.  I  then 
took  a  lighted  candle,  and  passed  over  to  where  the  cross  was :  my  brother  pilgrims  followed 
me,  and  the  chaplain  accompanied  me.  When  we  came  to  the  place  the  chaplain  opened  it, 
so  that  we  had  the  holy  cross  bef(jre  our  eyes.  I  first  went  up  and  kissed  the  cross,  and 
observed  it  carefully  before  and  behind.  Then  my  companions  approached  and  did  it 
reverence,  one  after  the  other  looking  at  it  carefully.  The  cross  is  fairly  large,  covered  in 
front  with  silver-gilt  plates,  but  on  the  side  to  the  wall  it  is  bare,  of  a  fair  and  sound  wood 
like  cypress.  They  say  it  is  the  cross  of  Dysmas,  the  thief  on  the  right  hand  to  whom  Jesus 
on  the  cross  promised  Paradise.  For  8.  Helen  when  she  found  under  Mount  Calvary  three 
crosses  threw  away  one,  namely  that  of  Gesmas,  the  thief  on  the  left.  The  second,  that  of 
Dysmas,  she  kept  for  herself.  The  thii-d,  the  cross  of  Christ,  she  exposed  to  the  veneration 
of  the  whole  world.  But  her  own  cross,  that  of  Dysmas,  she  carried  whole  from  Jerusalem 
to  this  mountain,  and  here  she  built  a  large  monastery  of  monks,  and  a  church,  in  which  she 
left  this  cross  as  a  relic  of  rare  value,  and  caused  to  be  built  for  it  near  the  altar  a  niche  or 
shrine,  and  set  it  therein.  And  there  it  still  remains,  untouched,  though  long  since  the 
monastery  was  utterly  destroyed  by  the  Turks  and  Saracens,  and  the  monks  of  S.  Benedict, 
who  served  the  church,  are  scattered. 

Wonderful  is  the  position  or  location  of  this  cross  iji  its  place.  It  is  in  a  niche  dimly 
lighted,  both  its  arms  are  sunk  in  recesses  made  in  the  wall,  and  its  foot  is  sunk  in  a  recess  in 
the  Hoor.  But  the  recesses  of  the  arms  and  the  foot  are  large,  disproportionately  so  to  what 
they  hold,  yet  does  not  the  cross  touch  the  wall,  but  is  absolutely  free  from  any  contact  wth 
it;  and  this  is  the  wonderful  story  about  the  cross  that  it  hangs  in  the  air  without  support,  and 
yet  it  stands  as  firmly  as  though  it  were  attached  by  the  strongest  nails,  or  bonded  to  the 
wall,  which  it  is  not,  for  all  these  recesses  are  large,  so  that  a  man  can  put  in  his  hand  and 
feel  that  there  is  no  fixture  in  the  back  or  the  head  of  the  cross.  1  might  have  examined  it 
more  curiously  than  I  did,  but  I  feared  (xod,  and  what  I  forbade  others  to  do  I  ought  not  to 
do  tnys(>lf.  For  1  ascended  this  inouTitain  to  do  honour  to  this  cross,  not  to  find  a  miracle  or 
to  tempt  (jod.  That  this  cross  may  be  the  more  worthy  of  veneration  they  have  set  in  it  a 
small  piece  of  the  true  cross  of  Christ.  In  this  chapel  hangs  a  bell,  which  we  rang,  and  I  said 
to  my  companions  that  w(>  should  bear  tio  more  bells  until  we  returned  to  Christian  lands. 


40 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


And  this  was  true,  for  thenceforth  for  four  months  we  heard  no  bell  but  this,  which  we 
believe  was  put  up  by  S.  Helena,  who  set  here  this  cross.  But  what  moved  that  holy  woman 
to  set  this  cross  here  ?  We  might  say  that  she  had  many  excellent  reasons.  First  for  the 
destruction  of  gentile  rites  and  errors.  For  on  this  mountain  stood  a  temple  dedicated  to 
Venus,  who  claimed  indeed  the  patronage  of  the  whole  island  because  she  left  throughout 
marks  of  her  wantonness.  Helena  therefore  destroyed  the  shrine,  and  set  up  the  cross  for  a 
rule  of  chastity,  and  bid  religious  men,  vowed  to  chastity,  live  here  to  give  the  lie  to  Venus. 
She  changed  the  name  of  the  mountain :  it  was  formerly  called  Ydolius,  now  Santa  Croce. 
'Twas  said  too  of  old  that  Perseus,  sire  of  all  the  nobility  of  Greece,  took  his  flight  from  this 
mountain  to  free  Andromeda,  who  was  bound  to  a  rock  at  Joppa  and  left  to  be  devoured  by 
a  sea  monster.  Hence  too  he  flew  to  fight  the  Gorgon.  These  fantastic  stories  drew  many 
people  hither.  So  the  holy  woman  placed  here  the  cross  from  which  the  good  thief  flew  to 
Paradise. 

Secondly,  she  did  this  for  the  comfort  of  the  Cypriots.  For  in  a  certain  part  of  the 
mountain  is  a  cleft,  whence  were  heard  rumblings  and  a  roar  of  wind.  It  was  said  to  be  a 
way  down  to  hell,  and  hence  the  Cypriots  feared  hell  the  more  when  they  saw  they  had 
among  them  an  entrance  thereto.  To  meet  this  vain  fear  this  holy  woman  set  up  the  cross. 
Thirdly,  she  did  this  to  stir  the  devotion  of  pilgrims.  For  those  who  journey  towards  the 
Holy  Land  long  with  all  their  hearts  to  see  that  land,  and  the  nearer  they  approach  the 
warmer  is  their  desire.  From  this  mountain  the  Holy  Land  is  seen  in  fine  weather.  So  that 
of  old  time  pilgrims  climbed  it  to  see  that  much  desired  country.  Wherefore  S.  Helen  set  here 
the  cross  and  built  the  convent  to  stir  the  devotion  and  give  comfort  to  pilgrims.  Fourthly, 
she  did  it  for  our  instruction,  signifying  that  he  who  would  reach  to  the  Cross  of  Christ  must 
first  take  on  himself  the  thief's  cross  of  penitence. 

When  we  had  finished  our  visit  to  the  church  we  went  out  and  entered  the  cell  of  the 
chaplain,  hoping  to  find  there  something  for  our  refreshment.  But  the  room  was  empty  and 
bare,  there  was  neither  cold  water  nor  biscuit,  nor  could  he  talk  to  us,  because  he  was  a  pure 
Greek,  to  whom  Latin  was  Barbaric,  Italian  Arabic,  and  German  Tartar.  So  we  went  out 
without  refreshment,  and  strolled  about  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  saw  there  remnants 
of  thick  walls  belonging  to  the  temple  of  Venus.  Looking  to  the  shore  on  every  side  we  saw 
the  island  in  all  its  length  and  breadth.  But  on  account  of  the  extreme  heat  the  air  was 
somehow  dark  and  cloudy,  and  we  could  not  see  the  Holy  Land,  nor  the  mountains  of 
Armenia,  Cappadocia,  Coelesyria,  or  Galilee,  all  of  which  would  have  been  visible  if  we  had 
had  a  clear  day.  Finally  we  entered  the  church,  saluted  and  kissed  the  holy  cross,  and  hurried 
down  the  mountain  to  our  mules,  and  rode  to  the  town  of  Santa  Croce.  We  found  dinner 
ready,  and  gave  thanks  and  ate.  We  could  not  leave  the  place  at  once,  for  it  had  grown  very 
hot  and  the  sun  burned  like  fire.  So  we  went  over  to  a  Greek  church  hard  by,  to  pray  and 
to  rest  a  little  in  the  shade.  While  we  were  sitting  there  a  certain  clerk  came,  who  said  to 
us  in  Latin,  "  What  are  you  doing  in  a  Greek  church  ?  close  at  hand  is  a  Latin  church  in 
which  you  should  pray  and  rest."  We  rose  and  went  with  him  to  the  Latin  church.  He 
produced  from  the  treasure  of  the  church  the  arm  of  S.  Ann,  mother  of  the  Blessed  Virgin 
Mary,  decently  set  in  silver.  He  brought  out  also  a  nail  likewise  sheathed  in  silver,  which  he 
said  was  one  of  the  nails  with  which  Christ  was  nailed  on  the  cross.  We  kissed  these  relics, 
and  pressed  our  rosaries  against  them,  as  I  said  before.  I  learned  that  this  clerk  was  a  monk, 
which  I  could  not  have  known  from  his  dress,  for  he  wore  a  habit  of  camlet,  and  was  curate 
of  both  churches,  the  Greek  and  the  Latin,  and  performed  indifferently  the  offices  of  either 
rite.    On  Sundays  he  first  said  mass  in  the  Latin  church,  and  consecrated  the  Host,  as  do  the 


FELIX  FABER. 


41 


Westerns,  in  unleavened  bread.  This  done,  he  went  over  to  the  Greek  church  and  consecrated 
as  do  the  Easterns,  in  leavened  bread.  This  displeased  us  mightily,  and  I  set  down  that  priest 
as  a  heretic  of  the  worst  kind,  deceiving  the  people  of  both  rites.  For  the  two  are  incompatible 
in  one  person  and  scarcely  tolerable  in  the  same  city,  because  of  the  great  difference  in  many 
grave  and  capital  points.  The  Roman  Church  once  tolerated  the  G-reek  rite,  but  even  then  a 
man  could  not  be  at  one  time  both  a  Greek  and  a  Latin :  much  less  now,  when  the  Church 
condemns  them  as  schismatics  and  heretics,  and  the  Greeks  themselves  follow  us  not  in  their 
offices,  and  every  Sunday  tell  their  people  that  the  Latin  Church  is  excommunicate,  and  hate 
us  Latins  with  a  mortal  hatred.  How  then  can  an  honest  man  and  good  Catholic  be  a  Latin 
and  Greek  curate  ?  No  one  would  do  this  except  he  willed  to  satisfy  his  covetousness  or  his 
fancy.  For  such  men  take  on  themselves  what  in  each  rite  catches  their  fancy,  but  reject  what 
is  hard  and  burdensome  in  both.  Many  Latin  priests  go  over  to  the  Greek  rite,  and  presume 
to  take  wives,  but  they  wish  at  the  same  time  to  enjoy  the  privileges  of  Latin  priests,  in 
which  they  have  no  part. 

The  sun's  heat  began  to  abate,  and  mid-day  being  past  we  mounted  our  beasts  and 
descended  towards  the  sea  to  the  church  of  S.  Lazarus,  which  is  near  the  shore,  our  galley 
being  in  front  of  us  a  long  way  out ;  there  we  gave  up  our  mules  to  their  owners.  There  was 
a  great  gathering  of  men  on  the  shore  on  account  of  our  galley,  and  our  seamen  brought 
ashore  their  wares,  and  trafficked  with  the  Cypriots.  And  so  it  was  in  every  port  at  which 
we  touched.  We  watched  their  marketing,  and  then  went  back  to  our  galley  to  our 
companions,  and  found  them  cross  and  grumbling  because  the  captain  had  not  returned,  and 
they  had  passed  a  weary  day.  And  all  the  pilgrims  crowded  round  us  to  hear  what  we  had 
seen.    They  called  us  lucky  men,  and  grieved  that  they  had  not  gone  with  us. 

On  the  27th,  when  we  found  the  captain  still  tarried,  some  of  the  pilgrims  were  again 
rowed  to  the  shore,  of  whom  I  was  one.  But  most  of  them  stayed  in  the  ship,  fearing  the  air 
of  Cyprus,  which  is  generally  hurtful  to  Germans,  unless  they  are  of  good  constitutions  and 
strong.  At  the  back  of  the  town  is  a  place  surrounded  by  hills,  which  at  certain  times  the 
rising  sea  fills  with  water,  making  a  kind  of  lake  ;  and  when  the  Hood  retires  the  sea  water 
left  therein  is  refined  into  excellent  salt,  very  white  and  valuable.  This  salt  is  taken  for  sale 
to  many  countries,  and  the  Queen  of  Cyprus  receives  a  large  income  from  the  salt  merchants. 
On  my  first  voyage  I  saw  many  men  working  there,  separating  the  salt  from  the  water  which 
was  not  yet  congealed  ;  and  there  were  heaps  of  salt  there  quite  like  little  hills.  But  now 
there  was  not  a  single  man,  and  where  the  salt  heaps  stood  was  deep  water. 

We  returned  to  the  galley  towards  evening,  very  wroth  with  the  captain.  The  same 
evening  the  woman  returned  who  was  left  behind  at  Rhodes.  There  was  little  joy  at  her 
coming.  But  I  pitied  the  poor  thing  on  account  of  the  trouble  she  fell  into  by  leaving  the 
ship.  On  the  28th  the  captain  arrived  from  Nicosia  wth  some  Cypriots  who  desired  to  visit 
the  holy  places  in  Jerusalem.  Among  them  was  a  pretty  woman  of  the  Queen's  household 
who  proposed  to  end  her  life  there.  We  weighed  anchor,  and  ^^^th  a  light  wind  moved  slowly 
out  of  the  port  ( I.  171  — 179). 

In  the  whole  realm  of  Cyprus  are  four  bishoprics  or  dioceses.  The  first  is  in  Nicosia, 
which  is  the  capital,  now  a  great  city,  not  on  the  sea  but  five  German  miles  away  in  the  heart 
of  the  island  ;  surrounded  by  fertile  and  pleasant  hills.  A  large  torrent  runs  through  its 
midst,  which  at  certain  seasons  rushes  down  in  a  mighty  stream :  when  I  was  there  it  had  not 
a  dnjp  of  water.  Here  are  merchants  from  every  part  of  the  world,  Christians  and  infidels. 
There  are  stores,  great  and  precious,  for  the  aromatic  herbs  of  the  East  are  brought  here  raw, 

6 


42 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


and  are  prepared  by  the  perfumer's  art.  The  island  itself  abounds  in  dyes  and  perfumes,  so 
that  the  stores  of  Nicosia  are  a  source  from  which  such  drugs  flow  over  the  world. 

There  are  many  churches  in  the  city,  both  Greek  and  Latin.  The  Latin  have  belfries  and 
bells  and  clergy  who  officiate  according  to  the  Latin  rite.  The  Grreek  have  towers  (pinnacula) 
and  wooden  instruments  with  which  they  summon  the  people  to  divine  service,  and  they  sing 
and  read  in  Greek.  The  metropolitan  church  is  Latin,  dedicated  to  S.  Sophia.  It  is  pretty 
large  and  well  decorated,  and  maintains  an  archbishop,  canons  and  clergy.  On  the  right  of 
the  church  is  a  chapel  dedicated  to  S.  Thomas  Aquinas,  in  which  the  legends  of  the  holy 
doctor  are  exquisitely  painted,  while  a  gilt  plaque  on  the  altar  sets  forth  his  acts.  In  this 
chapel  I  saw  a  remarkable  monument,  which  I  will  describe.  For  at  the  side  there  stood,  and 
still  stands,  a  large  and  beautiful  tomb,  of  great  value,  made  of  precious  jasper.  I  measured 
it  with  my  own  hands,  and  found  it  twelve  palms  or  spans  in  length,  seven  in  depth  and  five 
broad,  and  one  in  thickness,  the  whole  of  solid  stone.  It  has  a  cover  of  the  same  dimensions, 
"  a  dos  d'ane"  in  the  usual  form,  of  the  same  stone  and  price.  The  colour  is  generally  green, 
but  the  stone  which  is  polished  is  spotted  with  other  colours,  which  add  to  the  beauty  of  such 
marble.  It  is  said  to  have  as  many  virtues  as  it  has  spots,  and  these  spots,  which  are 
innumerable,  are  red  or  rosy  as  though  the  stone  had  been  sprinkled  with  blood.  Those  who 
carry  it  about  chastely  will  find  in  it  these  virtues.  It  drives  away  phantoms,  checks  fevers, 
cures  dropsy,  helps  women  in  childbed,  preserves  a  man  in  danger,  allays  inward  heat, 
stanches  blood,  represses  passion  and  its  consequences,  cures  inveterate  ulcers,  purges  the 
eyes,  and  strengthens  and  comforts  their  use,  is  proof  against  witchery  and  spells,  and  more 
efficacious  set  in  silver  than  in  gold.  It  is  found  only  in  the  mountains  of  Scythia,  where  it  is 
of  excellent  quality,  and  whole  cliffs  and  rocks  of  it  exist.  But  lest  so  precious  a  treasure 
should  remain  unguarded,  and  its  plenty  render  it  valueless,  God  has  set  round  those 
mountains  very  strong  and  fierce  guardians,  the  gryphons,  most  savage  beasts  who  resist  the 
approach  of  strangers,  running  and  flying  upon  them,  and  tearing  them  with  their  beaks  and 
claws,  so  that  no  one  can  come  near  the  stone  until  he  has  overcome  the  gryphons.  Jason  had 
to  battle  with  them  for  the  golden  fleece,  and  Hercules  for  the  golden  apples  of  the  garden  of 
the  Hesperides.  These  gryphons  are  most  fierce  creatures,  with  the  heads  of  eagles  and  the 
bodies  of  lions,  they  fly  like  the  one  and  run  like  the  other,  and  have  such  daring  and 
strength  that  they  attack  an  armed  horseman,  and  carry  off  both  man  and  beast  whither 
they  will :  they  are  indeed  huge  and  savage  beasts.  The  head,  beak  and  wings  are  fashioned 
as  those  of  an  eagle,  their  forefeet  also,  which  have  long  claws :  the  hinder  feet  and  the  tail 
are  those  of  a  lion,  but  the  legs  are  shorter,  and  the  claws  short  and  so  large  that  drinking 
cups  are  made  of  them.  It  is  said  these  beasts  are  never  found  except  near  mountains  which 
teem  with  gold  and  precious  stones :  these  they  dig  up,  and  take  an  extraordinary  pleasure 
in  gazing  at  and  playing  with  them,  defending  them  most  savagely  against  others.  In 
Asiatic  Scythia,  a  rich  but  uninhabitable  land,  and  accessible  only  to  the  Arimaspians,  these 
savages,  who  have  a  single  eye  in  their  foreheads,  arm  themselves  against  the  gryphons,  and 
go  and  carry  off  the  gems.  Jerome,  in  his  letter  to  the  monk  Rusticus,  speaks  of  the  way 
gold  and  gems  are  guarded  by  the  gryphons.... 

While  I  was  standing  near  this  precious  sarcophagus  and  wondering  who  it  was  who  had 
beaten  the  gryphons  and  carried  off  this  huge  stone,  and  for  whom  it  was  carved  into 
so  priceless  a  tomb,  it  occurred  to  me  that  perhaps  in  the  days  of  the  giants,  who  used  to  lay 
low  the  pride  of  centaurs  and  gryphons,  it  was  brought  for  the  sepulchre  of  Venus,  whom 
nearly  all  the  gods  venerated,  and  here  abandoned.  For  I  cannot  suppose  that  any  king 
would  have  had  a  tomb  of  so  great  value,  for  jasper  is  more  precious  than  gold,  in  which  the 


FELIX  FABER. 


43 


dying  Alexander  ordered  his  remains  to  be  placed.  "WTiile  I  was  standing  and  thinking 
certain  canons  were  walking  up  and  down  the  nave  of  the  church,  waiting  for  the  last  stroke 
of  the  vesper  belL  I  approached  them  and  begged  them  to  tell  me  for  what  god  or  goddess 
or  king  or  lord  this  incomparable  tomb  was  designed.  The  canons  entered  the  chapel  with 
me  and  told  me  a  long  and  very  pleasant  story  about  this  tomb,  and  although  I  never  read 
this  story  in  any  book,  or  heard  of  it  elsewhere,  still  I  believed  it  and  set  it  down  in  my 
Evagatorium.  And  if  the  fact  is  not  as  I  have  written  it  down,  at  any  rate  this  is  what 
I  heard,  and  as  I  was  blameless  in  hearing  it  so  was  I  blameless  in  writing  it  down  :  so  it  too 
may  be  read  without  blame,  and  piously  believed  without  injury  to  the  faith. 

When  Venus,  queen  and  goddess  of  the  Cypriots,  threw  aside  all  modesty  and  entertained 
a  number  (jf  lovers,  she  took  among  them  to  her  adulterous  arms  the  god  Mars.  He  grew 
jealous,  and  yoking  his  steeds  to  his  chariot,  with  his  sister  Bellona  to  guide  them  he  went  to 
the  hyperborean  mountains.  There  he  routed  or  captured  the  gryphons,  and  tore  a  huge 
stone  from  the  hill  of  jasper.  Bellona  too  carried  off  a  crystal  shield.  These  things  they  put 
in  the  chariot,  and  compelled  the  Arimaspi  or  Cyclopes  to  draw  them.  And  when  they 
reached  the  isle  of  Venus  they  set  the  stone  for  her  bed,  to  temper  and  subdue  her  unbridled 
appetite.  But  when  death  cut  off  Venus  they  could  not  grave  her  image  nor  make  her 
statue,  hence  in  her  temple,  in  the  place  of  her  effigy,  they  set  this  rude  unpolished  block  of 
jasper.    So  Virgil  writes  that  the  image  of  Venus  bore  no  human  Hkeness. 

However  in  the  days  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  among  other  gentiles  who  desired  to  see 
Jesus  (S.  John  xii.  i)  there  were  many  Cypriot  merchants,  such  as  often  went  to  Syria  on 
account  of  the  nearness  of  the  two  countries.  Now  when  these  Cypriots  heard  the  hori 
preaching  and  saw  Him  doing  miracles  they  believed,  and  heartily  abhorring  the  ingratitude 
of  the  Jews  they  begged  Him  that  He  would  deign  to  sail  with  them  to  Cyprus,  and  shower 
His  blessings  on  that  people.  To  whoTii  He  replied  as  He  had  replied  to  Abgarus,  king  of 
Edessa,  who  begged  Him  by  letter  to  come  thither,  that  first  of  all  He  must  suffer  the  cross 
and  die,  and  on  the  third  day  rise  again,  and  then  He  would  send  to  them  His  disciples. 
They  returned  then  to  Cyprus  and  told  the  people  what  they  had  seen  and  heard,  and  fearing 
the  envy  of  the  Jews  and  his  threatened  execution,  lest  His  crucified  Body  should  be  thrown 
out  by  the  Jews  as  those  of  other  condennied  criminals  they  agreed  to  send  certain  persons 
to  Jerusalem  to  bear  away  the  Body  of  Jesus,  and  bring  it  in  a  vessel  to  Cyprus.  They 
entered  the  temple  of  Venus  and  overthrew  the  jasper  stone  which  was  her  symbol,  and 
shaped  thereof  a  tomb  for  the  Lord  Jesus.  But  when  our  Lord  was  dead  and  honourably 
buried  the  Cypriots  were  appeased,  and  preserved  this  tomb  even  to  to-day.  Nor  would  they 
sell  it  to  anyone,  nor  suffer  any  man  to  be  buried  therein  because  it  had  been  dedicated  to 
Christ  our  Lord.  And  that  was  perhaps  the  reason  why  the  image  of  Venus  was  of  stone, 
precious  indeed  but  unsmoothed  and  unshaped;  for  it  would  have  been  unmeet  that  the 
likeness  and  efttgy  of  Venus  should  be  the  sepulchre  of  Christ.  But  Gio.  Boccaccio  (De  Gen. 
Deonim  III  23)  did  not  discover  it.  lu  this  the  gentile  Cypriots  are  no  less  to  be  commended 
than  the  Jews,  Joseph  and  Nicodemus,  who  buried  Christ,  and  we  may  well  apply  to  their  praise 
the  words  of  2  Samuel  ii.  5,  "lilessed  be  ye  Cypriots  of  the  Lord,  that  ye  have  showed  this 
kindness  to  your  Lord,  and  have  buried  Him.  And  now  the  Lord  show  kindness  and  h-uth 
unto  you:  and  I  also  will  requite  you  with  kindness  because  ye  have  done  this  thing.  So 

much  then  for  this  story.  ,    ,   ,      ,  •  ^t,- 

A  large  archiepiscopal  palace  is  attached  to  this  cathedral  church.  Moreover  m  this  city 
is  a  fair  convent  of  our  Order.  It  is  the  last  house  of  the  Preachers  towards  the  East,  and  is 
situated  in  the  royal  castle  over  a  torrent;  for  a  certain  king  of  Cyprus  bore  such  an  affection 

6—2 


44 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


for  the  brothers  that  he  would  have  them  nowhere  but  in  his  castle.  This  building  is 
guarded  by  very  stout  and  high  walls :  a  stone  bridge  built  archwise  gives  access  to  both  the 
castle  and  the  convent,  and  the  torrent  is  led  round  the  outer  circuit  of  the  walls.  But  when 
the  kingdom  was  in  divers  manners  stricken  and  laid  waste,  as  we  have  said  before,  the 
interior  of  the  castle  was  thrown  down  and  burnt,  yet  through  the  exertions  of  the  monks 
the  convent  remained  intact,  and  the  wall  surrounding  it,  with  the  bridge,  survived  that  great 
fire  and  is  still  standing.  But  of  the  habitable  portion  of  the  castle  nothing  remained  except 
the  lofty  walls  which  the  flames  could  not  hurt.  So  it  is  that  our  convent  stands  to-day 
inclosed  by  those  walls,  and  no  one  is  allowed  to  build  anything  therein,  but  the  monks  own 
the  whole  site  of  the  castle.  The  conventual  church  is  right  royally  adorned,  and  in  it  is  the 
burial  place  of  the  kings  of  Cyprus.  It  has  two  cloisters  with  marble  pillars  throughout  their 
circuit,  and  all  the  offices  of  the  monks  are  very  good  and  convenient.  Above  are  well- 
lighted  dormitories,  paved  with  marble.  One  day  when  I  was  strolling  alone  through  the 
dormitory  I  found  a  cell  open,  and  seeing  it  empty  and  uninhabited  I  went  in  to  look  at  it. 
There  was  a  recess  in  the  wall,  with  a  wooden  door  without  a  lock  but  closed  by  a  small  iron 
bolt.  Out  of  curiosity  I  went  up  to  the  cupboard,  drew  the  bolt  and  opened  it.  Immediately 
there  burst  upon  me  an  infinite  swarm  of  angry  bees,  flying  round  me  and  buzzing,  the  cell 
was  full  of  them.  I  escaped  with  great  difficulty  from  the  cell,  but  they  followed  me  all 
through  the  dormitory.  There  was  a  little  hole  in  the  wall  by  which  they  entered  from  the 
garden  into  the  cupboard,  and  there  they  swarmed :  for  the  convent  has  beautiful  gardens  all 
round  it,  and  is  altogether  a  delightful  place.  What  kind  of  monks  they  are,  how  many, 
how  zealous  in  the  monastic  life,  how  learned  and  diligent  in  the  performance  of  divine 
service,  how  hospitable  and  charitable,  I  little  know,  and  what  I  do  know  I  should  blush  to 
write.  But  small  wonder  is  it  if  there  is  little  religion  in  these  remote  places,  which  are 
never  visited  by  the  superiors  of  the  Order,  where  the  monks  are  not  corrected  for  their 
excesses,  and  are  led  astray  by  the  evil  example  of  the  Grreek  priests.  Whereas  all  should  be 
different.  For  they  are  sent  as  mendicants  to  those  countries  to  edify  the  Greeks  by  their 
words  and  works,  and  bring  them  into  the  obedience  of  the  Roman  Church.  All  the  brethren 
of  this  convent  are  bearded  like  the  Greeks,  and  they  have  a  secular  agent  who  gives  every 
month  to  each  monk  eight  marcelli,  with  which  each  buys  what  pleases  him ;  the  convent 
has  no  other  funds. 

The  Friars  Minor  have  a  fair  convent  in  this  city.  And  the  brethren  of  the  Hermits  of 
S.  Augustine  have  a  convent  in  the  sugar  cane  gardens,  and  in  their  church  on  the  left  hand 
is  a  stately  and  gilded  tomb,  in  which  lies  the  body  of  a  certain  German  noble  called 
John  Montfort,  whom  the  Cypriots  hold  to  be  a  saint.  And  pilgrims  visit  his  shrine  and  ask 
his  prayers.  The  body  lies  whole,  but  the  flesh,  muscles  and  skin  are  shrivelled :  in  one  arm 
you  see  the  bone  stripped  of  flesh  and  skin  as  though  a  bit  had  been  torn  away  by  the  teeth. 
It  happened,  they  say,  thus.  There  was  a  certain  noble  lady  of  Germany,  a  kinswoman  of 
the  said  John  of  Montfort,  who  after  visiting  the  holy  places  at  Jerusalem  sailed  to  Cyprus, 
and  came  to  Nicosia  to  see  the  tomb  of  her  friend,  the  blessed  John.  They  opened  the  tomb 
for  her,  and  removed  the  grating,  and  she  lay  down  on  his  body  putting  her  mouth  to  his 
shoulder  as  though  she  would  kiss  it  long  and  fervently,  but  secretly  she  fixed  her  teeth  in 
the  flesh  of  the  corpse  and  bit  it,  tearing  away  a  piece  which  she  hid  in  her  bosom,  desiring 
to  carry  it  to  her  country  as  a  relic.  Wonderful  to  relate  !  when  she  had  taken  ship  and  was 
far  out  at  sea  they  lost  each  favouring  breeze,  and  while  other  vessels  sailed  gaily  on  her 
ship  made  no  way  at  all.  But  the  sailors  saw  in  this  something  miraculous,  and  began  to 
.search  the  cabins,  bags,  wallets  and  chests  of  each  passenger,  as  is  their  wont  when  any 


FELIX  FABER. 


45 


unwonted  obstacle  occurs.  But  when  they  found  the  morsel  wrapped  in  a  little  cloth,  and 
heard  the  truth  as  confessed  by  the  lady,  they  returned  to  the  port  which  they  had  left,  and 
when  they  had  replaced  the  morsel  sailed  away  with  a  favouring  wind.  In  this  city  the 
Queen  has  her  palace,  and  all  things  are  cheap. 

The  second  bishopric  is  that  of  Famagusta,  which  was  once  famous,  and  the  capital  of 
the  whole  kingdom,  and  the  residence  of  its  kings.  This  city  is  set  on  the  seashore,  and  has 
a  port  most  convenient  for  fleets.  Our  brethren  have  a  convent  there,  but  it  is  almost  a  wreck, 
for  ruin  threatens  the  city  and  all  that  is  in  it.  It  is  said  that  no  one  can  stay  there  on 
account  of  the  corruption  of  the  air.  In  these  two  cities  were  centred  all  the  glory  and  the 
imported  riches  of  Cyprus :  here  too  was  a  crowd  of  all  nations  and  tongues.  But  day  by 
day  all  these  things  are  vanishing.  Near  Famagusta  are  the  ruins  of  a  very  ancient  city 
which  was  called  Salamina,  said  to  have  been  built  by  one  Teucer.  When  this  Tencer  went 
with  his  brother  to  the  Trojan  war,  and  after  the  war  was  ended  returned  to  their  country 
without  him,  he  was  repulsed,  and  sailing  for  Cyprus  built  Salamina  and  there  ended  his 
days.  His  father  Telamon  had  been  the  first  to  scale  the  walls  of  Troy :  he  married  the 
daughter  of  a  noble  Trojan  who  bore  him  Ajax  and  Teucer.  From  that  Teucer  there  are 
persons  who  think  the  people  of  the  Teucri,  or  Turks,  take  their  origin.  Hence  they  now 
call  themselves  Turks,  as  sprung  from  Teucer  (vol.  III.  230 — 236). 

This  Salamina  then  in  Cyprus,  the  ancient  city  of  Teucer,  besides  foisting  on  us  the 
hateful  and  abominable  Turks,  gave  us  S.  Barnabas  the  Apostle,  who  there  suffered  martyr- 
dom, and  the  holy  and  lovable  Catharina,  who  is  said  to  have  been  born  there,  and  a  chapel 
erected  on  the  place  of  her  birth  is  still  shown  to  travellers.  For  Salamina  was  the  capital 
of  Costa's  kingdom.  Some  of  the  histories  call  this  city  Constantia  of  Cyprus,  which  is  its 
newer  name,  as  saith  Jerome  in  his  Life  and  Death  of  S.  Paula.  But  some  who  read  the 
history  of  S.  Catharina,  when  they  see  she  was  bom  in  Constantia,  think  that  Constantia  to 
be  the  Gernum  city  situated  on  the  lake,  whether  natural  or  fed  by  a  river,  so  called.  There 
too  is  shown  the  place  of  her  birth,  but  not  the  true  one. 

Moreover  in  Salamina  was  a  holy  man,  that  Bishop  Epiphanius  of  whom  S.  Jerome  makes 
frequent  and  flattering  mention,  because  they  were  comrades  in  the  defeat  of  the  heresy  of 
Origen,  as  we  learn  from  the  Epistle  of  Jerome  to  Pammachius  against  John,  Bishop  of 
Jerusalem.  Hence  also  we  learn  that  the  see  of  Famagusta  was  anciently  at  Salamina,  and 
later  translated  to  Famagusta. 

The  third  see  is  I'aphus,  the  oldest  of  all  the  cities  of  Cyprus,  and  made  illustrious  not 
only  by  the  songs  of  poets,  but  by  the  deeds  of  apostles.  For  SS.  Paul  and  Barnabas 
preached  there.  There  too  Hilarius  the  abbot  lived,  and  S.  Manna,  whom  the  Greeks  mvoke 
against  the  pestilence,  and  Hnd  him  a  true  intercessor.  How  vast  this  city  was,  and  how 
stately  the  churches  which  stood  there,  the  extent  of  the  ruins  and  the  noble  columns  of 
marble  which  lie  prostrate  prove.  It  is  now  desolate,  no  longer  a  city,  but  a  miserable  village 
built  over  the  ruins;  on  this  account  the  harbour  too  is  abandoned,  and  ships  only  enter  it 
when  forced  to  do  so,  as  was  our  fate.  As  the  city  was  laid  low  by  an  earthquake  so  it  hes 
still,  and  no  king  nor  bishop  gives  a  hand  to  raise  it  up  again. 

Tho  fourth  see  is  in  Nimona,  on  the  seashore,  where  I  stayed  some  days  waiting  tor  the 
vessels  Nimona  is  a  ruined  city,  with  a  good  harbour,  facing  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  whence 
with  a  favourable  wind  one  can  sail  in  a  day  and  a  night  to  ports  which  are  the  best  m  the 
world  for  business,  to  Armenia,  Cilicia,  Laodicaea,  Seleucia,  Antioch  Syria,  Palaestma 
Alexandria  of  Egypt,  Beirut,  Tripoli,  Ptolemais,  Caesarea,  Tyre,  Sidon  Joppa,  Ascalon  and 
others.    Nimona,  as  its  rums  show,  was  a  great  city,  to  which  when  baladm  took  Jerusalem 


46 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  Templars,  the  knights  of  S.  John  and  of  the  Teutonic  Order  migrated.  They  took 
possession  of  it,  and  fortified  it  with  walls  and  towers,  especially  the  port,  near  which  they 
built  a  very  strong  castle,  facing  the  sea  on  one  side.  Within  the  town  they  built  Latin 
churches  and  convents  of  which  the  ruins  are  still  visible,  but  only  one  wretched  church 
remains  standing,  without  bells.  Its  ornaments  are  of  the  poorest  kind,  and  they  call  to 
prayer  with  bits  of  wood.  A  few  Latin  clergy  still  live  there,  but  (as  we  shall  show)  their 
habits  are  not  edifying.  Ruin  in  many  forms  has  stricken  the  city,  the  hatred  of  the  Saracens 
towards  the  knights  of  the  Temple,  of  S.  John,  and  of  the  Teutonic  Order,  earthquakes,  and 
Hoods  rushing  down  from  the  mountain  behind.  On  its  slopes  are  made  excellent  wines, 
and  the  vines  are  said  to  be  so  large  that  a  man  cannot  clasp  his  arms  round  their  stems. 
Carobs  too  grow  there  in  great  number. 

Above  Nimona  is  a  certain  wooded  spot  so  full  of  serpents  and  noxious  animals  that  no 
one  can  live  there.  Nevertheless  in  the  middle  of  the  wood  some  ancient  fathers  built 
a  monastery,  so  that  being  surrounded  with  serpents  they  might  be  less  exposed  to  the  visits 
of  worldlings,  which  are  known  to  disturb  devout  monks.  But  lest  the  serpents  should  molest 
the  inmates  of  the  convent  they  maintain  a  number  of  cats,  who  naturally  make  a  prey  of 
snakes,  mice,  dormice  and  rats,  and  do  not  allow  such  to  approach  the  walls :  and  daily  war 
is  waged  between  the  cats  and  the  snakes  to  drive  the  latter  from  the  walls.  At  night  they 
remain  within,  and  roam  about  the  offices  lest  any  reptile  be  hidden  there,  but  during  the 
day  they  hunt  in  the  wood,  and  when  their  dinner  hour  comes  the  monk  on  duty  rings  a  bell, 
at  the  sound  of  which  they  all  run  to  the  place  where  they  are  fed.  For  the  mouse  catcher 
has  good  hearing  and  better  smell,  but  best  of  all  is  his  sight,  which  can  pierce  the  shades  of 
night,  hence  he  is  called  cat :  for  cattus  means  cunning,  and  the  ancients  thought  that  cats 
were  akin  to  the  Genii  or  Lares,  saying  that  Genii  though  unseen  by  men  could  not  remain 
invisible  to  cats.  They  tell  me  that  Brutus  was  doing  something  one  night  in  the  house 
mth  a  light,  and  saw  a  black  figure.  He  asked  what  it  was.  "  I  am  thy  evil  genius,"  it 
answered,  and  vanished.  For  the  ancients  laid  down  that  every  man  had  always  at  his  side 
a  good  and  an  evil  genius,  just  as  Christian  truth  tells  us  that  with  every  man  are  coupled 
two  angels,  one  good,  the  other  bad.  The  Lares  were  said  to  be  the  sons  of  Mercury  and  the 
nymph  Lar.  They  lived  in  the  homes  of  men,  and  guarded  them,  their  seat  being  in  the 
common  hall  of  the  house,  near  the  fire,  and  there  men  paid  them  due  reverence,  a  custom 
not  wholly  fallen  into  disuse.  And  because  cats  have  flashing  eyes,  and  like  to  lie  on  the 
ashes  near  the  fire  they  said  they  were  of  kin  to  the  Genii,  Lares,  Penates. 

There  are  many  other  notable  things  in  Cyprus,  such  as  the  mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
of  which  I  have  already  spoken.    So  much  then  for  the  description  of  Cyprus. 

The  condition  of  the  island,  its  organization  and  government  so  far  as  regards  temporal 
matters,  its  four  dioceses,  have  been  set  forth  at  sufficient  length  in  the  preceding  pages. 
As  to  the  bishops  and  clergy  both  secular  and  regular  I  can  only  speak  with  bitterness  of 
spirit,  and  were  I  moved  to  speak  I  must  lift  up  my  voice  to  heaven.  It  were  supremely 
necessary  for  the  dignity  of  the  Catholic  faith  that  to  countries  like  Cyprus,  the  outworks 
and  bounds  of  Christianity,  were  sent  bishops  of  ripe  age  and  strong  character,  who  should 
live  in  their  sees,  and  by  their  teaching  and  example  should  bring  not  only  their  own  flocks 
but  Greeks,  Armenians,  and  other  Eastern  heretics  and  schismatics  to  love  the  Roman  Church, 
and  provoke  the  Saracens  and  Turks  to  admire  their  striking  virtues.  For  Cyprus  is 
encompassed  on  all  sides  by  these  monstrous  races,  which  send  men  daily  into  all  parts  of  the 
island  for  business.  So  that  experience  is  more  necessary  here  than  holiness  at  Rome :  and 
excess  is  more  pardonable  there  than  an  evil  example  here. 


FELIX  FABER. 


47 


We  know  that  in  the  early  Church  the  chief  apostles  were  sent  to  the  countries  of  the 
gentiles,  as  Peter  and  John  were  sent  from  Jerusalem  to  Samaria  (Acts  vii.).  But  now  who 
are  the  men  who  are  sent  to  be  bishops  in  these  remote  places  ?  Let  the  senders  look  to  it ! 
Brothers  of  the  Mendicant  Orders,  who  detest  the  poverty  they  have  embraced,  who  pay  no 
heed  to  chastity,  and  find  obedience  a  burden,  who  loathe  the  observance  of  their  Rule,  and 
are  ashamed  to  wear  the  monkish  habit — these  are  the  men  who  fawn  and  pray  and  solicit 
the  interest  of  princes  and  nobles,  profFering  anon  infamous  and  simoniacal  gifts,  alms 
which  they  have  collected  with  pious  but  lying  pretexts  from  Christ's  faithful  flock,  to  be 
appointed  bishops  in  those  parts.  I  met  once  a  bishop  of  Paphus  of  this  kind.  We  were 
detained  for  three  days  in  the  port  of  the  Salines,  and  heard  that  two  bishops  were  to  come 
and  travel  with  us.  And  two  bishops  did  arrive  with  a  mounted  suite  and  much  pomp,  and 
boarded  our  galley,  and  made  themselves  very  disagreeable  to  us  pilgrims,  and  narrowed  our 
already  narrow  room.  One  of  them  was  a  monk  of  some  Mendicant  Order,  whom  I  observed 
more  closely  than  the  other  gentleman.  He  was  young,  beardless,  with  a  womanish  face  and 
thoroughly  effeminate  manners :  he  wore  his  proper  habit,  but  varied  in  colour  and  quality. 
For  he  had  made  it  of  precious  camlet,  with  a  train  behind  like  a  woman,  and  wore  on  his 
fingers  many  i-ings  set  with  gems  and  round  his  neck  a  golden  chain  :  he  was  always 
quarrelling  with  his  attendants,  for  he  looked  down  on  everybody,  but  especially  the  pilgrims 
whom  he  would  not  allow  to  sit  down  with  him.  One  of  us,  a  priest  and  chaplain  to  a  pilgrim 
knight,  once  begged  hini  to  move  a  little  from  his  seat,  to  make  room  for  the  knight.  The 
bishop  looked  down  contemptuously  on  the  priest,  but  the  latter  faced  him,  and  defended 
against  the  prelate  his  seat  and  berth,  for  which  he  had  paid  a  large  sum.  To  whom  the 
bishop  in  the  hearing  of  all,  said,  "And  how  do  you  dare,  you  ass,  to  contend  with  me  ?  Don't 
you  know  who  I  am  ? "  The  chaplain  replied,  "  I  am  not  an  ass,  but  a  priest :  I  do  not 
despise  a  priest,  or  make  light  of  a  bishop,  but  I  see  before  me  a  proud  monk  and  irreligious 
brother,  with  whom  I  shall  contend  for  my  rights  to  the  bitter  end."  Whereupon  the  bishop 
made  nfigo  at  him,  as  Italians  do  with  their  thumb  when  they  wish  to  insult  anyone.  When 
the  knight  saw  this  he  rose  up  against  the  bishop  and  other  young  knights  with  him  with 
clamour  and  complaint,  and  the  bishop  wisely  fied  aloft  to  the  captain's  cabin,  and  came 
down  no  more  to  the  pilgrims'  quarters.  I  spoke  above  of  a  certain  clerk,  who  was  Greek 
and  Latin  at  the  same  time,  and  have  noted  many  other  things  of  the  same  kind,  so  that 
I  wonder  that  the  name  of  Christ  has  not  been  uprooted  from  Cyprus,  lying  as  it  does  among 
Turks  and  Saracens. 

November  8.  We  remained  in  the  harbour  of  Paphus  up  to  the  hour  of  vespers,  when  we 
lifted  our  anchor  and  left  the  port ;  but  the  wind  was  contrary  and  we  beat  about  all  that 
night  on  the  coast. ...On  the  night  of  Sunday,  November  9,  we  lost  sight  of  the  island 
(vol.  III.  239—244). 


48 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


F.  SURIANO. 

Fra  Francesco  Suriano,  of  a  patrician  family  of  Venice,  left  a  work  of  which  there  exist  two 
manuscripts  in  the  Communal  Library  of  Perugia  (one  of  them  in  the  autograph  of  the  author,  corrected 
and  enlarged  by  him  in  1514)  and  a  single  printed  copy,  preserved  in  the  Civic  Library  of  Lucca,  published 
by  F.  Bindoni  at  Venice  in  1526  under  the  title  Trattato  di  Terra  Santa. 

Suriano,  born  1450,  had  made  no  less  than  sixteen  journeys  to  the  Eastern  shores  of  the  Mediterranean 
before,  in  1475,  he  assumed  the  Franciscan  habit.  He  visited  Cyprus  in  August,  1484,  on  his  way  from 
Jaffa  to  Venice,  and  was  still  alive  in  1529.  He  mentions  in  a  note  on  p.  219  an  earthquake  which  in  1480 
nearly  destroyed  the  royal  city  of  Levcossia  or  Nicossia,  "  a  town  twice  as  large  as  Perugia,"  throwing  to 
the  ground  a  large  number  of  palaces,  houses  and  churches,  particularly  the  archiepiscopal  church  of 
S.  Sophia. 

I  translate  from  the  Italian  text  edited  by  P.  Girolamo  Golubovich,  O.M.,  8vo,  Milan,  1900 
(pp.  241—243). 

We  left  Jerusalem,  or  rather  Zaplio,  on  the  tenth  of  August,  1484,  with  the  galley  of 
Messer  Augustin  Contarino,  and  sailing  for  six  days  together  over  the  open  sea  we  arrived  at 
the  Salines  of  Cyprus.  To  this  place  came  S.  Paul  with  Barnabas  from  Seleutia.  These 
Salines,  as  one  reads  in  the  chronicles  of  the  island,  were  thus  miraculously  made.  The  whole 
plain  was  planted  with  vines,  and  as  S.  Lazarus  passed  by  he  asked  from  those  who  kept  the 
vineyards  a  few  grapes  for  the  love  of  Grod.  The  alms  was  refused  him,  and  he  asked  what 
there  was  in  a  basket  which  hung  near.  They  told  him  it  was  salt,  but  it  w^as  full  of  grapes. 
Then  he  laid  a  curse  on  them  and  said,  "  May  all  these  vineyards  turn  to  salt."  And  so  it  befell, 
for  from  that  hour  the  vines  dried  up,  and  every  year  the  water  (is  turned  to  salt).  These 
Salines  are  almost  miraculous  because  the  rain  that  falls  collects  without  any  art  of  man  in  a 
space  a  mile  in  circuit  (and  from  under  the  earth  some  veins  of  sea  water  burst  up,  and  mix 
with  the  fresh  water  which  congeals,  and  becomes  most  perfect  salt,  white  as  snow,  hard  as 
stone,  four  fingers  thick,  and  sweet  as  violets.  And  such  a  quantity  is  formed  that  were  it  all 
collected  it  would  furnish  salt  in  abundance  for  the  whole  of  Italy.  To  keep  ever  alive  the 
memory  of  the  event  a  church  was  built  in  honour  of  S.  Lazarus,  in  which  I  celebrated  in 
token  of  my  devotion.  Here  we  stayed  two  days,  and  left  it  sailing  always  close  to  the  shore, 
and  the  following  day  reached  Limisso,  a  city  entirely  destroyed  and  overthrown  by  wars  and 
earthquakes.  Leaving  this  we  came  to  C.  Gavata,  eighteen  miles  away:  we  call  it  the  Cape  of 
Cats.    And  here  I  saw  a  great  and  strange  wonder. 

Of  the  miracle  of  the  cats  in  Cyprus. 

I  heard  a  marvellous  thing.  From  the  said  city  of  Lymisso  up  to  this  cape  the  soil 
produces  so  many  snakes  that  men  cannot  till  it,  or  walk  without  hurt  thereon.  And  were  it 
not  for  the  remedy  which  God  has  set  there,  in  a  short  time  these  would  multiply  so  fast  that 
the  island  would  be  depopulated.  At  this  place  there  is  a  Greek  monastery  which  rears  an 
infinite  number  of  cats,  which  wage  unceasing  war  with  these  snakes.  It  is  wonderful  to  see 
them,  for  nearly  all  are  maimed  by  the  snakes :  one  has  lost  a  nose,  another  an  ear ;  the  skin 
of  one  is  torn,  another  is  lame:  one  is  blind  of  one  eye,  another  of  both.  And  it  is  a  strange 
thing  that  at  the  hour  for  their  food  at  the  sound  of  a  bell  all  those  that  are  scattered  in  the 
fields  collect  in  the  said  monastery.  And  when  they  have  eaten  enough,  at  the  sound  of  the 
bell  they  all  leave  together  and  go  to  fight  the  snakes.  On  this  account  the  monastery  has 
large  revenues.    From  this  Cape  Gavata  we  sailed  up  to  Paphos,  in  which  city  S.  Paul  by  his 


F.  SURIANO. 


49 


preaching  converted  the  Proconsul.  It  is  entirely  ruinous,  except  one  or  two  towers  on  the 
harbour.  Hence  sprang  Venus,  the  goddess  of  lust.  And  now  that  we  are  presently  leaving 
the  island  I  ought  not  to  pass  it  without  notice  but  tell  you  of  its  condition. 

Of  the  condition  of  the  islmid  of  Cyprus. 

This  island  of  Cyprus  has  a  circuit  of  700  miles:  it  is  a  kingdom,  and  has  six  cities,  Nichosia 
and  Famagosta  are  well  inhabited,  Salamina,  Lymiso  and  Bapho  are  in  ruins.  It  has  one 
strong  fortress  called  Cerines,  of  old  it  had  8000  hamlets  or  villages,  now  only  800,  and  these 
in  bad  condition  except  la  Piscopia  and  Larnacha.  The  island  produces  meat  in  plenty  so  that 
one  may  get  twelve  or  fourteen  sheep  for  a  ducat.  It  is  poor  meat  and  unAvholesome.  The 
air  is  very  bad,  hence  you  never  see  a  creature  with  a  natural  colour  in  his  face,  it  is  all  art. 
Almost  every  year  it  is  smitten  with  locusts,  and  the  result  is  great  barrenness  and  death. 
When  the  locusts  do  not  come  they  harvest  grain  enough  for  four  years.  It  produces  plenty 
of  sugar  and  good  cott(Mi,  plenty  of  cheese,  ladanum,  honey,  wool,  the  finest  camlets  known, 
and  samite.  The  inhabitants  are  few  and  lazy.  In  the  summer  season  on  account  of  the  sun's 
great  heat  they  work  and  travel  by  night.  By  day  they  lie  idle  in  huts  of  reeds  open  at  the 
ends.  In  the  winter  they  dress  in  cloth,  but  in  the  summer  in  skins  of  polecats,  foxes  and 
sheep.  If  one  exposes  oneself  to  the  cool  air  one  falls  at  once  into  long  and  dangerous  sickness. 
The  horses  are  born  amblers.  The  women  are  lewd.  The  country  and  climate  of  themselves 
incline  to  fleshly  lust,  and  nearly  every  one  lives  in  concubinage.  In  the  days  of  king  Jacques 
the  women  went  about  attired  in  a  seductive  manner  like  nymphs.  Now  they  go  decently 
dressed.  To  this  island  belonged  S.  Barnabas  the  Apostle,  S.  Catherine,  virgin  and  martyr, 
daughter  of  king  Costa,  S.  Epiphanios,  a  most  eloquent  man:  Philanio,  a  most  holy  man 
and  a  martyr,  was  bishop  of  the  island.  And  in  it  died  S.  Hylarion  and  S.  John  Monfore 
(pp.  241—243). 


c. 


7 


50 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


ZAMBERTI. 

A  quaint  sonnet  in  the  Venetian  dialect  contains  probably  the  first  printed  account  of  Cyprus. 
It  appears  in  the  very  rare  book  entitled  Isolario,  by  Bartolommeo  Zamberti  (da'  Sonetti),  a  small  quarto, 
without  note  of  place  or  date,  but  printed  probably  at  Venice  about  1485.  The  last  sonnet  in  the  book  is 
on  Cyprus,  the  concluding  leaf  being  a  cui'ious  outline  map,  without  any  names  of  places,  of  the  island. 

The  verses,  copied  verbatim  et  literatim,  and  a  translation,  are  printed  below. 

S.  PER  LINSULA  DE  CIPRO 

Questa  e  quela  achamantida  die  piaque 

cotanto  a  venus  delichata  e  molle 

amathussa  e  machara  pria  dir  se  sole 

adeso  cipro  e  qui  come  iaque 
Vedila  a  quela  parte  oue  il  sol  naque 

posta  ala  sirya  e  da  quela  chel  tolle 

sta  verso  cliaria  col  suo  piano  e  colle 

piu  verso  coro  onde  la  hyenas  il  taque 
Questa  e  simele  a  crete  de  grandeza 

e  per  i  venti  quasi  un  stile  tene 

e  gia  de  piu  dun  regno  fu  in  alteza 

qui  cuchari  qui  sale  a  sai  qui  bene 
Qui  cerere  dal  trito  fa  diuicia 

qui  da  se  alba  un  vino  tinto  fato 

qui  le  done  de  se  non  fa  auaricia 
Qui  paplio  e  salamina  furno  in  stato 

qui  se  ha  de  amaso  e  coloe  notitia 

qui  bufauento  mira  dogni  lato 
Lydinia  chithio  carpacio  e  gostanza 
Famagosta  nicosia  regal  stanza 

Sonnet  on  the  Island  op  Cyprus. 

This  is  that  Acamantis  which  charmed  so  much  delicate  and  tender  Venus.  Anciently 
it  was  called  Amathusia  and  Macaria,  now  Cyprus.  It  lies  thus — see!  on  the  side  where  the 
sun  rises  it  is  set  over  against  Syria,  and  on  that  where  it  sets  towards  Caria;  with  its  plains 
and  hills  sloping  more  towards  the  north-west,  so  that  the  winter  blasts  are  hushed.  It  is  like 
Crete  in  size,  and  lies  open  to  almost  the  same  winds.  Of  old  it  held  more  than  one  kingdom. 
Here  are  sugar,  much  salt,  and  wealth,  for  Ceres  showers  here  store  of  grain.  Here  a  wine 
black  when  made  grows  light  of  itself.  Here  the  women  are  not  chary  of  their  favours.  Here 
Paphos  and  Salamis  were  renowned:  and  we  hear  of  Tamassus  and  Soloi.  Here  Bulfavento 
looks  to  every  side.  Lydinia,  Citium,  Carpas  and  Constantia,  Famagusta,  and  Nicosia,  seat 
of  kings. 


ZAMBERTI.    N.  LE  HUEN.  51 


N.  LE  HUEN. 

Concerning  Nicole  Huen,  a  Carmelite  of  Pont  Audeiner,  and  his  work  I  can  learn  notliing  but  what 
may  be  gleaned  from  (1)  the  imprint  on  his  last  page  (the  book  has  no  title)  wliich  runs  thus:  "  Des 
sainctes  peregrinations  et  des  avirons  et  des  lieux  prochains.  Du  mont  de  synay  et  la  glorieuse 
Iratlierine :  cost  ouvraije  et  petit  livre  contenant  du  tout  la  description  ainsi  que  dieu  a  voulu  le  donner 
a  congnoistre.  Imprime  a  Lyon  par  honnestes  hommes  Michalet  topic  de  pyrmont :  et  Jacques 
heremberch  daleraaigne  demourant  audit  lyoii.  Lan  de  nostre  seigneur  iiiille  cccc  quatrevigtz  et  huictz 
et  le  XXVIII  de  Novembre."  And  (2)  a  note  inserted  in  the  Grenville  copy,  British  Museum,  G.  7203  : 
"  Breydenbach,  traduit  par  N.  Huen,  fol.  Lyon,  1488.  La  Croix  du  Maine  ii.  p.  190,  together  with 
Du  Verdier  in.  143  and  Pinelo,  Bib.  Geog.  p.  1463,  or  Recharderie  rs'.  402,  have  all  considered  N.  Huen  as 
an  original  traveller,  but  Panzer  i.  .'iSS,  together  with  La  Valliere  in.  30,  and  Crevenna  iv.  20  very  truly 
concur  in  describing  Huen  as  giving  only  a  translation  of  Breydenbach  (Bernhard  von  Breitenbach, 
Pereyrindfio,  fol.  Mainz,  1486),  though  not  a  literal  one.  This  edition  is  most  extremely  rare,  and  sold  at 
the  Roxburgh  sale,  No.  72.'j9,  for  £84.    It  is  the  first  French  book  witli  copper-plates." 

Cyprus  is  an  island,  a  kingdom,  a  country,  thus  nanie(l  from  a  cliief  city  so  named,  which 
was  formerly  called  Paphon,  and  is  dedicated  to  Venus.  In  time  past  it  had  great  renown 
for  its  metal,  and  abounded  in  bronze,  the  use  of  which  was  there  first  discovered.  A  land 
producing  many  wines,  surrounded  entirely  by  the  sea:  but  in  the  interior  it  has  had  noble 
cities,  great  and  rich,  situated  in  all  directions.  The  chief  and  capital  is  called  Nicossia,  in 
this  there  are  fine  churclies.  The  cathedral  is  magnificent:  there  are  parish  churches  vdth 
mendicant  friars.  Our  Carmelite  house  is  near  the  king's  palace,  and  was  founded  by  the 
lords  of  France,  for  you  can  see  a  proof  in  the  church,  by  the  arms  of  the  king  of  Jerusalem, 
of  the  king  of  France,  of  the  duki>.  of  Normandy.  Tliey  are  also  inside  the  great  episcopal 
church.  Near  our  convent  rests  the  body  of  S.  Jean  de  Mountfort  quite  entire:  it  is  the  most 
beautiful  corpse  which  was  ever  seen  on  the  earth.  In  devotion  and  with  eagerness  the  people 
go  there  to  seek  for  health.  Near  there,  quite  seven  miles  away,  is  the  body  of  S.  Memer, 
from  which  Hows  an  <jil  of  much  virtue.  At  the  extremity  of  the  island  in  that  direction  was 
a  city  formerly  very  famous,  as  is  shown  by  its  ruins,  called  Baffa.  There  is  bad  air  there,  as 
in  all  the  island.  Very  noble  were  its  churches  in  time  past,  as  you  see  them  in  their  ruin. 
Below  the  church  which  belonged  to  the  Friars  Minor  is  a  prison  where  8.  Paul  was  bound 
and  kept  for  some  time  with  S.  Barnabas  while  preaching  the  Gospel,  and  seven  pits  hard  by 
in  another  church  where  were  the  seven  sleepers.  And  a  spring  of  water  of  much  virtue  which 
is  carried  afar  to  cure  fevers.  The  city  called  Famagusta  was  likewise  strong  and  powerful ; 
Costus,  the  father  of  S.  Latharine  (m>)  was  king  there,  and  it  was  called  Famacosti.  Limesson 
is  another  city  where  there  were  fine  churches.  The  bishop  still  lives  there  with  two  canons. 
Besides  there  is  Salines,  which  was  called  Piscopia,  or  rather  Cyprus,  from  which  the  island 
took  its  name,  and  now  there  is  no  house  except  the  church  of  S.  Ladze,  ill  (iquipped,  and  a 
single  begude. 

The  cause  of  this  dc^struction  arose  from  the  sister  of  the  knig  of  England  who  was  going 
for  devotion's  .sake  to  Jerusalem.  The  king  of  Cyprus  took  her  and  dishonoured  her,  which 
tiling  wrought  ill  for  him  and  all  the  country  which  came  to  help  her  and  destroyed  everything 
with  fire  and  sword.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  rich  in  good  things,  fine  plains,  mountains  and 
forests  which  hold  wild  animals,  and  great  plenty,  so  that  you  may  have  twelve  sheep  for  a 
ducat  It  is  175  miles  in  length  and  125  miles  broad :  300  miles  distant  from  Rhodes.  It  is 
to-day  uu.Um-  the  Venetians,  and  they  are  in  danger  of  losing  it  in  no  long  time,  for  the  soldiers 

7—2 


52 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


or  gendarmes  they  have  there  are  not  paid,  and  have  not  wherewithal  to  live,  except  meanly 
and  very  ill  at  their  ease.  No  man  can  leave  it  without  permission,  wherefore  at  times  many 
of  the  dwellers  in  the  land  go  to  give  themselves  up  to  the  Turks,  so  as  to  escape  from  the 
place  and  its  government. 


Wednesday,  August  29,  was  the  feast  of  S.  John  Baptist  in  the  church  of  Cyprus.  We 
landed  at  Salines.  There  is  a  church  founded  by  S.  Lazarus,  the  seat  of  a  bishop.  There  are 
no  other  dwellings  than  a  house  for  a  begute. 

There  we  found  bread  and  wine,  grapes  and  pomegranates.  We  slept  inside  the  church 
like  good  sheep. 

Thursday,  August  30,  we  stayed  there  to  hear  the  pilgrims'  mass.  Several  hired  horses  to 
go  to  Nicossia  where  the  Queen  of  Cyprus  holds  her  court.  All  our  company  agreed  to  hire 
donkeys  to  follow  the  rest,  and  took  a  guide  who  led  us  all  the  night  through  to  Nycossia. 
Friday  morning  we  reached  Nychossia  at  sunrise.  Thence  we  went  to  the  great  church  called 
S.  Meme  or  Mamar  whose  body  is  outside  the  city:  it  drips  oil.  This  church  is  very  beautiful, 
and  nobly  adorned  in  the  French  fashion,  for  the  lords  of  France  caused  it  to  be  built.  In 
this  church  is  the  tomb  of  Grodeffray  de  Billon,  all  of  jasper  and  of  a  single  piece,  except  the 
cover;  although  it  was  not  in  this  place  that  he  was  buried,  but  in  Jerusalem,  as  I  have  told 
you.  Mass  was  heard,  then  we  went  to  drink  in  a  tavern,  then  each  of  us  slept  three  hours. 
Afterwards  we  made  the  circuit  of  the  city,  and  to  the  churches  of  the  mendicant  friars. 
There  are  three  convents  with  large  buildings,  Carmelites,  Jacopins  and  Franciscans.  In  this 
city  they  cut  the  stones  called  Balfa  diamonds.  At  night  we  returned  to  the  Salines  where 
was  our  ship.  This  city  was  formerly  a  very  important  one.  There  are  fine  walls  of  long 
circuit,  and  within  them  large  buildings,  but  all  in  ruins. 

Saturday,  September  1,  1487.  The  wines  of  Cyprus  are  good  and  strong,  but  they  have 
a  savour  of  pitch.  Without  this  they  would  not  keep,  for  the  heat  is  so  fierce,  and  the  air  so 
wonderfully  dangerous,  that  by  day  one  would  not  dare  go  about  the  fields  or  streets  except 
in  the  morning  and  evening.  To  prove  this,  when  we  landed  in  Cyprus  there  was  not  a  sick 
man  of  our  company  in  all  the  ship,  and  we  remained  there  nine  days,  thanks  be  to  Jesus, 
without  any  ill.  But  when  we  withdrew  to  the  vessel,  there  were  seven  sick,  all  pilgrims. 
Let  all  future  pilgrims  be  warned  that  it  is  the  worst  port  of  all  the  voyage. 

Sunday,  our  company  went  to  a  village  a  mile  from  the  port,  and  lodged  with  a  Greek 
priest,  and  there  we  stayed  until  we  left  to  put  to  sea.  The  Salines  are  like  a  lake,  a  league  in 
length  and  breadth,  and  there  is  just  a  foot  of  water  above  the  mud,  and  there  it  congeals 
like  ice  by  reason  of  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  is  taken  up  in  pieces  like  broken  ice.  And  when 
one  piece  is  taken  out  the  rest  congeals,  which  is  a  thing  to  wonder  at... 

Friday,  September  7,  we  left  Salines. ...  Saturday,  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lady, 
it  was  calm,  and  we  stayed  at  Lymesson  to  get  victuals,  biscuit,  sheep  and  some  wine.  ^  One 
gets  there  thirty  sheep  for  a  ducat.  Sunday,  September  9,  we  landed  to  hear  mass,  and 
stayed  till  after  dinner.... Monday,  we  left  Lymesson.... Thursday.  In  four  days  we  had  sailed 
but  thirty  miles.  We  anchored  as  near  as  we  could  to  Balfa,  and  some  went  on  shore  to  get 
victuals.    (Quire  c.  ccc  verso.    Quire  e  recto.) 


N.  LE  HUEN.    FRA.  NOE. 


53 


FRA.  NOE. 

A  little  book  of  192  pages,  measuring  6  inches  by  4^,  with  rude  woodcuts,  bears  the  imprint  of 
G.  A.  Remondini,  Bassano,  without  date.  The  title  runs  Viagio  da  Venetia  al  S.  Sepolcro,  et  al  Monte 
Sinai.... Cnmponto  dal  R.  P.  Noe  (Bianchi)  delV  ordine  di  S.  Francesco.  The  British  Museum  possesses 
editions  of  loOO,  ir,19,  1546,  1555,  1563,  1587,  1640,  1647,  1680,  and  1728;  and  others  are  known  of  Venice, 
1566,  1614,  liologna,  1690,  and  Bassano,  1770.  The  phrasing  is  here  and  there  so  curt  and  disjointed  as  to 
be  scarcely  intelligible. 

P.  25.  We  left  Rhodes... and  readied  Cyprus.  We  passed  by  several  cities,  one  of 
which  was  called  Haffo.  This  was  once  large  and  strong,  as  its  ruins  testify.  It  is  now 
all  destroyed.  And  below  is  a  church  which  once  belonged  to  the  Friars  Minor,  and  a  large 
prison  with  seven  different  cells,  in  which  S.  Paul  was  for  some  time  confined,  and  S. 
Barnabas  the  Apostle.  In  this  place  under  another  church  runs  a  wonder-working  spring, 
which  is  drunk  as  a  sovereign  remedy  for  fever.  In  this  place  are  seven  little  rooms  where  it 
is  said  the  .seven  sleepers  slept,  but  not  those  who  slept  in  the  Coelic  hill.  From  this  city  we 
came  to  another,  also  in  ruins,  and  leaving  this  we  came  to  Limisso,  which  a  sultan  rased  to 
the  foundati(ms.  Here  wherever  you  dig  you  find  sweet  waters.... Cj'prus  is  300  miles  from 
Rhodes,  lOo  miles  long  and  broad.  Mutton  is  very  cheap,  but  not  very  good.  Sometimes 
you  can  get  nine  sheep  for  a  ducat. 

P.  178.  How  we  left  Egypt. ..and  arrived  in  no  long  time  at  the  island  of  Cyprus,  at  the 
city  of  Famagosta,  a  seaport.  I  left  that  city  and  went  by  land  to  the  place  where  king 
Costa  once  lived,  who  was  father  to  the  holy  virgin  Catherine.  The  place  is  called  Salamina, 
and  the  city  Constantia,  but  the  city  is  quite  destroyed,  yet  one  may  see  the  walls  of  the 
castle  in  which  king  Costa  lived.  Where  S.  Catherine  was  born  is  a  little  church  outside  the 
city  in  the  hands  of  the  Creeks.  There  is  a  little  chapel  to  mark  the  spot  where  S.  Catherine 
was  beheaded,  and  the  Apostle  Barnabas.  And  there  are  many  indulgences :  and  in  the 
same  city  is  the  body  of  S.  Epiphanius,  which  is  shown  entire  and  uncorrupt. . . . 

We  left  Beffania,  and  passed  the  island  of  Beffania,  and  in  a  few  days  fovmd  ourselves  at 
Nicosia,  where  the  king  of  Cyprus  lives,  and  we  went  to  get  his  leave,  for  no  one  can  quit  his 
kingdom  without  leave,  so  that  one  must  get  his  seal,  and  so  we  went  to  the  port  of  Famagosta 
[whence  we  sailed  for  Venice]. 


54 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


BAUMGAKTEN. 

Martin  von  Baunigarten  in  Braitenbach  was  born  1473  at  Kufstein  on  the  Inn,  where  he  died  in  1535, 
the  third  of  the  twelve  children  of  John  von  Baumgarten,  a  noble  and  wealthy  Tyrolese.  He  made  the 
usual  pilgi'image  to  the  Holy  Land  and  Moant  Sinai,  and  on  his  return  visited  Cyprus,  remaining  in  the 
island  fi'om  February  8  to  March  28,  1508.  His  Travels  were  published  in  Latin,  4to,  Niirnberg,  1594,  and 
in  English,  in  Churchill's  collection,  fol.  London,  1704,  and  8vo,  1752.  I  transcribe  from  the  first  English 
edition,  vol.  i.  pp.  489 — 491. 

On  the  eighth  of  February,  about  the  third  hour  of  the  day,  we  arrived  at  Cyprus,  and 
got  into  harbour  at  Salina ;  here  we  stayed  many  days  for  certain  reasons.  This  city  was  of 
old  called  Salamis,  or  Salamina,  on  this  occasion.  Salamina  is  a  certain  island  in  the  Eubasan 
Sea,  over  against  Athens,  having  in  it  a  city  of  the  same  name,  in  which  reigned  Telamon,  the 
father  of  Ajax  and  Teucer.  But  when  Teucer  returned  from  the  Trojan  war,  and  had  not 
revenged  his  brother  A j  ax's  death,  being  exiled  by  his  father,  he  went  to  Cyprus,  and  called 
this  city  there  after  the  name  of  his  native  country. 

In  this  city  it  was  that  Paul  and  Barnabas  preached.  And  there  too  it  was  that  Barnabas 
suffered  martyrdom.  There  is  near  it  a  lake  of  excellent  salt,  which  being  coagulated  by  the 
heat  of  the  sun  only  proves  the  best  salt  of  any,  and  is  exported  in  great  quantities  into 
Syria,  Greece,  Italy,  and  other  countries,  yielding  great  profit  to  the  state  of  Venice. 

Near  the  harbour  of  Salamina  is  a  church,  in  one  end  whereof  the  Greeks,  and  in  the 
other  the  Latins  perform  their  divine  worship. 

Not  far  from  this  place,  by  the  sea,  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  are  to  be  seen  the  ruins  of  an 
amphitheatre  ;  adjoining  to  it  is  a  cave  laid  with  pyramidal  stones,  and  about  it  many  huge 
stones  and  pieces  of  antiquity,  and  pillars  of  white  marble,  but  the  inscriptions  are  totally 
defaced. 

Nymosia  or  Nicosia,  a  city  of  Cyprus.    Its  episcopal  see.    A  storm  at  sea. 
A  pirate  at  Rhodes.    Piscopia  rased.    Paphus,  its  founder. 

The  third  day  of  March,  because  our  ship  was  to  be  loaded  with  corn  in  another  part  of 
the  island,  leaving  all  our  things  on  board,  we  travelled  by  land  both  for  our  recreation  and 
to  have  the  better  view  of  the  island.  The  first  place  we  came  to  the  next  day  was  Lymosin, 
of  old  Nymosia,  and  lodged  in  the  bishop's  house,  for  this  is  one  of  the  four  episcopal  sees  that 
are  in  Cyprus.  The  first  is  in  Leucosia,  now  called  Nicosia.  The  second  at  Famagusta.  The 
third  in  Paphus,  which  episcopal  sees  are  each  of  them  double,  so  that  in  every  one  of  them 
there's  both  a  Greek  and  Latin  bishop.  The  same  day  about  noon  our  ship  arrived,  so  we 
made  haste  to  get  some  provisions,  which  we  carried  with  us  and  went  on  board.  Sailing 
from  thence  immediately,  before  we  had  got  a  mile  off,  the  wind  rose  and  blew  so  hard  that 
we  were  forced  to  anchor  under  a  promontory ;  and  there  did  we  for  three  days  together 
without  intermission  dance  and  caper,  but  not  very  merrily,  having  for  music  the  loud  noise 
of  the  wands,  the  rattling  of  the  storm,  and  the  roaring  of  the  sea.  While  we  were  thus 
circumstanced,  there  came  up  with  us  a  pirate  ship  belonging  to  Rhodes,  who  asking  us 
whence  we  came,  and  what  we  had  on  board?  when  they  found  that  all  belonged  to 
Christians  they  took  away  from  us  some  oars  they  wanted  and  left  us. 


> 


BAUMGARTEN. 


55 


On  the  eighth  day  about  noon,  the  storm  Ijeing  over,  we  set  sail,  and  launching  out  into 
the  main  sea,  we  sailed  by  Colossus,  a  village  of  Cyprus,  remarkable  for  its  great  plenty  of 
sugar.  We  sailed  by  Piscopia  too,  a  city  which  one  of  the  kings  of  England  once  rased  to 
the  ground,  in  revenge  of  his  sister's  having  been  debauched,  having  left  her  there  as  he  was 
going  to  Jerusalem. 

On  the  tenth  day  we  came  to  Paphus.  This  is  a  noble  city,  formerly  the  metropolis  of 
Cyprus,  and  the  palace  of  Venus ;  now  a  very  desolate  and  ruinous  place,  as  most  of  the 
cities  of  Cyprus  are,  occasioned  by  the  frequent  earthquakes  that  happen  there,  yet  by  the 
very  ruins  it  appears  what  once  it  was.  In  Paphus  the  air  is  not  very  wholesome,  nor  indeed 
in  all  Cyprus,  though  it  abounds  with  marjoram,  hyssop,  and  other  wholesome  herbs.  This 
city  was  built  by  Paplius,  Pygmalion's  son  by  Eburnea,  who  called  it  after  his  own  name, 
and  consecrated  it  to  Venus,  to  whom  also  they  dedicate  a  very  large  temple ;  to  which,  as 
some  will  have  it,  when  Helen  arrived  from  Grreece,  being  stolen  by  Paris,  she  repaired,  and 
gave  occasion  to  the  Trojan  war.    Others  will  have  this  to  be  done  in  Cythera. 

Our  stay  at  Condco,  a  village.    Presents  made  to  us  there.    Cyprus  described ; 
its  situation,  fertility,  cities,  inhabitants.    Their  grievous  oppression. 

On  the  eleventh  day  setting  out  from  Paphus,  we  arrived  in  the  dark  night  at  the  tovm 
of  Corsico,  which  is  situated  in  a  very  pleasant  valley,  having  a  prospect  over  the  sea  as  far 
as  Cilicia,  which  is  now  called  Scandilora.  Here  we  spent  several  days,  till  the  ship  was 
loaded  with  corn  and  silk.  In  the  mean  time  we  had  presents  offered  to  us  of  almonds,  peas, 
and  other  fruits  of  the  .same  year's  growth,  which  afforded  us  no  less  subject  of  admiration 
than  of  pleasure  and  deliciousness,  to  consider  the  extreme  coldness  of  the  weather  in  our 
country  at  that  very  season. 

Cyprus,  a  noble  island  situated  in  the  Carpathian  Sea,  in  the  middle  of  the  greatest  bay 
of  Asia,  lying  from  E.  to  W.  in  a  right  line  between  Cilicia  and  Syria,  the  most  considerable 
and  famoiis  island  in  the  world,  anciently  abounding  with  riches,  too  much  addicted  to 
luxury,  and  ior  tliat  reason  consecrated  to  Venus,  is  very  large,  and  formerly  had  the  wealth 
and  title  of  a  kingdom.  This  ishnid  is  called  Cethim  in  the  Holy  Scnpture  :  is  very  fruitful 
of  corn,  abounding  with  silkworms,  silks,  oil,  sugar  and  wine.  Here  are  very  beautiful  lulls, 
most  pleasant  and  delightful  valleys,  always  resounding  witli  tlie  melodious  singing  of  birds. 
Hen;  are  warm  suns,  shady  groves,  dewy  herbs,  green  grass,  and  soft  downy  meadows  to  he 
down  and  rest  upon.  Vet  notwithstanding  all  this  fruitfulness  and  pleasantness,  neither  its 
cities  nor  villages  are  nnicli  frequented,  but  as  if  it  was  barren  and  a  desert  place  it  is 
inhabited  oidy  by  a  few  people  that  live  in  cottages.  It  has  no  cities  but  Nicosia  and 
Famagusta  ;  tlie  former  of  which  is  famous  for  its  largeness,  and  for  the  ruling  power  of  the 
Governor  residing  there  ;  the  latter  is  remarkable  for  its  harbour  and  fortihcations.  Besides 
all  the  inhabitants  of  (Cyprus  are  slaves  to  the  Venetians,  being  obliged  to  pay  to  the  state  a 
third  part  of  all  their  increase  or  income,  whether  the  product  of  their  ground,  or  corn,  wme, 
oil,  or  of  their  cattle,  or  any  other  thing.  Besides  every  man  of  them  is  bound  to  work  for 
the  state  two  days  of  the  week  wherever  they  shall  please  to  appoint  him :  and  if  any  shall 
fail  by  reason  of  some  other  business  of  their  own,  or  for  indisposition  of  body,  then  they  are 
made  to  pay  a  fine  for  as  many  days  as  they  are  absent  from  their  work.  And  winch  is  more, 
there  is  yearly  some  tax  or  other  impo.sed  on  them,  with  which  the  poor  comnion  people  are 
so  Hayed  and  pillaged,  that  they  hardly  have  wheremthal  to  keep  soul  and  body  together. 

We  spent  the  rest  of  our  time  with  a  great  deal  of  uneasiness  in  this  island,  being  forced 
to  tarry  till  the  ship  had  taken  in  her  lading  of  several  sorts  of  merchandise. 


56 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


LE  SAIGE. 

Jacques  le  Saige  was  a  silk  merchant  of  Douai,  who  died  there  February  11,  1549.  He  started  on  the 
journey  to  Jerusalem  March  19,  1518,  and  reached  his  home  on  Christmas  Day  of  the  same  year.  His 
autograph,  scratched  on  a  wall  of  the  church  of  S.  Francis  at  Famagusta,  was  found  in  1901  by 
M.  Camilla  Enlart.  He  printed  at  Cambrai  an  account  of  his  travels,  with  the  quaint  title  Cfii  sensuyvent 
les  gistes  repaistres  et  despens  que  rnoy  Jacques  le  Saige  marchant  demourant  a  Douay  ay  fait  de  Douay  a 
Rome...et  autres  lieux.  Jusqiies  au  retour  dudit  Douay.  There  may  have  been  three  issues  of  this  work 
between  1520  and  1523,  but  copies  are  of  very  great  rarity,  and  Mons.  H.  K.  Duthilloeul  did  well  to  publish 
at  Douai  in  4to,  1851,  the  edition  from  which  I  translate  here  pp.  92,  93,  and  135 — 151,  though  the  text 
needs  revision,  and  the  glossary  is  very  meagre.  "  Messeurs  prenes  couraige  de  lire  et  vous  ares  du  passe 
temps  "  (p.  2). 

The  Flemish  livre  =  3  marcels  =  20  gros  or  sols;  the  sou  was  worth  12  deniers.  His  journey, 
including  22  livres,  10  gros  given  as  presents  on  the  way,  cost  him  436  livres,  13  gros.  To  find  the  money 
he  had  to  pledge  some  property  in  Hainault,  for  no  one  would  give  him  cash  for  his  stock  of  silk. 

July  21,  1518.  The  wind  freshened,  and  towards  supper-time  we  saw  the  beginning  of 
the  island  of  Cyprus  somewhere  near  the  city  of  Baf,  where  it  is  said  is  the  temple  of  Venus. 
And  about  midnight  we  arrived  off  Limechon,  where  we  anchored  and  did  not  land  until  the 
dawn  of  day. 

The  landing  at  Limechon  in  Cyprus.  They  reckon  the  distance  from  Rhodes  at  400 
miles.  July  22,  the  feast  of  the  Magdalen.  We  left  our  vessel  and  landed  at  Limechon.  It 
is  now  a  village  situated  in  the  open  country  quite  close  to  the  sea,  but  there  is  no  harbour. 
There  is  a  castle  which  is  pretty  strong,  and  Limechon  was  once  a  walled  town  and  large,  but 
the  English  left  it  thus  ruined  to  avenge  themselves  on  the  king  of  Cyprus,  who  debauched 
the  sister  of  the  king  of  England,  who  was  returning  from  the  holy  voyage  to  Jerusalem. 
They  sold  us  wine  pretty  cheap,  but  it  tasted  of  pitch,  for  they  put  their  wine  in  a  large  jar 
pitched  within,  and  draw  it  thence.  It  is  so  hot  by  day  in  the  summer  that  we  dared  not 
leave  our  houses.  Towards  evening  we  went  to  see  cotton  growing ;  there  was  a  large 
expanse  of  it.  The  twigs  are  as  high  as  a  turnip  plant,  the  pods  are  as  big  as  the  head  of  a 
wild  poppy ;  and  when  the  cotton  is  ripe  the  head  opens,  and  one  sees  the  cotton.  Later  we 
thought  to  return  all  of  us  to  sleep  in  our  ship,  but  our  sailors  were  detained,  and  we  were 
obliged  to  return  to  the  houses,  and  we  were  even  lucky  to  find  such. 

July  23.  When  I  awoke  I  had  only  to  give  my  head  a  shake.  I  went  to  see  a  small 
church  where  I  found  a  Greek  priest  who  was  robing  himself  to  say  mass  :  but  as  he  put  on 
each  vestment  he  made  it  catch  the  fumes  of  a  censer.  I  saw  him  say  mass  right  through, 
but  it  was  wonderful  to  see  the  ceremonies  he  performed.  There  is  in  Limechon  another 
church  where  they  sing  after  our  rite,  and  there  are  five  Latin  canons.  I  made  my  way  back 
to  our  lodging,  and  on  the  way  saw  capers  growing.  To  write  of  the  other  riches  of  this  land 
I  shall  wait  until  our  return,  for,  if  God  will,  we  propose  to  see  the  chief  cities  of  this  realm. 
Well,  just  as  we  had  returned  to  supper,  they  came  to  tell  us  we  must  get  back  to  the  vessel. 
Seven  or  eight  of  our  company  swore  to  me  they  had  been  in  the  castle  mentioned  above,  and 
had  been  shown  the  brazen  head  which  spoke  to  Valentine,  the  brother  of  Orson.  I  have 
written  it  down  to  record  the  fact ;  I  heard  of  it  late,  or  would  have  gone  to  see  it.  But  I 
had  to  return.  And  as  soon  as  we  were  on  board  the  anchors  were  raised  and  our  sails 
spread.    Now  I  had  spent  at  Limechon  20  gros  (pp.  92,  93). 


LE  SAIGE. 


57 


The  harbour  of  Famagosse  in  Cyprus. 

Sunday,  August  28,  the  night  of  the  beheading  of  S.  John,  we  anchored  our  vessel  in  the 
harbour  of  Famagosse.  We  were  greatly  astonished  to  see  so  strong  a  city.  For  vessels 
cannot  come  nigh  by  reason  of  the  rocks,  and  the  walls  too  are  terribly  thick,  and  there  are 
fosses  lined  with  masonry  along  the  town.  Hence  you  may  gather  that  one  might  attack  it 
from  without  yet  be  unable  to  injure  that  city.  It  is  small,  and  has  the  most  beautiful 
houses  possible,  but  they  were  destroyed  what  time  the  king  of  England  took  vengeance  for 
his  .sister  whom  the  king  of  Cyprus  had  killed,  thinking  to  debauch  her,  but  the  good  lady, 
who  was  returning  from  the  holy  voyage,  had  fain  rather  suffer  death.  And  as  soon  as  her 
brother  heard  the  news  he  vowed  to  God  that  he  would  avenge  her,  as  he  did.  The  walls  of 
Famagosse  are  all  freshly  repaired,  and  there  is  a  very  grand  boulevard.  In  brief  it  is  an 
impregnable  city  if  it  had  a  sufficient  garrison.  But  there  are  only  800  soldiers  in  the  pay  of 
the  Venetians,  for  they  have  the  whole  land  of  Cyprus  under  them.  By  a  custom  of  no  long 
standing  to  keep  at  peace  with  the  Turks  they  pay  them  a  heavy  tribute ;  but  the  peasants 
pay  it  well.  They  are  heavily  taxed,  and  have  no  trade  except  with  Venice.  Along  the  sea 
on  the  other  side  there  is  fine  level  country,  which  supplies  produce  in  plenty.  It  rains  only 
from  All  iSaints  to  Candlemas  (November  1  to  February  2).  The  rest  of  the  year  it  is  so  hot 
that  men  go  into  the  fields  by  night  only,  and  then  there  is  a  heavy  dew.  Two  days  after  our 
arrival  we  went  for  our  pleasure  to  the  place  where  S.  Catherine  was  born,  and  left  at  daybreak. 
The  distance  is  only  about  two  leagues,  but  we  thought  we  should  die  of  heat  on  the  way  back, 
and  we  had  made  no  long  stay  there.  For  we  found  neither  bread  nor  dinner,  only  a  little 
chapel  where  are  two  altars  ;  hard  by  is  a  ruined  church.  It  is  the  spot  where  the  fair  dame 
went  t(^  learn  our  law :  a  quarter  of  a  league  away  one  sees  the  prison  into  which  she  was 
thrown  when  it  was  known  she  was  a  Christian.  All  this  part,  which  used  to  be  the  city  of 
Famagosse,  is  now  callecl  in  our  tongue  Old  Famagosse  :  one  can  still  see  the  arches  on  which 
were  the  pipes  which  l)rouglit  water  from  the  mountains  to  the  city.  All  the  rest  is  destroyed 
and  swept  away.  So  we  crawled  back  two  leagues  or  so  and  stayed  until  the  following 
Friday.  We  lived,  my  companions  and  I,  in  a  church  of  S.  Nicolas,  and  by  reason  of  the  heat 
remained  therein  all  day  until  it  was  time  for  supper.  This  church  is  fine,  and  vaulted 
throughout.    During  the  six  days  I  was  in  Famagos.se  I  spent  the  sum  of  48  gros. 

Friday,  September  2,  after  supper  my  companions  with  whom  I  ate  every  day,  that  is 
to  say  Jehan  du  Bos,  of  Soignie,  and  three  cliui-climen  who  had  accompanied  us  to  Venice, 
wished  to  leave  on  foot  to  go  to  a  place  called  Salline,  where  there  used  to  be  a  great  city, 
now  there  is  only  a  village.  When  they  were  debating  about  going  on  foot  (the  distance  was 
quite  eight  French  leagues),  1  tried  to  defeat  their  plan,  alas !  this  travelling  on  foot  was  the 
cause  of  their  death.  I  begged  them  to  take  a  mule  each,  and  to  come  and  take  their 
pleasure  and  see  the  country,  for  in  any  case  we  had  to  wait  until  our  vessel  was  loaded  with 
salt,  and  they  took  fully  fourteen  days  to  fill  up.  I  pleaded  with  them  that  the  rest  of  the 
pilg'rims  were  taking  each  of  us  a  mule  to  travel  all  night  through  to  Nicossia,  a  great  city, 
and  that  we  should  get  good  value  for  our  money.  They  replied  that  they  would  spend  more 
in  the  village.  Alas,  they  had  enough  of  it  fifteen  days  later,  for  they  were  near  their  end, 
as  you  can  lu-ar.  At  last  I  saw  I  was  wasting  my  time,  and  went  and  engaged  a  mule,  and 
agreed  with  the  muleteer  that  he  should  come  with  me,  for  everyone  else  had  left.  And  for 
the  whole  journey  as  far  as  Nicossia  it  cost  me  but  twenty  gros.  And  even  when  I  had 
mounted  my  nmle  1  came  back  to  our  lodging  to  see  if  my  companions  had  not  changed  their 

8 


58 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


ininds.  They  told  me  they  were  resolved  to  go  right  through  on  foot,  and  that  they  would 
rather  buy  drink  with  what  it  would  cost  them  to  take  a  mule.  Alas  !  they  would  have  been 
very  glad  about  midnight  to  have  had  one  apiece,  for  they  knew  not  where  they  were  going, 
they  had  no  guide,  there  were  only  four  of  them,  and  they  lost  their  way.  I  commended 
them  to  Grod,  and  left  Avith  my  muleteer  as  I  said.  We  hurried  on  so  fast  that  my  guide  was 
bathed  in  sweat,  thinking  to  overtake  the  main  body  of  my  companions.  But  it  was  all 
for  nothing,  the  two  of  us  had  to  travel  all  night  alone  because  I  had  tarried  so  long.  We 
found  the  country  pretty  level,  and  passed  by  a  large  village,  where  there  is  a  great  castle  : 
it  is  five  miles  from  Famagosse,  and  called  Sinore.  We  met,  my  muleteer  and  I,  more  than  a 
hundred  persons  on  the  road,  for  in  this  season  on  account  of  the  heat  of  the  sun  men  go  to 
their  fields  by  night  only,  and  even  sheep  and  other  animals  go  out  to  feed  at  night.  I  was 
often  afraid,  for  many  of  those  whom  we  met  stopped  to  chat  with  my  muleteer.  But  I  rode 
on,  and  if  I  had  heard  any  of  them  turn  back  with  him  I  was  determined  to  get  off  my  mule 
and  hide  in  some  bush,  for  there  are  many  such  by  the  way  side.  However  Grod  be  praised, 
no  one  asked  of  me  anything.  Grood  order  must  be  kept  there.  In  two  or  three  other 
villages  we  found  the  people  sleeping  in  their  courtyards  to  enjoy  the  cool  of  the  night ;  they 
had  just  a  few  branches  over  them.  We  rode  on  till  we  saw  the  day  and  reached  Nicossia 
about  half  an  hour  after  the  sun  rose.    I  was  much  rejoiced  and  paid  anon  the  twenty  gros. 

So  on  Saturday,  September  2,  I  arrived  in  the  city  of  Nicossia.  It  is  very  large,  and  I 
knew  not  where  to  address  myself  to  find  a  lodging,  for  the  townspeople  understand  neither 
French  nor  Flemish  nor  Latin.  I  found  a  priest  and  thought  he  would  understand  Latin. 
But  he  was  no  more  good  to  me  than  if  I  had  called  to  a  dog ;  he  was  a  Greek.  I  began  to 
feel  tired,  for  I  did  not  know  what  was  the  Greek  for  a  lodging,  and  I  had  my  wallets 
containing  my  shirts,  and  my  two  sheets  which  I  had  brought  to  get  washed,  and  a  couple  of 
bottles,  and  I  was  all  in  a  fuss,  for  my  muleteer  had  left  me  at  the  gate.  I  went  till  I  found 
a  saddler,  and  asked  for  the  inn.  He  showed  me  a  house.  I  hurried  in  and  found  there  the 
four  buglers  of  our  ship.  You  may  be  sure  I  was  glad.  I  asked  them  where  was  the  large 
party  who  came  on  by  night :  they  told  me  they  had  breakfasted,  and  were  gone  to  the  great 
church  to  find  a  cool  place  and  sleep  their  fill.  Then  I  breakfasted  very  well,  thanks  be  to 
God,  and  then  went  to  rest  in  the  great  church  called  S.  Sophia,  which  is  a  very  beautiful 
little  church.  There  is  the  finest  possible  beginning  of  a  bell  tower  of  well  cut  sandstone,  and 
already  there  are  five  porches,  three  of  which  open  a  way  under  the  said  tower  before  one 
enters  the  church,  and  at  the  two  ends  of  the  transept  there  are  two  beautiful  little  doorways 
of  fine  stone,  and  the  church  is  vaulted  throughout.  The  singing  is  in  Latin,  after  our  rite. 
Many  pilgrims  have  made  their  marks  and  set  their  names  on  the  walls ;  I  saw  the  name  of 
Jehan  Potiez  of  Mons  near  one  of  the  entrances.  After  I  had  been  there  a  long  while  I  went 
to  a  little  Greek  church  close  by ;  it  is  dedicated  to  our  Lady.  It  was  a  pleasure  to  be  there, 
for  there  was  one  of  the  priests  who  was  at  least  seventy  years  old  and  chanted  so  loudly  that 
it  was  a  wonder.  After  vespers  said  in  Greek  large  loaves  were  brought,  one  of  which  was 
cut  into  large  pieces,  a  piece  was  given  to  each  of  us,  and  then  some  good  wine  to  drink. 
Then  I  returned  to  my  lodging,  and  was  told  that  our  hostess  was  brought  to  bed  while  we 
were  in  the  church.  I  should  have  liked  well  to  be  the  godfather,  but  they  told  me  they 
would  wait  a  month  to  baptise  the  child.    Then  they  brought  us  supper. 

The  next  morning,  September  4,  I  heard  talk  of  the  body  of  a  saint  which  was  in  a 
church  of  the  Scalzi,  and  went  there  with  several  other  pilgrims  to  hear  mass.  We  found  it 
a  long  walk,  for  the  town,  as  I  said,  is  very  large.  Near  the  convent  is  a  great  space 
of  garden  ground  watered  from  a  well.    A  horse  turns  a  big  wheel,  and  many  earthen  pots 


LE  SAIGE. 


59 


are  bound  on  this  wheel  which  pour  out  a  wonderful  quantity  of  water,  and  there  are  many- 
small  pipes  in  the  garden  by  which  the  water  is  distributed.  There  is  a  great  plenty  of  fruit- 
bearing  trees,  mostly  pomegranates,  and  under  the  trees  the  ground  is  all  full  of  gourds, 
melons,  cucumbers,  and  other  good  things.  AVere  it  not  for  these  wells  there  would  be 
no  dainties  in  Cyprus,  while  there  are  so  many  that  it  is  a  wonder.  After  I  had  looked  well 
over  the  place  I  came  to  the  convent,  which  is  small  as  well  as  the  church.  But  it  is  very 
pleasing  and  well  adorned.  After  we  had  heard  mass  we  were  shown  the  body,  which  is  still 
entire,  of  a  saint  called  Jehan  de  Montifort,  which  works  many  miracles  and  cures  fevers :  he 
was  a  gentleman,  for  he  was  of  Brittany,  and  on  his  return  from  the  holy  voyage  to  Jerusalem 
was  taken  ill  and  died  in  this  city  of  Nicossia.  I  saw  him  all  naked,  he  seemed  as  though  he 
slept,  and  he  has  been  there  three  hundred  years.  Alas,  1  greatly  wished  my  companions 
had  been  with  me.  After  we  had  paid  our  devotions  I  returned  to  dinner.  And  then  I  went 
to  hear  vespers  in  the  church  of  S.  Sophia,  of  which  I  have  spoken,  and  we  were  shown  the 
right  arm  of  8.  Laurence  enshrined  in  silver,  but  I  saw  only  a  finger-joint. 

And  we  were  shown  a  doul)le  cross  in  which  I  saw  a  piece  quite  four  inches  long  of  the 
holy  and  true  Cross  of  our  Saviour,  and  also  many  other  relics,  and  then  I  went  to  supper. 
And  at  the  hour  of  the  Ave  Maria  one  of  our  pilgrims  showed  me  a  thing  which  astonished 
me  greatly.  It  was  an  attendant  who  carried  on  his  shoulders  a  rail  quite  ten  feet  long  and 
about  three  inches  wide,  and  he  tapped  on  the  middle  of  the  rail  with  two  httle  wooden 
mallets,  and  produced  so  loud  a  sound  that  it  was  a  marvel.  He  was  ringing  for  the  Ave 
Maria.  I  had  often  heard  this  tapping  but  knew  not  what  it  was.  In  many  of  the  churches 
of  the  (rreeks  they  have  no  other  bells,  so  they  are  at  no  expense. 

On  September  o  I  went  for  my  pleasure  outside  the  town,  not  to  get  into  the  sun,  but  so 
that  I  could  see  that  at  some  former  time  it  was  a  grand  thing,  for  it  has  two  very  strong 
castles,  but  now  it  is  ugly,  for  the  houses  are  chiefly  of  earth  and  have  no  roof  except  some 
stout  reeds  and  then  earth,  that  is  their  covering.  And  the  streets  are  crooked,  above  and 
below  :  such  destruction  the  king  of  England  wrought  wlieu  he  avenged  his  sister,  as  I  have 
written  before.  I  stayed  in  this  city  of  Nicossia  until  the  following  Friday.  Our  captain 
was  very  ill,  and  we  quite  thought  he  would  die,  but  he  had  a  good  doctor.  And  I,  wlio  was 
very  anxious  to  know  liow  my  companions  had  fared,  left  that  day.  I  had  spent  in  all 
52  gros. 

Friday,  September  9,  after  supper  I  left  the  city  with  some  Franciscan  pilgrims  who 
had  hired  tlireo  carts  drawn  by  cows,  and  got  on  one  of  the  carts,  but  God  knows  how  well 
shaken  we  were.  I  was  very  soi-ry  that  I  had  not  taken  a  mule.  We  were  journeying  all 
the  night  through  until  alx.ut  an  hour  after  dawn  on  the  morrow.  We  had  to  rest  in  a  village 
to  wait  for  evening,  and  were  poorly  treated  there,  for  there  were  no  tables,  only  wretched 
planks  upon  stones:  and  1  saw  them  bake  more  than  forty  bits  of  mutton,  such  as  shoulders 
an<l  necks,  just  as  they  bake  pies  and  set  them  on  the  edge.  When  I  tried  to  eat  I  was 
obliged  to  pull  and  hack  as  if  it  had  been  bull  beef:  the  wine  was  good  enough.  Throughout 
Cyprus  the  sheep  are  worth  nothing  at  all :  there  is  quite  as  much  to  eat  on  one  sheep's  tad 
as  there  is  on  two  of  their  shoulders,  for  these  tails  hang  quite  down  to  the  ground,  and  are 
about  a  (luarter  br(«id.  But  all  the  substance  is  there.  The  fowls  are  always  good,  but 
people  who  had  passed  that  way  had  bought  them  all,  and  we  had  to  go  without.  After  we 
had  dined  it  was  very  windy,  and  we  left  in  the  carts.  We  found  plenty  of  sand  and  hdls 
and  valleys  with  nothing  on  them  but  stones  and  trees,  and  we  kept  on  tdl  about  sunset  we 
reached  the  village  where  there  used  to  be  a  large  city  called  Salline,  because  near  it  much 
salt  is  collected,  as  you  shall  hear  by  and  by.    At  this  hour  then  we  arrived  m  the  village: 

8—2 


60 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


they  reckon  it  twelve  miles,  which  make  quite  twelve  leagues,  from  Nicossia,  and  it  cost  me 
to  come  on  the  cart,  with  the  expenses  on  the  road  and  supper  at  the  village,  altogether 
36  gros. 

Sunday,  September  11,  I  rose  very  early,  for  I  had  slept  on  a  table;  it  was  too  late  to 
find  a  bed,  and  I  was  hungry,  but  I  took  it  patiently.  As  soon  as  I  was  up  I  bought  a  fine 
fat  hen,  thinking  to  take  it  as  a  gift  to  my  companions,  and  begged  that  it  might  be  cooked 
quickly,  while  I  went  to  hear  mass.  Now  the  church  is  far  from  the  village  and  quite  close 
to  the  sea ;  it  was  here  that  aforetime  the  main  town  stood,  but  it  is  all  destroyed  except 
a  part  of  the  church,  in  which  at  one  end  they  chant  in  Latin  as  with  us,  but  in  the  middle, 
or  what  we  might  call  the  choir,  they  chant  in  Grreek.... 

Tuesday,  September  13,  after  having  heard  mass  very  early  we  went,  ten  or  twelve  of 
us,  to  see  the  place  whence  they  collect  the  salt.  We  were  very  greatly  astonished,  for  the 
place  is  quite  four  leagues  round,  and  is  like  a  great  frozen  marsh.  One  is  quite  dazzled  at 
the  sight,  for  the  salt  is  as  white  as  I  ever  saw,  and  comes  of  itself :  the  sea  is  close  by,  and 
there  is  only  a  broad  bank  between  the  two.  The  sea  swells  two  or  three  times  a  year,  and 
then  they  make  little  holes  in  the  bank,  and  the  water  enters  the  lake.  And  when  there  is 
enough  of  it  they  close  those  holes  again,  and  forthwith  the  sun  which  is  a  hundred  times 
hotter  than  in  our  country  absorbs  that  water,  and  nothing  is  left  but  the  salt.  Moreover 
the  sun  burns  on  that  salt  so  fiercely  that  it  is  as  white  as  snow.  And  it  is  cut  into  great 
blocks,  as  is  done  with  sods  or  turves.  And  when  we  were  there  we  saw  enough  cut  and 
ready  to  load  two  hundred  carts.  None  can  take  of  this  salt  without  paying  the  Venetians 
for  it ;  it  is  a  valuable  revenue  to  them.  We  stayed  so  long  to  look  at  this  salt  that  we  did 
not  know  how  we  should  get  to  the  village  for  the  heat,  but  God  be  praised  we  suffered 
nothing  but  the  inconvenience,  and  refreshed  ourselves  with  a  good  drink.  Then  several  of 
us  went  to  bathe  in  the  sea,  that  is  to  say  when  the  great  heat  had  passed.  Then  we  came 
back  to  the  village,  and  heard  that  a  gentleman  had  arrived,  and  I  went  to  lodge  with  him. 
For  he  had  been  the  companion  of  the  three  priests  who  came  with  Jehan  du  Bos  and  me, 
and  had  left  them  because  they  were  too  stingy.  And  I  believe  that  if  he  had  remained  he 
would  have  died  like  the  others.  But  he  was  a  man  used  to  good  living,  so  that  he  and  I 
returned  to  Paris,  and  he  carried  back  the  money  of  his  shipmates,  and  I  that  of  mine,  as 
you  will  hear  later.    So  I  went  to  supper  and  we  enjoyed  ourselves. 

Wednesday,  September  14,  we  went  to  hear  mass  in  a  chapel  where  they  sing  in  Greek. 
Then  we  came  to  dinner,  and  after  dinner  heard  a  crying  and  singing.  They  were  carrying 
a  young  woman  to  her  grave.  There  were  four  or  five  women  crying  so  that  it  was  piteous 
to  see  them.  They  had  put  a  mask  on  the  corpse,  painted  like  the  face  of  a  beautiful  dead 
woman.  They  had  clothed  her  too  in  a  fine  black  robe  ;  she  even  had  a  fine  scarf  of  black 
silk  round  her,  and  they  told  us  that  when  a  poor  person  dies  they  borrow  for  her  beautiful 
clothes  which  she  wears  up  to  the  mouth  of  the  grave.  We  did  not  go  to  see  her  buried, 
because  there  had  been  deaths  from  the  plague  pretty  close  to  the  place.  We  went  to  amuse 
ourselves  and  to  see  what  had  formerly  been  the  size  of  this  town  of  Salline :  we  were  greatly 
astonished  to  see  such  extensive  foundations ;  the  highest  of  them  was  hardly  two  feet.  Then 
we  returned  to  supper. 

Thursday,  September  15,  after  hearing  mass  and  eating  an  excellent  breakfast,  we  wrote 
our  diaries  and  then  went  in  a  great  troop  to  bathe  in  the  sea,  and  there  we  rejoiced  greatly 
for  they  came  to  tell  us  that  all  our  company  which  had  stayed  in  Nicossia  had  arrived.  So 
we  went  to  our  lodgings  for  fear  of  losing  our  places,  and  after  we  had  dined  well  I  reckoned 
how  much  I  had  spent  since  Saturday.    I  had  spent  only  24  gros. 


LE  SAIGE.  BORDONE. 


61 


[September  16,  they  embarked.  Our  Jacques  found  them  all  ill.  He  took  charge  of  his 
old  mate  Jehan  du  Bos  and  another,  and  did  what  he  could  for  them,  but  he  was  no  nurse 
and  wished  himself  on  the  market  place  of  Douai.  Next  day  they  sailed.  He  begins  to 
suspect  there  was  plague  on  board,  and  drinks  freely  of  the  Malmsey  he  had  bought  on  shore. 
'J'hen  he  too  got  ill,  his  head  ached,  and  he  stumbled  about,  not  knowing  whether  it  were 
fear  or  drink.  He  commended  his  soul  to  S.  Claude  and  to  our  Lady  of  Weziers,  to  whom 
he  promised  a  taper  of  three  pounds  weight,  and  vowed  a  pilgrimage  to  S.  Adrian.  This,  he 
thought,  saved  him  from  death.  On  the  18th  an  English  priest,  strong  and  hearty,  died : 
he  was  put  in  the  box  which  carried  his  provisions,  and  thrown  into  the  sea.  On  the 
19th  another  death,  on  the  20th  two.  On  the  21st  Jehan  du  Bos  died,  to  the  satisfaction 
of  the  sailors,  for  they  had  already  played  away  the  nine  marcelli  which  they  got  for 
making  a  red  cross  on  the  coffin  and  throwing  it  into  the  sea ;  on  the  24th  foul  winds  had 
driven  them  back  to  Paphos,  where  they  got  wood  and  water.  A  church  was  visited  where 
they  sang  in  Latin,  not  far  from  the  spot  where  the  seven  sleepers  lay  so  long.  "  The  town 
is  in  ruins :  it  was  the  first  which  the  English  destroyed.  But  on  the  seashore  there  are  still 
two  massive  towers,  and  there  was  once  a  strong  castle.  A  fine  plain  lies  around,  and  near 
the  sea  fields  of  cotton  were  now  ripe.  Beyond  are  high  mountains  covered  with  scrub.  The 
air  is  dangerous  to  strangers."  By  November  8  the  surviving  pilgrims  had  reached  Venice, 
and  on  Christmas  Day  Jacques  le  Saige  was  again  in  his  home  at  Douai.] 


BORDONE. 

Honedetto  Bordone  was  a  native  of  Padua,  an  astronomer  and  geographer,  and  of  gieat  skill  as  an 
illuminator  of  MSS.  He  may  have  been  tlie  father  of  JuHus  Cajsar  Scaliger  (ob.  1558),  a  scholar  of  more 
learning  than  taste. 

His  IhoIuiHo,  an  extremely  rare  book,  first  printed  at  Venice  in  1528,  contains  an  account  of  all  the 
islands  of  the  world,  and  might  well  be  reckoned  in  its  day  as  a  work  of  great  erudition.  Each  island  is 
iUustrated  by  a  map.  We  translate  from  pp.  Lxv,  lxvi  of  the  edition  ivipre.'sisa  in  Vinegia  jJer  Nicolo 
d'Arintotile,  detto  Zoppino,  nel  mese  di  Giugno,  del  MDXXXIIII. 

Towards  Syria  there  lies  no  island  but  Cyprus,  which  has  a  circuit  of  427^  miles,  and  its 
length  towards  N.E.  and  E.  200  miles.  The  headland  which  looks  towards  the  rising  sun  is 
called  by  Ptolemiuus  Clides  extrema),  but  now  Cape  Bon  Andrea:  that  which  lies  to  the  W. 
was  called  Drepano  by  the  ancients,  but  by  the  people  Trepano.  Cape  Bon  Andrea  is 
260  miles  from  Tripoli  on  the  S.E.,  an<l  from  Syria  on  the  S.  80  miles,  and  from  the  gulf  of 
Giaccia,  called  by  the  ancients  the  CiHcian  Gates,  on  the  N.E.  and  E.  130  mdes-  On  the  N. 
lies  Cilicia,  from  which  also  it  is  80  miles,  and  the  western  cape  lies  b.  of  Antiocheta,  called 
by  the  ancients  Antiochia,  100  miles.  . 

Such  is  the  situation  of  this  most  noble  island,  which  yields  to  no  other  in  merit.  It 
abounds  greatly  in  wine,  oil,  wheat,  barley,  sugar  and  cotton :  it  produces  veins  of  various 
metals,  and  vitriol  of  the  greatest  use  in  medicine.  Eratosthenes  says  that  the  fields  of 
Cyprus  were  .so  full  of  trees  thickly  set  that  they  could  not  be  cultivated  nor  could  any 
human  device  keep  the  trees  down,  wherefore  the  land  lay  unproductive,  albeit  both  m  the 
construction  of  many  vessels,  and  the  continuous  sriieltmg  of  metals  an 
of  wood  was  here  consumed:  and  although  the  island  was  very  powerful  on  the  sea  ,  still  m 
no  way  and  by  no  human  device  could  the  wood  be  exhausted  ^here  ore  .t  w^^^^^^^^^^ 
in  their  Council  that  every  man  who  should  cut  down  these  trees  so  that  the  land  could 


62 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


brought  into  cultivation,  as  much  as  each  should  bring  under  good  culture  so  much  should 
be  his  own,  and  thus  all  that  vast  quantity  of  trees  which  hindered  cultivation  was  rooted 
out  of  the  soil,  which  made  excellent  fields. 

This  island  had  always  tyrants  in  its  cities  until  the  Ptolemies,  kings  of  Egypt,  became 
its  lords,  under  favour,  however,  of  the  Romans  who  allowed  them  to  rule  there ;  and  they 
remained  its  masters  to  the  time  of  Ptolemy,  uncle  of  Cleopatra,  who  succeeded  to  the  throne, 
but  for  some  fault  the  Romans  took  it  from  him,  and  made  Cyprus  a  praetorian  province. 
The  chief  cause  whereof  was  Publius  Claudius  Bellus,  who  was  captured  by  pirates,  who 
imposed  upon  him  for  his  ransom  the  payment  of  a  certain  sum  of  money.  Claudius  begged 
King  Ptolemy,  as  a  friend  of  the  Republic,  to  pay  this  amount  to  the  pirates  for  his  ransom. 
The  King  sent  him  a  small  sum,  which  the  pirates  saw  and  despised,  and  sent  back.  Claudius 
too  they  set  at  liberty  without  any  payment.  To  the  best  of  his  power  he  gave  them  such 
thanks  as  he  thought  were  fitting ;  and  not  long  after,  being  made  tribune  of  the  people,  he 
strove  eagerly  to  have  M.  Cato  sent  to  take  from  King  Ptolemy  the  sovereignty  of  Cyprus ; 
and  as  soon  as  the  King  heard  this  he  slew  himself  before  Cato  arrived,  and  would  not  wait 
to  be  deprived  of  his  kingdom.  Cato  now  assumed  the  government,  and  sold  all  the  treasures 
of  the  dead  King  and  sent  the  money  to  the  public  treasury :  and  thereafter  the  island  was 
made  a  prastorian  province.  So  Strabo  tells  the  story,  but  Sextus  Rufus  gives  it  in  another 
fashion.  He  says  that  the  fame  of  the  immense  wealth  of  Cyprus,  and  the  poverty  into 
which  the  Roman  people  had  fallen,  moved  the  latter  to  make  a  decree  that  the  island  should 
be  confiscated,  although  it  was  an  ally,  and  when  the  King  heard  the  will  of  the  Romans  he 
chose  rather  to  lose  his  life  than  his  wealth,  and  took  poison,  and  Cato  took  the  treasures  of 
Cyprus,  and  carried  them  to  Rome,  and  placed  them  in  the  public  treasury,  which  at  the 
moment  was  reduced  to  the  greatest  straits.  But  no  long  time  followed  before  Antony  gave 
it  as  a  gift  to  Cleopatra  and  her  sister  Arsinoe. 

To  return  to  the  island.  I  say  that  in  it  is  a  mountain  a  thousand  paces  in  height,  with 
a  circuit  of  two  miles,  composed  entirely  of  the  bones  of  various  beasts,  and  even  of  men.  It 
is  called  Cirenes,  and  the  dwellers  there  affirm  as  of  perfect  truth  that  whosoever  is  stricken 
by  fever,  and  drinks  a  little  of  the  powder  scraped  from  these  bones,  has  no  sooner  drunk 
than  he  is  freed  of  his  fever. 

But  among  so  much  good,  that  there  may  be  found  nothing  in  this  world  -without  its 
bitterness,  the  luck  of  the  island  has  this  one  drawback,  mingling  with  its  blessings  so  heavy 
a  curse  that  men  can  hardly  bear  up  against  it,  that  a  vast  multitude  of  cavalette  or  locusts 
appear  with  the  young  wheat :  these  as  they  pass  from  place  to  place  are  so  many  in  number 
that  like  a  thick  cloud  they  hide  the  sun :  and  where  they  light  they  devour  and  consume 
not  only  the  grain  and  grass,  but  even  the  roots  below  ground,  so  that  one  might  say  that 
fire  had  blasted  everything.  Yet  they  use  all  diligence  to  destroy  these  insects,  and  make 
a  very  great  outlay  to  seek  out  the  eggs  while  they  are  in  the  earth ;  and  they  do  indeed  in 
some  years  find  of  them  thirty  thousand  bushels.  Besides  this  they  use  yet  another  remedy 
of  a  strange  kind ;  they  send  to  Syria  to  fetch  a  certain  watel-,  with  which  they  soak  the 
ground,  and  where  it  is  thus  soaked  the  eggs  burst,  and  produce  none  of  these  insects. 

In  old  times  the  island  had  several  names,  as  Achamantide,  Cerastin,  Spelia,  Amatusa, 
and  Machara,  and  now  Cyprus.  In  its  midst  is  the  Mount  Olympus,  and  on  its  western  cape 
the  city  of  Paphos,  now  called  Bafo.  Here  formerly  was  built  a  temple  to  Venus  on  which 
rain  never  fell.  Venus  was  called  hence  Cypria,  and  the  first  woman  who  made  a  habit  of 
selling  her  body  for  money  was  in  this  island.  It  lies  at  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  clime, 
in  the  ninth  parallel,  and  the  longest  day  is  of  fourteen  and  a  quarter  hours. 


BORDOXE.  POSSOT. 


63 


POSSOT. 

On  Monday,  March  11,  1532,  Maistre  Denis  Possot,  a  priest  of  Coulommiers  in  Brie,  and  three 
companions  met  at  tlie  sif{n  of  tlie  Swan  at  Nogent  sur  Seine  in  the  diocese  of  Troyes,  visited  the  cliurch 
of  S.  Lawrence,  and  offered  a  collation  to  the  friends  who  had  brought  them  so  far  on  their  road.  The 
next  day  tliey  began  their  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  On  the  return  journey  from  Jaffa  to  Cyprus 
and  Candia,  a  grievous  sickness  befell  them,  and  four  of  their  company  died.  Denis  Possot  himself 
expired  September  17,  and  was  buried  on  the  following  day  under  the  choir  arch  of  the  church  of 
S.  Francis  in  Candia.  He  had  confided  his  notes  to  Charles  Philippe,  Seigneur  de  Champarmoy  et 
de  Grand  Champ,  for  whom  they  were  printed  at  Paris  by  R.  Chaudiere,  1536.  Had  they  received  the 
autlior's  revision  we  should  probably  not  have  found  the  Cypriot  hares  weighted  with  the  fat  tails  of  our 
sheep  !    I  translate  from  the  edition  of  Ch.  Schefer,  8vo,  Paris,  1890  (pp.  135 — 151). 

(Wednesday,  June  12,  1533.)  We  saw  an  island  in  which  was  a  city  called  Cain  Caput 
Album  [Curium,  near  Capo  Bianco  ?].  Thursday,  June  13,  we  anchored  and  took  in  stores  to 
carry  us  to  Jerusalem.  Friday,  June  14,  when  we  reached  the  port  of  Lazarus  we  paid  our 
guide  and  captain  for  our  victuals  and  for  the  fare  due  to  him  each  seven  ducats,  and  came 
to  a  village  half  a  mile  from  Larnacha,  where  we  lodged.  Saturday,  June  15,  I  sang  mass  in 
the  church  of  our  Lady.  We  saw  two  camels,  which  had  big  tails,  tall  bodies,  long  necks, 
little  ears  like  a  hare,  and  small  nails.  Sunday,  June  16,  I  gave  the  Communion  to  my 
companions.  Monday,  17th,  we  stayed  in  this  place.  Tuesday,  18th,  we  left  in  the  evening 
and  went  on  board  our  ship,  so  we  were  five  days  here. 

Cyprus  is  an  island  87  leagues  long  and  30  broad,  situated  in  the  Adriatic  [Carpathic  ?] 
sea,  in  the  lordship  and  possession  of  Venice,  for  the  government  and  defence  whereof  they 
send  every  three  years  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  their  lords  and  gentlemen,  to  whom 
is  paid  due  obedience  as  to  the  representative  of  the  said  Signory.  This  island  is  full  of 
stony  hills,  is  hot,  rich  and  fertile  in  produce,  and  cheap ;  with  the  best  wines  possible,  such 
that  one  dare  drink  but  very  little,  so  great  is  their  strength.  There  is  good  wheat,  whereof 
is  made  bread  which  is  sweet  and  woiidcrfnlly  good,  fowls,  doves  and  very  fat  partridges. 
The  hares  are  large  and  have  big,  broad  and  thick  tails,  which  make  them  sway  and  waddle, 
and  strike  those  who  see  them  with  wonderment.  The  sheep  are  larger  than  those  of  our 
side;  some  of  them  have  six  or  seven  horns,  but  one  cannot  eat  their  flesh  for  its  unpleasant 
savour,  one  dares  not  taste  it.  The  goats  have  long  and  pendulous  ears  like  bloodhounds. 
There  are  camels  of  huge  size,  which  like  the  mules  and  asses  amble  along  without  any  art 
or  training  of  men.  There  are  no  wolves  nor  deer  nor  hinds  nor  other  like  animals  in  this 
island.  One  finds  here  plenty  of  wild  sheep,  which  have  the  hair  of  a  deer  and  run  in  the 
country  like  wild  animals.  Many  venomous  creatures  are  found  in  the  island,  as  vipers, 
serpents,  adders,  lizards,  scorpions,  basilisks  and  other  such  beasts  in  great  abundance. 
There  is' a  kind  of  apple  which  they  call  the  apple  of  Paradise,  of  a  wonderful  form.  There 
are  likewise  trees  of  which  the  leaves  are  four  palms  in  breadth,  and  reach  in  height  the 
stature  of  a  man.  In  the  fruit  which  these  trees  bear  there  are  many  seeds  and  pips,  more 
than  a  hundred  of  them,  which  are  long  and  large  as  a  finger.  These  trees  last  only  three 
years,  and  others  spring  from  their  roots. 

In  Cyprus  the  water  of  the  springs  is  such  that  let  a  man  drink  of  it  as  much  as  he  will 
it  never  does  him  harm.  There  are  several  rivers  which  water  this  same  island.  The  country 
is  very  pestilential,  especially  in  summer  time  on  account  of  the  great  heat,  and  also  of  the 


64 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


unhealthiness  of  the  air.  The  inhabitants  have  a  kind  of  small  house  covered  with  earth 
in  which  they  put  their  wheat  and  live  by  day  in  summer,  but  at  night  they  put  their 
beds  in  the  courts  and  gardens  to  cool  themselves.  These  beds  and  tents  they  leave 
always  hanging  on  the  branches  of  trees,  for  they  have  no  fear  of  thieves,  since  the 
law  is  well  observed  and  one  sleeps  in  safety.  There  is  another  reason  why  they  make 
their  houses  low  and  almost  level  with  the  soil,  because  there  are  often  earthquakes,  and 
if  they  made  great  buildings  they  would  generally  sway  and  totter.  In  this  island  there 
is  much  sugar  and  cinnamon,  much  silk  which  the  worms  make,  many  mulberries,  trees  which 
provide  food  for  the  silkworms :  there  is  likewise  a  great  abundance  of  white  salt.  There  is 
a  port  in  the  island  which  is  ruined ;  it  is  called  the  port  of  Lazarus,  and  near  it  is  a  village 
called  Larnacha,  and  this  stretches  along  the  valley  near  the  shore  of  a  great  lake,  where  is 
a  great  quantity  of  saltpans  containing  nearly  two  miles  of  soft  water.  And  this  water  looks 
as  it  were  frozen  and  congealed,  for  the  sun's  heat  dries  it  and  makes  it  settle  in  this  way. 
And  this  water  yields  salt  which  would  suffice  for  the  whole  world.  One  sees  there  more 
than  thirty  heaps  of  salt  as  large  as  mountains.  Some  persons  ascribe  it  to  a  miracle  of 
Lazarus,  who  one  day  passing  there,  and  desirous  for  the  great  heat  that  raged  to  quench  his 
thirst,  begged  a  woman  who  was  there  to  give  him  a  bunch  of  grapes,  or  some  liquor  to 
appease  his  thirst,  and  the  woman  gave  him  some  salt  earth,  on  which  account  the  spot  and 
the  country  teems  with  salt,  but  less  with  vines. 

Description  of  the  towns  in  the  island  of  Cyprus.  Cyprus  is  ennobled  with  four  famous 
cities :  the  first  is  called  Nicosia,  which  is  the  metropolis,  Famagosta,  Nimesso,  Paphos,  and 
several  others.  Nicosia  the  metropolis  is  ennobled  with  the  body  of  Monsieur  S.  Jehan  de 
Montfort,  from  whose  tomb  drops  sweet  manna.  Paphos  was  of  old  a  great  and  holy  city,  of 
which  the  earliest  name  was  Cyprus,  from  which  the  whole  island  took  its  name;  just  as 
Candia  is  a  town,  city  and  island.  So  Paphos  too  is  a  city,  and  the  country  of  Cyprus  is 
called  likewise  Paphos,  and  the  whole  island  is  called  in  Holy  Writ  Cethin.  There  used  to 
be  there  a  church  belonging  to  the  Friars  Minor,  which  seems  to  have  been  formerly  of  great 
size,  and  to  have  had  seven  doors.  It  was  of  the  time  when  Monsieur  S.  Paul  preached,  and 
his  companion  was  Monsieur  S.  Barnabas.  Some  men  say  that  the  Maccabees  were  there 
martyred.  There  is  in  this  island  great  abundance  of  silver  and  copper,  and  there  is  it  said 
was  discovered  the  use  of  copper ;  on  all  sides  the  island  is  girt  and  surrounded  by  mountains, 
very  high  and  difficult  to  climb.  [Among  them  is  the  mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross,]  thirty 
miles  from  Famagosta,  as  much  from  Nicosia,  sixteen  miles  from  Salins.  On  the  summit  of 
the  said  mountain  there  is  a  little  chapel  entirely  covered  in  front  with  silver,  which  a 
Frenchman  caused  to  be  made  at  his  cost.  It  is  seven  feet  long  and  five  broad,  and  it  is  said 
that  many  miracles  are  wrought  there.  It  is  said  that  herein  is  the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ 
which  was  found  to  be  too  narrow ;  others  say  that  it  is  a  portion  of  the  Cross  of  our  Lord ; 
others  say  that  it  is  the  cross  of  the  good  thief.    Whereof  God  knows,  and  He  is  judge  of  all. 

This  island  with  its  towns  was  altogether  destroyed  and  demolished,  and  the  king  of 
Cyprus  put  to  flight  by  a  king  of  England,  for  that  the  king  of  Cyprus  had  done  violence  to 
the  wife  of  the  said  king  of  England  while  making  the  voyage  to  J erusalem,  and  this  was 
the  reason  that  since  that  time  it  has  had  no  king  of  its  own,  but  has  ever  been  subject  to 
strangers. 

Tuesday,  June  18,  the  feast  of  SS.  Marcus  and  Marcellianus,  towards  night  we  embarked 
on  the  gripe  of  M.  Constantino  de  Scio,  captain,  with  whom  we  had  made  an  agreement  to 
take  and  carry  the  thirteen  persons  of  our  company  from  the  port  of  S.  Lazarus  as  far  as 
Jerusalem,  and  generally  through  all  the  Holy  Land  and  Holy  Places:  in  return  for  which 


POSSOT. 


65 


we  were  bound  to  give  and  pay  him  the  sum  of  forty-five  golden  ducats  of  Venice  fresh  from 
the  mint,  viz.  the  half  in  cash  and  the  rest  of  the  sum  on  our  return.    And  to  this  end  a  bond 
was  drawn  up  on  board  the  vessel  of  Paul  Blanc,  before  the  chancellor  of  Monsieur  the 
Proveditore  of  Cyprus,  the  magnifico  Estienne  Stempulo,  and  we  paid  the  said  captain  the 
sum  of  twenty-four  ducats  for  which  he  gave  us  a  receipt.    Thursday,  June  20,  morning,  we 
determined  to  return  to  Lamaca,  seeing  that  the  wind  was  contrary.    Nevertheless  there 
came  a  putf  of  favourable  breeze,  we  took  up  the  anchors  and  shook  out  our  sails,  and  began 
to  advance  towards  Nimesson,  but  our  luck  lasted  no  long  while,  the  wind  veered  round  and 
again  we  were  compelled  to  anchor.    However  the  captain  told  us  he  wished  to  land,  and  in 
fact  he  did  land  with  a  few  of  the  passengers  and  went  to  visit  a  little  church  of  S.  George, 
very  fair  and  built  in  the  Greek  style.    Tlience  we  went  on  for  a  mile  and  rested  at  a  village 
where  we  found  many  sheep  with  tails  as  big  as  their  bellies.    One  of  them  had  four  great 
horns,  two  straight  and  long  and  two  others  twisted.    There  were  goats  of  which  the  males 
were  as  big  and  stout  as  stout  donkeys.    The  good  flies  (bees)  are  inside  the  houses  of  the 
said  village,  and  on  the  outside  of  the  walls  of  the  houses  they  have  little  holes  to  go  in  and 
out,  and  the  wax  and  honey  are  thus  inside  the  houses.    This  is  the  fashion  throughout  the 
kingdom  of  Cyprus.    Near  the  said  place  there  was  a  fair  spring  of  cold  water,  which  we  saw 
with  great  interest.    It  is  very  necessary  in  this  place  on  account  of  the  heat  which  would 
be  unbearable  but  for  the  Avinds  which  are  nearly  always  blowing  there.    There  too  we  saw 
some  vei-y  fine  French  mulberry  trees,  which  had  many  ripe  mulberries,  of  which  we  ate 
freely.    There  are  also  white  mulberry  trees  with  white  fruit,  but  it  is  not  good,  for  it  is  too 
sweet.    Hut  the  leaves  of  this  kind  are  very  suitable  food  for  the  worms  which  make  silk. 
'ITiere  are  many  fields  where  cotton  is  grown,  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  when  the  wheat 
harvest  is  done  this  cotton  is  sown  at  once,  and  what  is  left  of  the  seed  is  used  to  fatten  oxen. 
From  this  seed  is  produced  a  plant  two  feet  high,  with  a  leaf  rather  like  that  of  the  rose,  and 
a  flower  like  a  poppy,  except  that  it  is  yellow.    From  this  flower  is  produced  a  pod,  like 
a  nut,  from  which  cotton  is  extracted.    And  because  the  seed  is  mixed  with  the  staple  of  the 
cotton  they  have  certain  tools  of  wood  and  iron  to  get  out  that  seed.    And  this  is  repeated 
every  year  in  February,  and  so  in  all  parts  of  Cyprus.    And  because  it  scarcely  rains  at  all 
in  sumincr  in  Cyprus  we  observed  a  wonderful  way  of  watering  the  fields,  and  cotton 
particularly,  as  we  shall  tell. 

There  was  a  great  spring,  abounding  in  water,  like  a  deep  cistern  of  four  fathoms,  long 
and  narrow,  built  of  cut  stones,  in  which  was  a  large  wheel,  and  ropes  thirty  fathoms  long, 
on  which  thirty  large  and  stout  pots  were  fastened  by  chains.  And  when  the  said  wheel 
turned  with  its  chains  or  ropes  all  the  pots  below  filled  themselves  mth  water,  and  when  they 
came  up  and  went  down  again  they  poured  their  water  into  a  large  trough,  which  spread 
this  water  over  the  adjoining  fields  on  whichever  side  they  wanted  it  to  run,  guided  by 
channels  and  drains.  This  wheel  is  turned  by  another  wheel  which  they  cause  to  be  moved 
by  a  horse  or  ass  which  has  its  eyes  blindfolded;  and  in  an  hour  they  draw  enough  to  water 
copiously  two  acres  of  land. 

Hard  by  is  another  fountain  of  cool  and  living  water  from  which  we  drank  as  we  went 
by  We  saw  there  several  kinds  of  trees  the  like  whereof  we  had  never  seen.  In  the  same 
place  is  a  little  Greek  church  where  there  are  figures  painted  more  than  three  hundred  years 
ago  which  were  carried  off  from  Nimesson  when  the  Turks  destroyed  that  place  At  even 
we  'returned  to  the  vessel,  a  fair  wind  sprang  up,  our  anchors  were  raised  and  our  sails 
spread,  and  we  sailed  all  night  making  progress  towards  Nimesson.  baturday,  June  22,  we 
passed  on  our  left  close  to  the  island  of  Capo  della  Gatta,  in  which  there  is  a  fine  Greek 


66 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


monastery  of  S.  Nicolas,  at  which  bread  and  wine  and  a  lodging  are  offered  to  all  passing 
strangers  for  the  glory  of  God.  From  Salines  to  Nimesson  is  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  The 
same  day  we  dined  at  Nimesson  under  the  shade  of  nine  olives  and  five  fig  trees :  we  supped 
there  as  well,  and  the  beds  were  hung  up  as  I  have  related  above.  Sunday,  June  23,  Vigil 
of  S.  John  Baptist,  I  celebrated  mass  and  communicated  my  companions  in  the  Latin 
cathedral  church  dedicated  to  our  Lady :  there  were  four  priests,  a  Franciscan  who  said  the 
High  Mass,  another  a  Jacobin  [Dominican]  and  two  secular  priests,  with  one  clerk  and  two 
surpliced  acolytes ;  they  use  the  Roman  rite.    The  other  churches  are  Greek. 

Nimesson  has  several  fine  churches  which  were  ruined  long  ago.  Also  a  castle  on  the 
seashore,  destroyed,  but  it  is  still  habitable  and  has  a  commandant,  and  fosses  mthout  water. 
One  sees  in  the  neighbourhood  several  fine  buildings  as  though  they  had  been  before  their 
ruin  the  palaces  of  princes.  In  one  of  these  are  arms  in  the  windows  blazoned  thus,  a  pallet 
between  two  fleurs  de  lys,  and  in  another  thus,  a  cross,  which  we  take  to  be  the  arms  of  the 
late  Duke  of  Savoy  who  was  once  king  of  Cyprus.    All  round  is  great  abundance  of  cotton. 

Monday,  June  24,  the  feast  of  S.  John  Baptist,  a  fair  was  held  at  Nymesson.  There 
came  many  horsemen  and  tilted  at  the  ring  on  the  seashore ;  they  were  the  deftest  tilters 
I  ever  saw,  and  had  horses  like  the  Turks,  very  well  trained.  An  Albanian  gained  the  prize. 
After  this  they  had  a  fencing-bout,  with  all  kinds  of  sticks,  for  prizes,  in  the  presence  of  the 
magnates  of  the  town. 

In  this  country  they  leave  their  wheat  in  heaps  in  the  fields,  and  do  not  thresh  it,  but 
they  make  a  fair  place  on  which  they  arrange  the  sheaves,  and  then  they  have  a  fine  harrow 
all  set  with  sharp  flints ;  on  this  they  stand  and  drive  about  the  horse,  ass  or  mule ;  it  cuts 
up  the  straw  small,  and  that  they  give  chiefly  to  their  cattle.  Between  the  tasks  of  day  and 
night  they  leave  them  loose  in  the  fields.  Wherever  one  digs  in  this  city  one  finds  sweet 
water,  even  on  the  shore,  at  two  lance-lengths  from  the  sea,  which  is  a  wonderful  thing. 
The  same  day  at  evening  we  went  on  board  our  ship  to  go  to  Jaffa  and  the  wind  was  fair. 


G.  AFFAGABT. 

GreflBm  Affagart,  Seigneur  de  Courteilles,  a  gentleman  of  Maine,  visited  Cyprus  in  August,  1534,  on  his 
return  from  a  j)ilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Places.  His  diary  was  published  in  £chos  de  Notre-Dame  de  France. 
I  translate  from  page  59  of  No.  61,  March  15, 1901,  Paris,  8vo.  The  whole  Relation  de  Terre  Sainte  has  now 
been  edited  by  M.  Chavanon,  8vo,  Paris,  1902. 

On  the  seventh  day  of  August,  after  laying  in  a  little  stock  of  eatables,  we  went  on 
board  a  Venetian  vessel  to  go  to  Cyprus.  From  Tripoli  to  Cyprus  is  about  150  miles ;  we 
stayed  at  that  town  nine  days,  and  at  last  arrived  at  the  port  of  Salines,  where  there  are 
only  a  few  poor  houses  to  store  merchandise,  and  near  them  a  large  church  all  in  ruins, 
founded  by  S.  Lazarus. 

The  island  of  Cyprus  is  under  the  lordship  of  the  Venetians,  although  the  common 
people  are  Greek  Christians ;  on  this  account  in  each  town  there  are  two  kinds  of  churches, 
for  service  in  Greek  and  in  Latin,  and  also  two  bishops,  one  for  the  Latins  and  one  for  the 
Greeks.  There  is  another  port  called  Famagusta  which  is  almost  impregnable,  where  dwelt 
the  father  of  Madame  S.  Catherine,  and  there  she  was  first  imprisoned,  and  her  prison  is 
still  shown. 


POSSOT.     G.  AFFAGART.  LILIO. 


67 


Leaving  Salines  we  came  to  Ycossia,  the  capital  of  Cyprus,  where  there  are  two 
monasteries  of  S.  Francis.  One  is  outside  the  city,  called  S.  Jehan  du  Montfort,  in  which 
reposes  the  body  of  a  venerable  pilgrim,  who  in  life  was  Count  of  Montfort  near  Paris, 
through  which  our  Lord  works  in  this  place  many  miracles.  And  in  the  principal  church, 
called  S.  Sophia,  is  one  of  the  hydriai  in  which  our  Lord  turned  the  water  into  wine. 

Leaving  Nycossia  we  went  on  to  the  mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross,  on  the  summit  whereof 
is  a  convent  of  Greek  monks.  Here  is  the  cross  of  the  good  thief ;  and  we  saw  as  far  as  the 
pier  of  Minesse  where  our  vessel  lay.  And  from  Minesson  we  journeyed  along  the  seashore 
to  the  port  of  Basphe,  for  our  ship  was  going  there  to  load  sugar  and  cotton.  At  this  port, 
as  is  told  in  the  thirteenth  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  S.  Paul  converted  Sergius 
Paulus,  and  you  still  see  a  prison  in  which  he  was  for  some  time  confined:  on  it  had  been 
built  in  old  days  a  very  fine  convent  of  S.  Francis.  But  on  account  of  the  unhealthiness  of 
the  place  the  monks  have  abandoned  it,  for  the  air  is  so  poisonous  and  tainted  that  no  one 
can  live  there  but  a  native  of  the  country.  Here  too  is  shown  the  cave  of  the  seven  sleepers, 
in  which  is  a  fair  fountain,  and  seven  niches  round  the  cave.  We  waited  in  this  place  about 
eighteen  days  until  our  vessel  was  loaded  to  our  great  loss  and  sorrow,  for  the  first  day  we 
went  on  board  we  all  fell  ill,  from  the  tainted  and  poisonous  air,  and  the  fruits  and  other 
unwholesome  things  we  had  eaten  there.  [Six  of  the  pilgrims  died  between  Paphos  and 
Parenza.^ 


LILIO. 

What  "  every  schoolboy  "  in  the  Hixteenth  century  might  be  expected  to  know  about  Cyprus  can  be 
gathered  from  an  Itahan  Manual  of  Geography,  publislied  at  Venice,  by  Gabriel  Giolito  de'  Ferrari,  in 
1551,  under  the  title  Breve  descritioiie  del  mondu,di  Zacclieria  Liliu  Vicentiiw,  trndotta  per  M.  Fraveesco 
Baldelli.    See  page  '28. 

Cyprus  is  an  island  sacred  to  Venus,  situated  between  Cilicia  and  Syria,  the  most  famous 
of  all  the  islands  in  the  world,  abounding  in  wealth,  and  much  given  to  sports  and  pleasures. 
Its  most  highly  adorned  and  famous  cities  are  Salamina,  Paphos  and  Cithera,  from  which 
Venus  herself  was  called  Citherean.  Pliny,  in  his  ninth  Book,  writes  that  here  was  the  seat 
and  re-sidence  of  nine  kingdoms.  There  is  great  store  of  wine  and  oil,  a  sufficiency  of  gram 
and  veins  of  metal,  from  which  are  produced  vitriol,  and  a  metaUic  rust  of  much  use  in 
medicine.  In  Cyprus  is  found  much  sugar-cane,  in  which  sugar  is  secreted.  Besides  they 
make  cloth  of  goats'  hair,  which  in  our  day  is  called  camlet.  Many  things  are  exported  from 
the  island  and  carried  to  other  countries,  whence  are  derived  no  small  gains.  But  it  is  true 
that  the  air  is  not  very  wholesome.  The  island  teems  with  delicacies;  the  women  are  very 
lustful,  and  so  we  read  in  Justin  that  Cypriot  giris,  before  they  marry,  are  wont  to  lend 
themselves  to  the  unholy  pleasures  of  foreigners  who  touch  there  in  ships,  so  that  our 
ancestors  were  not  without  reason  in  saying  that  the  island  was  sacred  to  Venus. 


9—2 


68 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


J.  LOCKE. 

I  can  learn  nothing  of  John  Locke,  who  visited  Cyprus  in  1553,  but  transcribe  his  account  of  the  island 
from  Richard  Hakluyt.  Tlie  Principal  Navigations,  Voyages,  Traffiques,  and  Discoveries  of  the  English 
Nation,  fol.,  London,  1599,  vol.  11,  No.  51,  pp.  102 — 110.    The  Voyage  of  M.  John  Locke  to  Jerusalem. 

I  John  Locke,  accompanied  with  maister  Anthony  Rastwold,  with  divers  others  Hol- 
landers, Zelanders,  Almaines  and  French  pilgrimes  entered  the  good  shippe  called  Fila 
Cavena  of  Venice,  the  16  of  July  1553,  and  the  17  in  the  morning  we  weighed  our  anker  and 
sayled  towardes  the  coast  of  Istria,  to  the  port  of  Rouigno  and  the  said  day  there  came 
aboard  of  our  ship  the  Perceioena  of  the  shippe  named  Famisart,  for  to  receive  the  rest  of  all 
the  pilgrimes  money,  which  was  in  all  after  the  rate  of  55  Crownes  for  every  man  for  that 
voyage,  after  the  rate  of  five  shillings  sterling  to  the  crowne :  This  done,  he  returned  to 
Venice. 


The  24  we  were  past  Ragusa  14  miles,  and  there  we  mette  with  two  Venetian  ships, 
which  came  from  Cyprus,  we  thought  they  would  have  spoken. 

The  11  in  the  morning,  we  had  sight  of  the  island  of  Cyprus,  and  towards  noone  we  were 
thwart  the  cape  called  Ponta  Malota,  and  about  four  of  the  clock  we  were  as  farre  as  Baffo 
and  about  sunset  we  passed  Cavo  Bianco,  and  towards  nine  of  the  clock  at  night  we  doubled 
Cavo  de  le  Gratte,  and  ankered  afore  Limisso,  but  the  wind  blew  so  hard,  that  we  could  not 
come  neere  the  town,  neither  durst  any  man  goe  on  land.  The  town  is  from  Cavo  de  le  Gratte 
twelve  miles  distant. 

The  12  of  August  in  the  morning  we  went  on  land  to  Limisso :  this  towne  is  ruinated  and 
nothing  in  it  worth  writing,  save  onely  in  the  mids  of  the  towne  there  hath  been  a  fortresse, 
which  is  now  decayed,  and  the  walls  part  overthrowen,  which  a  Turkish  Rover  with  certaine 
gallies  did  destroy  about  10  or  12  yeeres  past.  This  day  walking  to  see  the  towne,  we 
chanced  to  see  in  the  market  place,  a  great  quantitie  of  a  certaine  vermine  called  in  the 
Italian  tongue  Cavalette.  It  is  as  I  can  learne,  both  in  shape  &  bignesse  like  a  grassehopper 
for  I  judge  but  little  difPerence.  Of  these  many  yeeres  they  have  had  such  quantity  that 
they  destroy  all  their  come.  They  are  so  plagued  with  them,  that  almost  every  yeere  they 
doe  well  nie  loose  halfe  their  corne,  whether  it  be  the  nature  of  the  countrey,  or  the  plague 
of  God,  that  let  them  judge  that  best  can  define.  But  that  there  may  no  default  be  laied  to 
their  negligence  for  the  destruction  of  them,  they  have  throughout  the  whole  land  a  consti- 
tuted order,  that  eveiy  Farmer  or  Husbandman  (which  are  even  as  slaves  bought  &  sold  to 
their  lord)  shall  every  yeere  pay  according  to  his  territorie,  a  measure  full  of  the  seede  or 
egges  of  these  forenamed  Cavalette,  the  which  they  are  bound  to  bring  to  the  market,  and 
present  to  the  officer  appointed  for  the  same,  the  which  officer  taketh  of  them  very  straight 
measure,  and  writeth  the  names  of  the  presenters,  and  putteth  the  sayd  egges  or  seed,  into  a 
house  appointed  for  the  same,  and  having  the  house  full,  they  beate  them  to  pouder,  and  cast 
them  into  the  sea,  and  by  this  policie  they  doe  as  much  as  in  them  lieth  for  the  destruction  of 
them.  This  vermine  breedeth  or  ingendereth  at  the  time  of  corne  being  ripe,  and  the  corne 
beyng  had  away,  in  the  clods  of  the  same  ground  do  the  husbandmen  find  the  nestes,  or,  as 
I  may  rather  terme  them,  cases  of  the  egges  of  the  same  vermine.  Their  nests  are  much  like 
to  the  keies  of  a  hasel  nut  tree,  when  they  be  dried,  and  of  the  same  length,  but  somewhat 


J.  LOCKE. 


69 


bigger,  which  case  being  broken  you  shall  see  the  egges  be  much  like  unto  antes  egges,  but 
somewhat  lesser.  Thus  much  I  have  written  at  this  time,  because  I  had  no  more  time  of 
knowledge,  but  I  trust  at  my  returne  to  note  more  of  this  island,  with  the  commodities  of  the 
same  at  large. 

The  13  day  we  went  in  the  morning  to  the  Greekes  church,  to  see  the  order  of  their 
ceremonies,  &  of  their  Communion,  of  the  which  to  declare  the  whole  order  with  the  number 
of  their  ceremonious  crossings,  it  were  to  long.  Wherefore  least  I  should  offend  any  man, 
I  leave  it  unwritten :  but  onely  that  I  noted  well,  that  in  all  their  Communion  or  service,  not 
one  did  ever  kneele,  nor  yet  in  any  of  their  Churches  could  I  ever  see  any  graven  images,  but 
painted  or  portrayed.  Also  they  have  store  of  lampes  alight,  almost  for  every  image  one. 
Their  women  are  alwayes  separated  from  the  men,  and  generally  they  are  in  the  lower  ende 
of  the  church.  This  night  we  went  aboord  the  ship,  although  the  wind  were  contrary,  we  did 
it  because  the  patrone  should  not  find  any  lack  of  us,  as  sometimes  he  did :  when  as  tarying 
upon  his  owne  businesse,  he  would  colour  it  with  the  delay  of  the  pilgrimes. 

The  14  day  in  the  morning  we  set  saile,  and  lost  sight  of  the  Island  of  Cyprus. 

The  23,  24  and  25  September  we  sailed  our  direct  course  with  a  small  gale  of  winde,  and 
this  day  we  had  sight  of  the  Island  of  Cyprus.  The  first  land  that  we  discovered  was  a 
headland  called  Cavo  de  la  Griega,  and  about  midnight  we  ankered  by  North  of  the  cape. 
This  capo  is  a  high  hil,  long  and  square,  and  on  the  east  corner  it  hath  a  high  cap,  that 
appeareth  unto  those  at  the  sea,  like  a  white  cloud,  for  toward  the  sea  it  is  white,  and  it  heth 
into  the  sea  southwest.  This  coast  of  Cyprus  is  high  declining  toward  the  sea  but  it  hath  no 
cliffes. 

The  26  we  set  saile  againe,  and  toward  noone  we  came  to  the  port  of  8alini,  where  we 
went  on  land  and  lodged  that  night  at  a  towne  one  mile  from  thence  called  Arnacho  di 
Halini,  this  is  but  a  village  called  in  Italian,  Casalia.  This  is  distant  from  laffa  250  Italian 
miles. 

The  27  we  rested,  and  the  28  we  hired  horses  to  ride  from  Arnacho  to  Sahna  which  is  a 
good  mile.  The  salt  pit  is  very  neere  two  miles  in  compasse  very  plaine  and  levell,  into  the 
which  they  let  runne  at  the  time  of  raine  a  quantitie  of  water  comming  from  the  mountaines, 
which  water  is  let  in  until  the  pit  be  full  to  a  certaine  marke,  which  when  it  is  full,  the  rest  is 
conveyed  by  a  trench  into  the  sea.  This  water  is  let  runne  in  about  October,  or  sooner  or 
later,  as  the  time  of  the  yeero  doth  afForde.  There  they  let  it  remaine  untill  the  ende  of 
July  or  the  middest  of  August,  out  of  which  pits  at  that  time,  in  stead  of  water  that  they  let 
in  they  gather  very  faire  white  salt,  without  any  further  art  or  labour,  for  it  is  only  done  by 
the  great  heato  of  the  snnne.  This  the  Venetians  have,  and  doe  maintaine  to  the  use  of 
S.  Marke,  and  the  Venetian  ships  that  come  to  this  Hand  are  bound  to  cast  out  their  ballast, 
and  to  lade  with  salt  for  Venice.  Also  there  may  none  in  all  the  Hand  buy  salt  but  of  these 
men  who  maintaine  these  pits  for  S.  Marke.  This  place  is  watched  by  night.  Also  under 
the  Venetians  dominions  no  towne  may  spende  any  salt,  but  they  must  buy  it  of  Samte 
Marke  neither  may  any  man  buy  any  salt  at  one  towne  to  carie  to  another,  but  every  one 
must  buy  his  salt  in  the  towne  where  he  dwelleth.  Neither  may  any  man  in  Venice  buy 
more  salt  then  he  spendith  in  the  city,  for  if  he  be  knowen  to  carie  but  one  ounce  out  of  the 
cittie  and  be  accused,  he  looseth  an  eare.  The  most  part  of  all  the  salt  they  have  in  Vemce 
commeth  from  these  Salines,  and  they  have  it  so  plentifull,  that  they  are  not  able,  never  a 
yeere  to  gather  the  one  halfe,  for  they  onely  gather  in  July,  August,  September,  and  not 
fully  these  three  monthes.    Yet  notwithstanding  the  abundance  that  the  shippes  cane  away 


70 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


yeerely,  there  remaine  heapes  able  to  lade  nine  or  ten  shippes,  and  there  are  heaps  of  two 
yeeres  gathering,  some  of  three  and  some  of  nine  or  tenne  yeeres  making,  to  the  value  of  a 
great  summe  of  golde,  and  where  the  ships  do  lade,  they  never  take  it  the  measure,  but  when 
they  come  at  Venice  they  measure  it.  This  salt  as  it  lyeth  in  the  pit  is  like  so  much  ice,  and 
it  is  sixe  inches  thicke :  they  digge  it  with  axes,  and  cause  their  slaves  to  cary  it  to  the 
heapes.  This  night  at  midnight  we  rode  to  Famagusta,  which  is  eight  leagues  from  Salina, 
which  is  24  English  miles. 

The  29  about  two  houres  before  day,  we  alighted  at  Famagusta,  and  after  we  were 
refreshed  we  went  to  see  the  towne.  This  is  a  very  faire  strong  holde,  and  the  strongest  and 
greatest  in  the  Hand.  The  walles  are  faire  and  new,  and  strongly  rampired  with  foure 
principall  bulwarkes,  and  betweene  them  turrions,  responding  one  to  another,  these  walles 
did  the  Venetians  make.  They  have  also  on  the  haven  side  of  it  a  Castle,  and  the  haven  is 
chained,  the  citie  hath  onely  two  gates,  to  say,  one  for  the  lande  and  another  for  the  sea, 
they  have  in  the  towne  continually,  be  it  peace  or  warres,  800  souldiers,  and  fortie  and  sixe 
gunners,  besides  captaines,  petie  captaines,  Grovernour  and  Generall.  The  lande  gate  hath 
alwayes  fiftie  souldiers,  pikes  and  gunners  with  their  harnes,  watching  there  at  night  and 
day.  At  the  sea  gate  five  &  twenty,  upon  the  walles  every  night  doe  watch  fifteene  men  in 
watch  houses,  for  every  watch  house  five  men,  and  in  the  market  place  30  souldiers  con- 
tinually. There  may  no  soldier  serve  there  above  5  yeres,  neither  will  they  without 
friendship  suffer  them  to  depart  afore  5  yeres  be  expired,  and  there  may  serve  of  all  nations 
except  Greeks.  They  have  every  pay,  which  is  45  dayes,  15  Mozenigos,  which  is  15  shillings 
sterling.  Their  horsemen  have  onely  sixe  soldes  Venetian  a  day,  and  provender  for  their 
horses,  but  they  have  also  certaine  lande  therewith  to  plow  and  sowe  for  the  maintenance  of 
their  horses,  but  truely  I  marvell  how  they  live  being  so  hardly  fed,  for  all  the  sommer  they 
feede  onely  upon  chopt  straw  and  barley  for  hey  they  have  none,  and  yet  they  be  faire,  fat 
and  serviceable.  The  Venetians  send  every  two  yeeres  new  rulers,  which  they  call  Castellani. 
The  towne  hath  allowed  it  also  two  gallies  continually  armed  and  furnished. 

The  30  in  the  morning  we  ridde  to  a  chapell,  where  they  say  Saint  Katherin  was  borne. 
This  chappell  is  in  old  Famagusta,  the  which  was  destroyed  by  Englishmen,  and  is  cleane 
overthrowne  to  the  ground,  to  this  day  desolate  and  not  inhabited  by  any  person,  it  was  of  a 
great  circuit,  and  there  be  to  this  day  mountaines  of  faire,  great  and  strong,  buildings,  and 
not  onely  there,  but  also  in  many  places  of  the  Hand.  Moreover  when  they  digge,  plowe,  or 
trench  they  finde  sometimes  olde  antient  coines,  some  of  golde  some  of  silver,  and  some  of 
copper,  yea  and  many  tombes  and  vautes  with  sepulchers  in  them.  This  olde  Famagusta  is 
from  the  other  foure  miles  and  standeth  on  a  hill,  but  the  new  towne  on  a  plaine.  Thence 
we  returned  to  new  Famagusta  againe  to  dinner,  and  toward  evening  we  went  about  the 
towne,  and  in  the  great  church  we  sawe  the  tombe  of  king  Jacques,  which  was  the  last  king 
of  Cyprus,  and  was  buried  in  the  yere  of  Christ  one  thousand  foure  hundred  seventie  &  three, 
and  had  to  wife  one  of  the  daughters  of  Venice  of  the  house  of  Cornari,  the  which  family  at 
this  day  hath  great  revenues  in  this  Island,  and  by  means  of  that  mariage  the  Venetians 
chalenge  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus. 

The  first  of  October  in  the  morning,  we  went  to  see  the  reliefe  of  the  watches.  That 
done,  we  went  to  one  of  the  Greekes  Churches  to  see  a  pot  or  jarre  of  stone,  which  is  sayd  to 
bee  one  of  the  seven  jarres  of  water,  the  which  the  Lord  God  at  the  mariage  converted  into 
wine.  It  is  a  pot  of  earth  very  faire,  white  enamelled,  and  fairely  wrought  upon  with  drawen 
worke,  and  hath  on  either  side  of  it,  instead  of  handles,  eares  made  in  fourme  as  the  painters 
make  angels  wings,  it  was  about  an  ell  high,  and  small  at  the  bottome,  with  a  long  necke 


J.  LOCKE. 


71 


and  correspondent  in  circuit  to  the  bottome,  the  belly  very  great  and  round,  it  holdeth  full 
twelve  gallons,  and  hath  a  top  hole  to  drawe  wine  out  thereat,  the  jarre  is  very  auncient,  but 
whether  it  be  one  of  them  or  no,  I  know  not.  The  aire  of  Famagusta  is  very  unwholesome, 
as  they  say,  by  reason  of  certaine  marish  ground  adjoyning  unto  it.  They  have  also  a 
certaine  yeerely  sicknesse  raigning  in  the  same  tosvne,  above  all  the  rest  of  the  Hand :  yet 
neverthelesse,  they  have  it  in  other  townes,  but  not  so  much.  It  is  a  certaine  rednesse  and 
paine  of  the  eyes,  the  which  if  it  bee  not  quickly  holpen,  it  taketh  away  their  sight,  so  that 
yeerely  almost  in  that  towue,  they  have  about  twentie  that  lose  their  sight,  either  of  one  eye 
or  both,  and  it  commeth  for  the  most  part  in  this  moneth  of  October,  and  the  last  moneth : 
for  I  have  met  divers  times  three  and  foure  at  once  in  companies,  both  men  and  women. 
Their  living  is  better  cheape  in  Famagusta  then  in  any  other  place  of  the  Island,  because 
there  may  no  kinds  of  provision  within  their  libertie  be  solde  out  of  the  Citie. 

The  second  of  October  we  returned  to  Arnacho,  where  we  rested  untill  the  sixth  day. 
This  towne  is  a  pretie  village,  there  are  thereby  toward  the  sea  side  divers  monuments,  that 
there  hath  bene  great  overthrow  of  buildings,  for  to  this  day  there  is  no  yere  when  they  finde 
not,  digging  under  ground,  either  coines,  caves,  and  sepulchres  of  antiquities,  as  we  walking, 
did  see  many,  so  that  in  effect,  all  alongst  the  seacoast,  throughout  the  whole  Island,  there  is 
much  ruine  and  overthrow  of  buildings :  for  as  they  say,  it  was  disinhabited  sixe  and  thirtie 
yeres  before  Saint  Helens  time  for  lacke  of  water.  And  since  that  time  it  hathe  bene  ruinated 
and  overthrowen  by  Richard  the  first  of  that  name,  king  of  England,  which  he  did  in  revenge 
of  his  sisters  i-avishment  comming  to  Jerusalem,  the  which  inforcement  was  done  to  her  by 
the  king  of  Famagusta. 

The  sixt  day  we  rid  to  Nicosia,  which  is  from  Arnacho  seven  Cyprus  miles,  which  are 
one  and  twentie  Italian  miles.  This  is  the  ancientest  citie  of  the  Island  and  is  walled  about, 
but  it  is  not  strong  neither  of  walles  nor  situation :  It  is  by  report  three  Cyprus  miles  about, 
it  is  not  throughly  inhabited,  but  hath  many  great  gardens  in  it,  and  also  very  many  Date 
trees,  and  plentie  of  Pomegranates  and  other  fruites.  There  dwell  all  the  Gentilitie  of  the 
Island,  and  there  hath  every  Cavallier  or  Conte  of  the  Island  an  habitation.  There  is  in  this 
citie  one  fountaine  rented  by  Saint  Marke,  which  is  bound,  every  eight  dayes  once,  to  water 
all  the  gardens  in  the  towne,  and  the  keeper  of  this  fountaine  hath  for  every  tree  a  Bizanhn, 
which  is  twelve  xoMeH  Venice,  and  sixpence  sterling.  He  that  hath  that  to  farme,  with  a 
taire  and  profitable  garden  thereto  belonging,  paieth  every  yeere  to  saint  Marke,  fifteene 
lunxlred  crownes.  The  streetes  of  the  citie  are  not  paived,  which  maketh  it  with  the 
quantitie  of  the  gardens,  to  seeme  but  a  rurall  habitation.  But  there  be  many  faire  buildings 
in  the  Citie.  there  be  also  monasteries  both  of  Frank  k  (Jreekes.  The  cathedrall  church  is 
•called  Santa  Sophia,  in  the  which  there  is  an  old  tombe  of  laspis  stone,  all  of  one  piece,  made 
in  forme  of  a  cariage  coffer,  twelve  spannes  high,  which  they  say  was  found  under  ground. 
It  is  as  faire  a  stone  as  over  I  have  scene. 

The  seventh  day  we  rid  to  a  (ireeke  Frierie  halfe  a  mile  without  the  towne^  It  is  a  very 
pleasant  place,  and  the  Friers  feasted  us  according  to  their  abilitie.  These  Friers  are  such 
as  have  bene  Priests,  and  their  wives  dying  they  must  become  Friers  of  tins  place,  and  never 
after  eate  Hesh,  for  if  they  do,  they  are  deprived  from  saying  masse:  neither,  ^^t^er  they  have 
taken  upon  them  this  order  may  they  marry  agame,  but  they  may  keepe  a  -"^1;  ~; 
These  (ireekish  Friers  are  very  continent  and  chast,  and  surely  I  have  seldome  seen  (which 

'  "^^^^Z:^^::^,  and  rested  there.  The  0,  after  ^  — 

rid  to  the  hill  called  Monte  de  la  Croce  (but  I  not  disposed  would  not  go)  which  hill  is  from 


72 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Arnacho  15  Italian  miles.  Upon  the  sayd  hill  is  a  certaine  crosse,  which  is,  they  say,  a  holy 
Crosse.  This  Crosse  in  times  past  did  by  their  report  of  the  Island,  hang  in  the  ayre,  but  by 
a  certaine  earthquake,  the  crosse  and  the  chappell  it  hung  in  were  overthrowen,  so  that  never 
since  it  would  hang  againe  in  the  aire.  But  it  is  now  covered  with  silver,  and  hath  3  drops 
of  our  Lordes  blood  on  it  (as  they  say)  and  there  is  in  the  midst  of  the  great  crosse,  a  little 
crosse  made  of  the  Cross  of  Christ,  but  it  is  closed  in  the  silver,  you  must  (if  you  will)  believe 
it  is  so,  for  see  it  you  cannot.  This  crosse  hangeth  nowe  by  both  endes  in  the  wall,  that  you 
may  swing  it  up  and  downe,  in  token  that  it  did  once  hang  in  the  aire.  This  was  told  mee 
by  my  fellow  pilgrimes,  for  I  sawe  it  not. 

The  10  at  night  we  went  aboord  by  warning  of  the  patron :  and  the  1 1  in  the  morning 
we  set  saile,  and  crept  along  the  shore,  but  at  night  we  ankered  by  reason  of  contrary  windes. 

The  12  we  set  saile  toward  Limisso,  which  is  from  Salinis  50  miles,  and  there  we  went  on 
land  that  night. 

The  13  and  14  we  remained  still  on  land,  and  the  15  the  patrone  sent  for  us;  but  by 
reason  that  one  of  our  company  was  not  well,  we  went  not  presently,  but  we  were  forced 
afterward  to  hire  a  boate,  and  to  overtake  the  ship  tenne  miles  into  the  sea.  At  this  Limisso 
all  the  Venetian  ships  lade  wine  for  their  provision,  and  some  for  to  sell,  and  also  vineger. 
They  lade  also  great  store  of  Carrobi :  for  all  the  country  thereabout  adjoining,  and  all  the 
mountaines  are  full  of  Carobi  trees,  they  lade  also  cotton  wolle  there.  In  the  sayd  towne  we 
did  see  a  certaine  foule  of  the  land  (whereof  there  ai-e  many  in  this  Island)  named  in  the 
Italian  tongue  Vulture.  It  is  a  fowle  that  is  as  big  as  a  Swanne,  and  it  liveth  upon  ca,rion. 
The  skinne  is  full  of  soft  doune,  like  to  a  fine  furre,  which  they  use  to  occupie  when  they 
have  evill  stomachs,  and  it  maketh  good  digestion.  This  bird  (as  they  say)  will  eate  as  much 
at  one  meale  as  shall  serve  him  fortie  dayes  after,  and  within  the  compasse  of  that  time 
careth  for  no  more  meate.  The  countrey  people,  when  they  have  any  dead  beast  they  cary 
it  into  the  mountaines,  or  where  they  suppose  the  sayd  Vultures  to  haunt,  they  seeing  the 
carion  doe  immediately  greedily  seaze  upon  it,  and  doe  so  ingraft  their  talents  that  they 
cannot  speedily  rise  againe,  by  reason  whereof  the  people  come  and  kill  them :  sometimes 
they  kill  them  with  dogs,  and  sometimes  with  such  weapons  as  they  have.  This  foule  is  very 
great  &  hardy,  much  like  an  eagle  in  the  feathers  of  her  wings  and  backe,  but  under  her 
great  feathers  she  is  onely  doune,  her  necke  also  long  and  fulle  of  doune.  She  hath  on  the 
necke  bone,  between  the  necke  and  the  shoulders,  a  heape  of  fethers  like  a  tassell,  her  thighs 
unto  her  knees  are  covered  with  doune,  her  legs  strong  and  great,  and  dareth  with  her  talents 
assault  a  man.  They  have  also  in  the  Island  a  certaine  small  bird  much  like  unto  a  Wagtaile 
in  fethers  and  making,  these  are  so  extreme  fat  that  you  can  perceive  nothing  els  in  all  their 
bodies :  these  birds  are  now  in  season.  They  take  great  quantitie  of  them,  and  they  use  to 
pickle  them  with  vineger  and  salt,  and  to  put  them  in  pots  and  send  them  to  Venice  and 
other  places  of  Italy  for  present  of  great  estimation.  They  say  they  send  almost  1200  jarres 
or  pots  to  Venice,  besides  those  which  are  consumed  in  the  Island,  which  are  a  great  number. 
These  are  so  plentifull  that  when  there  is  no  shipping,  you  may  buy  them  for  10  Carchies, 
which  coine  are  4  to  a  Venetian  Soldo,  which  is  peny  farthing  the  dozen,  and  when  there  is 
store  of  shipping,  2  pence  the  dozen,  after  that  rate  of  their  money.  They  of  the  limites  of 
Famagusta  do  keep  the  statutes  of  the  Frenchmen  which  sometimes  did  rule  there.  And  the 
people  of  Nicosia  observe  the  order  of  the  Genoveses,  who  sometimes  also  did  rule  them.  All 
this  day  we  lay  in  the  sea  with  little  wind. 

The  16  we  met  a  Venetian  ship.... Toward  night  we  ankered  under  Cavo  Bianco,  but 
because  the  winde  grewe  faire,  we  set  saile  againe  presently. 


J.  LOCKE.    ELIAS  OF  PESARO. 


73 


ELIAS  OF  PESARO. 


In  the  Revue  de  Geographie,  8vo,  Paris,  September,  1879,  M.  Moise  Schwab  printed  a  translation 
from  the  Hebrew  text  of  a  letter  from  one  Elias  of  Pesaro,  dated  at  Famagusta,  October  18,  1563,  to  a 
brother  or  friend  in  Italy.  The  writer  had  proposed  to  emigrate  with  his  wife  and  family  to  the  Holy 
Land,  but  news  of  the  plague  in  Syria  induced  them  to  remain  in  Cyprus.  He  tells  us  that  vessels  left 
Venice  monthly  for  Famagusta,  and  vice  verm.  "  II  est  vrai  que  les  batiments  abordent  k  la  localite  de 
LeucoUa,  qui  est  il  une  distance  de  3  niilles  d'ici  en  mer,  ou  un  trajet  de  22  (?)  milles  par  voie  de  terre; 
mais  des  que  les  navires  y  arrivent,  le  meme  jour  nous  en  recevons  la  nouvelle,  car  il  y  a  toujours  des  gens 
qui  y  vont  et  en  revienncnt."  Cf.  supra,  p.  6.5  (Lusignan).  From  pp.  221 — 228  I  translate  so  much  as 
concerns  the  town  and  its  inhabitants.  The  coins  mentioned  maybe  reckoned  thus:  1  denaro  equals 
4  quattrini,  1  noldo  12  denari,  1  gazetta  2  soldi,  1  marcello  10  soldi,  1  lira  20  soldi,  1  ducat  or  sequin 
10  to  12  lire. 

There  is  a  German  version  by  Dr  J.  M.  Jost,  of  Frankfurt,  1860. 

Famagusta  is  situated  on  the  sea  shore,  its  area  is  quite  flat.  It  is  a  fortified  town,  girt 
with  a  double  wall,  commanded  by  a  fine  large  and  solid  castle.  It  is  like  Pesaro.  The 
Governmotit  always  keeps  here  five  empty  galleys  to  watch  and  guard  the  sea,  as  well  as  four 
captains  living  in  the  town,  who  have  800  Italian  mercenaries  under  their  orders.  The 
townsfolk,  who  are  thus  exempt  from  all  military  service,  are  very  well  behaved  and  clean, 
careful  to  protect  themselves  froTn  contagion,  especially  from  the  plague,  which  is  common 
enough  in  the  neighbouring  parts  of  the  Levant.  Their  precautions  are  very  thorough,  as  in 
Italy,  and  no  person  arriving  from  an  infected  or  suspected  locality  can  enter  the  town  before 
he  has  been  detained  forty  days  in  the  harbour.  The  houses  are  fine  and  well  built,  the 
roads  well  kept  up.  The  products  and  merchandise  of  the  country  are  sold  in  two  places 
arranged  as  markets.  Before  the  Royal  Palace  is  a  large  and  very  pretty  square,  and  at  all 
the  street  corners  are  fountains  of  running  water.  The  money  current  here  is  in  all  respects 
that  of  Venice.  A  .'icudo  is  worth  10  soldi,  a  seqnin  8  livrc^i:  a  .^cudo  other  than  Venetian, 
6  livres  and  8  soldi. 

People  say  that  snow  has  never  fallen  here,  and  that  there  has  never  been  frost.  The 
amount  of  rain  even  is  very  small.  On  the  other  hand  the  heat  is  much  greater  here  than 
in  all  the  Turkish  provinces.  In  summer  no  one  leaves  his  house  except  for  an  hour  in  the 
morning,  and  an  hour  in  the  evening,  and  the  summer  lasts  eight  months.  To  go  from  one 
place  to' another  one  travels  on  horseback  by  night.  Such  is  the  custom  of  persons  who 
wish  to  preserve  their  health.  For  the  transport  of  goods  and  money  they  use  great  carts 
drawn  by  oxen.  But  the  carts  are  not  like  ours,  no  more  are  the  oxen,  which  are  spotted 
and  of  many  colours.  One  would  think  that  the  Patriarch  Jacob  had  fed  his  herds  here. 
One  finds  plenty  of  animals  to  ride,  horses  and  donkeys.  You  hire  a  good  horse  for  four  livres 

a  day ;  forage  is  cheap.  „    ,     .  ,         ^  j       t  .r. 

Ophthalmia  is  very  common  here.  It  generally  begms  on  the  longest  day  of  the  year, 
and  la.sts  beyond  the  autuTuual  equinox.  It  begins  with  a  fever,  which  lasts  two  or  three  days, 
and  violent  headaches.  Then  the  fever  grows  less,  and  a  flux  attacks  the  eyes  with  pam  and 
inflammation,  and  lasts  for  twenty  or  thirty  days.  If  one  is  observant  and  careful  the 
affection  disappears  of  itself.  Men  and  women,  adults  and  children,  are  equally  liable  to  it. 
It  must  be  a  result  of  the  heat,  for  at  this  moment  in  mid-October,  we  cannot  bear  a  sheet 
over  us  at  night. 

10 


74 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


House  rent  is  about  the  same  as  in  Italy.  I  have  hired  a  house  composed  of  two  large 
and  handsome  rooms  upstairs,  with  a  kitchen,  besides  a  room  below  which  makes  a  good 
kind  of  store  for  wine,  oil  and  wood,  and  a  poultry  yard,  the  whole  for  ten  ducats  a  year. 
No  one  can  go  and  fetch  water  for  himself  from  the  fountain,  for  the  Greeks  and  crew  of  the 
galleys  would  at  once  break  his  pitcher,  but  the  water  cari-iers  are  constantly  coming  and 
going,  and  bring  a  barrel  to  the  house  for  two  quattrini,  quite  enough  for  one  day's  drinking 
and  cooking. 

I  have  seen  here  a  large  and  fine  synagogue  supported  by  a  community  of  about  twenty- 
five  families,  Levantines,  Sicilians  and  Portuguese.  Hatred,  discord  and  jealousy  reign 
among  them.  They  have  no  poor  to  be  helped  by  alms,  and  if  some  needy  stranger  came 
from  abroad  they  would  take  no  notice  of  him,  as  in  Italy.  The  only  tax  they  pay  is  a  sum 
of  26  ducats  sent  yearly  to  the  judge  of  the  town  for  the  whole  community.  They  live 
comfortably  without  exertion.  They  have  no  trades,  but  live  on  the  interest  of  their  capital, 
all  but  two  or  three  less  wealthy,  who  have  not  enough  ready  money  to  lend,  but  win  a 
tolerable  livelihood  as  brokers.  Throughout  the  rest  of  the  island  there  are  no  Jews,  although 
it  is  of  some  size  and  contains  about  15,000  villages,  which  they  call  casali,  besides  the  capital 
city  called  Nicosia,  36  miles  from  Famagusta.  People  who  want  to  borrow  money  come 
here.  This  money-lending  business  is  really  remarkable.  One  lends  to  no  one  except  on 
a  thoroughly  sound  security.  No  trust  or  credit.  If  the  pledge  is  of  gold  or  silver  the 
interest  is  twenty  per  centum  :  if  of  wool,  thread  or  silk  twenty-five  per  centum.  The  pledge 
is  kept  a  year,  after  which  notice  is  sent  to  the  debtor  at  his  expense  that  he  must  pay  in 
a  month  at  the  latest.  If  when  this  is  past  he  does  not  come,  the  pledge  is  taken  to  the 
town-court  and  sold  by  auction.  If  the  price  fetched  covers  the  capital,  interest  and  costs 
the  borrower  takes  the  balance.  If  otherwise,  the  court  gives  the  lender  an  order  on  the 
debtor  for  the  remainder,  and  he  can  insist  on  another  pledge  to  cover  that  sum.  There  is 
no  public  loan-bank,  and  no  lender  has  any  advantage  over  his  fellow.  Anyone  who  wants 
to  follow  this  business  has  only  to  say  so,  but  he  is  bound  to  keep  a  very  exact  account  of 
the  pledges  he  takes,  and  get  his  ledger  stamped  by  the  judge ;  it  is  then  accepted  as  legal 
evidence. 

As  soon  as  the  Christians  see  a  fresh  Jew  arrive  to  stay  here  they  ask  him  if  he  wants  to 
lend  money.  If  he  says  yes,  they  are  kindly  towards  him,  and  he  need  not  fear  that  the 
other  Jews  will  look  askance  at  him  as  though  he  were  poaching  on  their  preserves.  The 
country  is  big  enough  to  feed  them  all.  They  even  beg  the  newcomer  to  lend  to  their 
friends  whom  they  cannot  oblige  themselves.  Sometimes  sums  as  great  as  50,000  ducats  are 
lent  for  more  than  six  months,  but  not  of  course  to  the  first  comer.  It  is  an  essential 
condition,  and  a  good  custom  it  is,  that  the  borrower  before  he  receives  the  loan,  were  it  but 
a  crown,  makes  some  present  in  proportion  to  the  sum  he  asks,  a  chicken  or  two,  a  lamb  or 
goat  or  calf,  some  wine,  cheese  or  oil.  But  when  the  pledge  represents  a  large  loan,  the  gift 
will  not  be  in  the  same  proportion  as  for  small  sums,  but  will  be  something  worth  having, 
equivalent  to  3  or  4  p.c.  additional  interest.  It  is  an  old  custom,  without  legal  basis  or 
authority  from  the  regulations  in  force,  yet  better  observed  than  any  law,  so  that  you  have 
no  occasion  to  ask  for  the  gift,  it  is  offered  to  you  spontaneously.  In  ten  days  I  have  lent  all 
the  money  I  brought  with  me,  and  all  against  gold  or  silver :  I  would  not  take  clothing  in 
pawn,  nor  make  loans  of  more  than  30  scudi  or  less  than  three.  Sometimes  the  brokers  ask 
a  considerable  sum  for  commission  (this  is  a  doubtful  question  among  us)  so  that  the  borrower 
pays  as  much  as  forty  per  centum  interest :  but  nobody  cares.  In  spite  of  all,  the  inhabitants 
are  very  glad  to  find  ready  money  for  their  pledges,  as  they  need  it.  Besides,  every  mechanic. 


ELIAS  OF  PESARO. 


75 


every  labourer,  has  in  his  house  vessels  of  silver  or  jewels,  for  they  are  all  rich,  and  pledges 
are  easy  to  find. 

I  propose  now  to  set  forth  in  detail  the  advantages  and  inconveniences  of  this  country, 
such  as  I  have  seen  them  with  my  own  eyes.  The  Christians  who  live  in  Cyprus,  Candia, 
Corfu,  Zante  or  Constantinople  are  mostly  Greeks,  and  are  in  no  wise  like  Italians.  Their 
intelligence  is  less  developed,  their  manners  are  peculiar,  and  differ  from  those  of  all  their 
fellow-Christians.  They  do  not  follow  the  religious  laws  and  ordinances  of  Roman  Christen- 
dom, and  are  not  in  accord  with  the  Latin  races.  They  have  a  patriarch  at  Constantinople 
who  rules  them,  and  to  him  they  go  for  guidance.  Their  churches  have  no  bells,  and  in 
many  other  of  their  customs  they  differ  from  the  Italians.  For  instance,  on  feast  days  some 
shops  remain  open,  some  are  closed:  some  keep  the  feast,  others  work.  The  Greeks  eat  meat 
on  the  other  days  of  the  week  as  well  as  Sunday.  They  keep  a  Lent  three  times  a  year, 
abstaining  from  all  animal  products,  even  from  fish  and  eggs.  Their  popes  marry  once,  but 
if  that  wife  dies  they  do  not  take  a  second.  Most  of  the  Greeks  are  workmen.  For  all  the 
gold  in  the  world  they  would  not  eat  anything  that  a  Jew  has  touched,  and  would  never  use 
his  cooking  utensils.  Suppose  a  Jew  wishes  to  buy  anything  from  them  he  must  not  touch 
it  but  must  describe  what  he  wants:  anything  he  touches  he  must  keep.  They  reject,  as 
though  it  were  carrion,  the  Hesh  of  an  animal  which  has  had  its  throat  cut,  and  hate  their 
Italian  fellow-Christians  much  as  we  do  the  Karaites.  They  do  not  allow  their  women  to 
show  themselves  in  the  town  by  day;  only  by  night  can  they  visit  their  friends  and  go  to 
church.  They  say  this  is  by  way  of  modesty,  but  it  is  really  to  avoid  the  frequent  adulteries, 
for  their  rule  of  life  is  thoroughly  perverse.  They  are  all  liars,  cheats,  thieves.  Honesty  has 
vanished  from  their  midst. 

The  salt  here  is  wonderfully  Hue,  you  get  a  measure  of  two  povmds  for  five  Venetian 
quattrini.  I  have  never  seen  so  good  bread  as  that  of  Famagusta,  but  it  is  dear.  Wheat 
sells  by  the  Bolognese  basket  4  livrcs,  4  soldi  Bolognese.  The  olive  oil  is  very  bad,  one 
cannot  use  it  in  cooking,  and  in  lamps  it  gives  off  a  detestable  smell :  the  pound  of  twelve 
ounces  costs  eight  quattrini.  Most  people  use  oil  of  sesame  for  basting  and  cooking.  It  is 
good  and  costs  two  quattrini  the  ounce.  But  the  smell  is  too  strong  to  eat  it  raw.  Olives 
for  eating  are  as  big  here  as  walnuts,  and  are  cheap  at  fifteen  quattrini  for  ten  pounds. 
But  they  never  ripen  thoroughly.  There  are  pomegranates  in  great  quantity,  some  sweet, 
some  sour,  others  middling.  They  are  large  and  have  thick  pips,  as  good  to  look  at  as  to  eat. 
The  largest  costs  a  qiialtrino,  and  it  seems  they  will  keep  a  whole  year.  When  I  arrived 
here  their  vintage  was  nearly  over,  for  they  gather  their  grapes  in  August,  and  all  their 
fruits  ripen  a  month  earlier  than  in  Italy.  The  time  of  peaches  too  was  past.  I  have  found 
no  eatable  grapes,  except  such  as  the  vinegrowers  bring  now  and  then  from  the  hills,  white 
and  black,  but  they  will  not  keep  more  than  three  or  four  days.  I  asked  also  about  the  price 
of  wine,  and  was  told  that  this  year  it  was  selling  at  3  livren,  14  soldi  of  Bolognese  money  the 
large  Bolognese  measure.  It  is  very  strong,  and  must  be  diluted  with  two-thirds  of  water. 
I  have  bought  a  cartload  and  half  of  wood  for  eleven  silver  marcelli.  Onions  and  leeks  are 
finer  than  in  Italy,  but  cost  twice  as  much.  Cabbages  and  cauliflowers  are  found  in 
abundance,  for  a  quattrino  one  can  get  more  almost  than  one  can  carry.  Also  green  stuff 
of  every  kind,  beetroot,  spinach,  carrots,  mint,  marjoram,  parsley,  rue  and  other  herbs,  is 
plentiful  and  cheap :  also  pulse  of  all  kinds,  peas,  lentils,  white  kidney  beans  (not  red),  beans, 
rice,  millet  and  the  like,  not  dear.  Daily,  morning  and  evening,  one  can  buy  fish  as  cheaply 
as  in  Italy.    Four  eggs  cost  a  denaro,  or  Vj  quattrino  each.    Geese  and  turkeys  are  rare;  for 

10—2 


76 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  couple  of  geese  you  will  have  to  pay  five  to  six  silver  marcelli,  for  a  pair  of  turkeys  four 
marcelli.  Fine  fowls  three  marcelli,  medium  do.  two  and  a  half.  Quails  a  little  more  than 
a  marcello  the  couple,  tame  pigeons  about  the  same,  wood-pigeons  a  little  more.  Six  walnuts 
for  a  quattrino,  the  same  for  a  quince,  but  these  are  small.  Apples  scarce  and  poor ;  such 
as  you  can  find  cost  a  quattrino  for  two.  I  have  seen  no  pears  yet,  but  am  told  that  peasants 
bring  them  from  the  hills  and  sell  them  very  dear.  Medlars,  sorbs  and  almonds  are  nowhere 
grown.  Citrons,  lemons,  oranges,  capers,  pistachios,  dates,  breadfruit,  figs,  green  and  dry, 
are  abundant  and  cheap.  The  native  cheese  is  made  of  a  mixture  of  the  milk  of  sheep,  goats 
and  cows,  but  it  does  not  keep,  for  it  is  too  rich.  Most  of  the  Jews  here  get  their  cheese 
from  Zante  or  Tripoli,  and  pay  dearly  for  it. 

The  small  sheep  and  the  lambs,  they  tell  me,  are  fine  and  good :  there  are  many  of  them, 
they  sell  at  a  mocenigo  each,  more  or  less,  according  to  the  size.  One  or  two  families  buy 
a  whole  one,  because  you  cannot  resell  the  legs,  which  the  Jews  do  not  eat,  to  anyone  outside. 
We  have  not  had  them  yet,  they  begin  to  come  into  the  market  about  the  end  of  this  month. 
Until  then  the  Jews  eat  mutton  or  goat,  at  six  or  seven  quattrini  the  pound :  beef  costs  nine 
quattrini.  As  a  matter  of  fact  this  does  not  come  dearer  than  what  is  lost  on  animals 
declared  ritually  unfit  for  food.  At  Constantinople,  Salonica,  Candia  and  here  in  Cyprus  the 
Jewish  sacrificers  force  air  into  the  lungs  of  the  animals  they  examine :  in  this  way  they  are 
saved  much  waste,  and  leave  a  gain  to  the  butchers,  who  keep  as  sound  most  of  the  animals 
whose  throats  they  cut  for  the  Jews.  Honey  is  dark  and  thick,  and  sold  at  two  quattrini 
the  pound. 

A  man  is  lucky  if  he  knows  medicine,  for  the  Greeks  respect  the  Jews  as  good  doctors, 
and  trust  them.  It  is  true  that  they  pay  in  ordinary  cases  two  hundred  sequins  a  year  for 
each  patient  to  the  Christian  doctors,  while  they  give  only  a  hundred  and  twenty  to  Jews, 
about  a  Venetian  gaceta  a  month  per  patient.  These  are  the  common  fees.  But  there  are 
also  two  Jewish  doctors,  a  Portuguese  and  a  Roman,  who  earn  more  and  make  a  fine  income 
by  their  profession.  They  are  held  in  great  respect,  and  wear  a  black  hat  with  a  yellow 
badge  no  bigger  than  the  small  coin  called  issarion,  a  privilege  allowed  to  no  other  Jews, 
who  are  all  obliged  to  wear,  as  at  Yenice,  a  head-covering  entirely  of  yellow.  Washing  is 
very  dear,  twice  as  dear  as  we  pay  in  Italy.  Shoes  are  cheap,  one  can  get  a  good  pair  with 
stout  soles  for  two  and  a  half  marcelli. 

So  much  for  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  life,  manners  and  customs  of  this  town. ...  Written  at 
Famagusta,  Monday,  October  18,  or  the  new  moon  of  Heswan,  in  the  year  of  grace  5324,  by 
him  who  humbly  kisses  the  dust  of  your  feet,  who  writes  here  in  silence  and  sends  you  aloud 
the  blessing  of  peace. 


ELIAS  OF  PESARO.  FURER. 


77 


FURER. 

Christojilwri  Fureri  ah  Haimendorf,  Equitis  Aurati,  &c....Itinerarium  was  published  in  4to  at 
Niirnberg  in  1621,  with  a  fine  portrait  of  the  author,  a  plate  of  his  arms,  and  six  woodcuts  of  the  Holy 
Places  of  Palestine.  A  German  version,  Reisebeschreibung,  Niirnberg,  1646,  is  somewhat  fuller  than  the 
Latin  text. 

Tlie  author,  Ch.  Fiirer,  a  man  of  distinguished  lineage  and  some  learning,  was  born  at  Niirnberg  in 
1541,  began  liis  travels  at  21,  and  died  in  1610.  His  visit  to  Cyprus  extended  from  March  29  to  May  7, 
1566.    I  translate  from  pp.  103—109. 

We  left  Tripoli  at  last  for  Cyprus  with  a  favouring  wind,  and  sailing  first  past  two  pro- 
montories, one  of  which  is  called  C.  Greco  (to  the  right  of  it  lies  Famagusta)  and  the  other 
C.  S.  George,  on  March  29  we  approached  the  island  on  its  southern  side  and  landed  at  the 
port  of  Salines,  where  we  gave  thanks  to  God  the  Best  and  Greatest,  for  that  He  had 
brought  us  back  safe  and  sound  from  the  lands  of  the  infidel  to  a  Christian  country,  for  at 
that  time  Cyprus  was  still  subject  to  the  Venetians.  This  island,  which  is  situated  in  the 
gulf  of  Issus  between  Cilicia  and  Syria,  was  of  old  called  by  various  people  various  names. 
Joseph  us  asserts  that  it  was  called  Chetima  from  Chetim,  son  of  Javan  the  grandson  of  Noah. 
Xenagoras,  as  we  have  him  in  Pliny,  called  it  from  its  fertility  Macaria  the  blessed,  also 
Aspelia  and  Amathusia.  IMiilonides  names  it  Corastis,  Timosthenes  Acamantis,  Astynomus 
Cryptos  and  Colinia.  Ammianus  Marcellinus  (in  vita  Galli  et  Constantii,  lib.  XIV)  speaks 
thus  of  its  fertility  and  consequence.  "  Cyprus,  which  lies  at  some  distance  from  the  main- 
land and  is  full  of  harbours,  has  many  towns  and  two  remarkable  cities,  Salamis  and  Paphos, 
the  former  famous  for  its  temple  of  Jove,  the  other  for  the  fane  of  Venus.  This  island 
(continues  Ammianus)  is  so  favoured  in  the  number  and  variety  of  its  products  that  without 
any  e.xternal  help,  from  its  own  resources  it  would  build  a  large  ship  from  the  keel  to  the 
topmost  canvas,  and  send  it  fully  equipped  to  sea."  To-day,  besides  other  fruits,  cotton  and 
carobs  (locust  beans)  abound.  It  was  once  the  seat  of  nine  kingdoms.  Timosthenes,  as 
quoted  by  I'liny  (V.  31),  gives  its  circuit  as  429  miles,  Isidorus  375  miles,  Bordone  3420  stadia 
or  427i  miles,  and  200  miles  in  length.  Of  old  it  was  so  given  over  to  luxury  that  it  was 
deemed  sacred  to  Venus,  who  was  there  chiefly  worshipped.  To  her  the  Cypriot  maidens 
made  offering  of  their  virginity,  whereof  Justin  writes,  "it  was  a  custom  among  Cypriots  to 
send  their  maidens  before  marriage  on  certain  days  to  the  sea  shore  to  seek  their  dowries, 
making  gain  of  their  virginity,  and  giving  in  its  stead  offerings  to  Venus."  We  rested  first 
in  a  village  called  Larnica,  two  miles  from  the  port.  At  no  great  distance  hence  is  seen 
the  mount  of  the  Cross,  on  which  they  say  is  preserved  the  cross  upon  which  hung  the 
penitent  thief. 

On  the  last  day  of  March  we  left  Larnica  at  night,  for  the  intolerable  heat  made 
travelling  by  day  impossible,  and  the  following  morning  we  entered  Famagusta.  It  was 
built  on  a  rock,  and  though  not  very  large  is  well  fortified,  and  has  a  narrow  but  safe 
harbour  which  is  closed  by  chains,  and  is  well  suited  as  an  anchorage  for  light  vessels.  On 
the  right  it  has  very  charming  gardens  of  citrons,  pomegranates  and  quinces.  As  m  Egypt 
the  natives  draw  the  water  with  which  they  irrigate  the  land,  and  which  supplies  the  daily 
wants  of  the  city,  by  the  joint  use  of  oxen  and  wheels.  The  city  is  distinguished  by  a 
bishop's  see,  in  whose  cathedral  dedicated  to  S.  Nicolas,  lies  buried  Jacques  the  last  king  of 


78 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Cyprus.  You  may  read  his  epitaph  on  the  left  of  the  choir  of  this  church.  "  To  Jacques  de 
Lusignan,  king  of  Jerusalem,  Cyprus  and  Armenia,  be  praise  unstinted  for  his  noble  deeds 
and  his  triumphs  over  the  enemy.  To  claim  the  honours  which  were  refused  him  this  new 
Caesar  invaded  and  won  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  took  side  with  the  powerful  arms  of  Venice, 
reduced  Amegustus,  and  united  himself  in  marriage  with  their  daughter  Kathelina,  a  very 
goddess  in  beauty.  A  pious,  wise,  clement,  munificent  and  magnanimous  prince,  surpassing 
all  in  arms  and  war.  Him  savage  death  struck  down  in  the  13th  year  of  his  reign  and  33rd 
of  his  age,  and  cut  off  in  his  cradle  his  posthumous  son,  July  6,  1473.  Catherine,  the 
Venetian,  Queen,  his  consort  [erected  the  monument].  Francis  [de  Pernisiis  de]  Vicheria, 
the  servant  of  Christ,  Bishop  of  Famagusta,  composed  [the  epitaph]." 

On  a  stone  behind  the  altar  you  may  read  these  words,  "  Francesco  de  Prioli  being 
in  command  of  the  Venetian  fleet  the  banner  of  S.  Mark  was  happily  raised  in  Cyprus, 
'    February  28,  1488." 

There  is  another  church  of  no  great  size  called  S.  Maria  Hydria,  in  which  on  the  right 
hand  is  preserved  one  of  those  waterpots  in  which  was  the  water  which  Christ  at  the 
marriage  of  Cana  in  Galilee  turned  into  wine.  It  is  a  large  earthen  pot,  one  handle  of 
which  is  completely  torn  off,  while  the  other  is  partly  broken.  Besides  these  two  is  a  third, 
the  Creek  church  of  S.  George,  in  which  you  see  the  marble  monument  of  Epiphanius,  with 
a  Greek  inscription  so  wasted  by  age  that  it  cannot  be  read  in  its  entirety.  Somewhere  near 
this  church  there  lived  at  that  time  an  old  man  of  small  stature  called  Pietro  Paolo,  who  was 
said  to  be  of  the  family  of  the  Scaligeri  of  Verona.  At  the  capture  of  that  city  the  Venetians 
banished  him,  being  yet  a  boy,  to  Cyprus,  where  he  was  kept  for  a  long  time  in  the  castle, 
but  he  gained  at  last  leave  to  wander  at  his  will,  but  always  within  the  city  walls.  It  had 
been  forbidden  him  to  marry,  but  by  a  concubine  he  begat  a  son  and  two  daughters,  whom 
he  married  to  two  Belgians ;  one  was  a  doctor  of  medicine,  the  other  instructed  boys  in  the 
liberal  arts.  Both  of  these  throughout  our  stay  in  Famagusta  did  us  many  kind  offices.  The 
annual  income  of  the  bishop  of  this  city  is  reckoned  at  3000  golden  ducats.  Not  far  from 
the  city  is  the  site  of  old  Famagusta  or  Salamin,  in  which  Paul  and  Barnabas  preached  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  Some  of  its  ruins  can  still  be  seen,  as  well  as  a  church  with  the 
subterranean  prison  of  S.  Catherine,  which  seems  to  be  cut  out  of  the  rock.  Justin  writes 
thus  of  Salamis  (Hist.  XII.  3),  "the  Galicians  assert  that  after  the  close  of  the  Trojan  war 
Teucer,  whom  his  brother  Ajax'  death  had  alienated  from  their  father  Telamon,  when  he 
was  not  received  in  Salamis  retired  to  Cyprus,  and  there  founded  a  city  bearing  the  name  of 
his  old  home." 

On  April  8  we  left  Famagusta,  and  crossing  the  very  great  plain  which  lies  in  the  middle 
of  the  island,  bounded  by  a  long  string  of  villages  and  mountains,  we  arrived  in  one  day's 
journey  at  Nicosia.  This  is  a  city  of  some  size  and  beauty,  where  lives  an  archbishop,  whose 
annual  income  reaches  (so  report  goes)  the  sum  of  12,000  golden  ducats,  and  most  of  the 
nobles  of  the  island.  One  can  make  the  circuit  of  the  city  in  an  hour  and  a  quarter.  In 
a  monastery  of  the  Franciscans  the  body  of  S.  Francis,  a  Burgundian  knight,  is  shown  in 
a  wooden  bier.  There  is  another  monastery  of  the  same  order,  in  which  most  of  the  kings  of 
Cyprus  are  buried,  and  right  royal  are  their  sepulchres.  From  the  time  of  the  kings  of  Cyprus 
many  French  nobles  live  here,  who  still  preserve  the  French  costume,  and  enjoy  many 
immunities  and  privileges.  They  keep  their  vassals,  who  are  called  Barici,  in  the  state  of 
slaves :  some  of  them  are  born  serfs,  some  are  born  free  and  sold  later  for  certain  duties 
only.  A  free  woman  who  marries  a  slave  bears  slave  children:  in  the  Roman  law  it  is  different, 
for  the  offspring  of  a  free  mother  and  a  servile  father  is  born  fi'ee.    A  slave  cannot  marry 


FtiRER. 


79 


the  female  slave  of  another  master,  but  the  nobles  themselves  pair  off  their  own  serfs;  unless, 
and  this  is  a  rare  case,  a  master  allows  a  union  with  another's  serf,  when  the  children  belong 
to  the  master  of  the  female  slave,  that  the  offspring  may  follow  the  womb  that  bare  it.  The 
nobles  are  greatly  given  to  amusements,  especially  hunting  and  hawking,  and  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year,  at  Carnival  especially,  they  hold  solemn  games  and  banquets  with  great 
cost  and  splendour.  In  their  rules  of  succession  the  eldest  brother  takes  the  title  and 
property  to  the  exclusion  of  his  juniors.  Nowadays  they  mostly  marry  the  daughters  of 
Venetians.  At  the  time  we  reached  the  city  the  inhabitants  were  making  a  great  commotion, 
and  storming  the  house  of  some  official,  because  they  had  discovered  that  the  greatest  part 
of  the  corn,  in  which  the  country  abounds,  was  being  sent  out  of  the  island,  so  that  bread 
was  lacking  for  their  daily  food.  At  last  some  of  the  chief  nobles  came  and  with  soothing 
words  and  promises  appeased  the  rioters.  In  the  cathedral  church  a  certain  Venetian  lies 
buried  called  Carlo  Capello.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  knowledge  of  three  languages  and 
other  attainments,  and  as  he  came  of  one  of  the  first  families,  and  was  a  man  whose 
wonderful  grace  of  manner  made  him  generally  popular,  the  Venetians  set  him  to  rule,  as 
their  custom  is,  for  a  term  of  two  years  the  island  of  Crete,  then  for  three  years  that  of 
Cyprus.    During  his  lifetime  he  ordered  this  epitaph  to  be  inscribed  on  his  tomb. 

"  I,  Carlo  Capello,  knight  of  the  Republic  of  Venice  and  Viceroy  of  Cj^prus,  bade  this 
shrine  be  erected  for  my  body  :  but  that  my  soul  shall  fiy  to  God  I  have  desired  and  believed. 
Hail,  ye  chosen  of  God !  and  win  for  me  by  your  prayers  His  boundless  mercy. 

Reader,  I  lived  and  helped  the  ^ood,  but  life 
Was  toil,  and  death  a  refuge  and  release. 
All  tliat  is  good  is  mind,  yet  all  our  strife 
To  learn  and  know  is  hushed  in  death's  great  peace. 
How  vain  our  hopes  and  fears!  dreams,  idle  dreams, 
Are  earth's  sole  gift;  the  mind  must  live  and  soar 
To  its  own  starry  home,  and  death,  which  seems 
So  fearful,  teach  us  its  eternal  lore." 

On  April  16  we  left  Nicosia,  and  next  day  reached  Liniiso,  a  considerable  village,  with. 
a  see  the  income  of  which  is  3000  ducats,  and  a  castle  of  which  the  ruins  are  visible. 

On  April  2"),  two  houi-s  after  sunset,  we  left  the  shore  of  Cyprus  in  a  Venetian  vessel, 
which  was  reckoned  one  of  the  chief  and  largest  of  its  time,  with  more  than  two  hundred 
persons  in  our  company,  and  about  noon  next  day  we  reached  the  city  of  Paphos,  where 
Paul  and  liarnabas  exposed  in  a  marvellous  way  the  fraud  and  malice  of  one  Elymas,  and 
won  the  Proconsul  Sergius  to  Christ.  Tliis  city  also  has  a  bishopric  with  an  estimated 
revenue  of  3000  ducats. 

On  May  7  we  left  Paphos  and  four  days  later  got  into  the  Attalic  gulf. 


80 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


FALCHETTI. 

The  personal  narrative  of  Fabriano  Falclietti,  who  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  fall  of  Nicosia, 
September  9,  1570,  is  here  translated  from  a  copy  of  a  contemporary  ms.  No.  117  in  the  Biblioteca 
Oliveriana  at  Pesaro,  kindly  supplied  by  the  courteous  Librarian,  Marchese  Antaldi-Sentinelli.  The 
letter  was  doubtless  addressed  to  the  Doge  of  Venice,  and  has  not,  I  think,  been  published. 

An  account  of  what  happened  at  the  taking  of  Nicosia  in  Cyprus. 

I,  Fabriano  Falclietti,  of  Saluderio,  a  village  in  the  District  of  Rimini,  who  happened  to 
be  at  Nicosia  in  the  company  of  Captain  Palazzo  da  Fano,  can  give  an  account  of  many- 
things  which  happened  before  and  after  the  loss  of  that  city :  and  I  begin  and  say  truly  to 
your  Serene  Highness  how  on  the  28th  of  June  the  Turkish  fleet  arrived  at  the  Salines ;  by 
common  report  there  were  two  hundred  vessels,  galleys,  galliots,  fuste,  with  other  kinds, 
such  as  lighters,  caramussalini,  palancate  and  the  like,  to  the  number  of  two  hundred  more. 
And  as  soon  as  they  arrived  they  sent  off  one  hundred  other  ships  to  Caramania  to  bring 
other  troops,  and  landed  some  of  their  men,  and  built  a  few  forts  and  remained  quiet  nine- 
teen days — it  was  said  on  account  of  a  difference  between  the  two  Pashas,  Piale  wishing  first 
to  go  to  Famagosta,  and  Mustafa  to  Nicosia.  They  resolved  however  at  last  to  go  to  Nicosia, 
which  they  reached  in  six  days.  When  they  were  within  four  miles  they  fell  in  with  500 
stradiots,  who  were  in  ambush.  These  were  the  balance  of  the  800  in  Famagosta,  that  is 
there  were  500  in  Nicosia  and  300  left  in  Famagosta.  A  great  skirmish  followed,  and  many 
were  killed.  One  stradiot  only  fell,  and  Captain  Cortise  was  made  prisoner;  we  heard 
afterwards  that  they  cut  off  his  head. 

When  they  had  pitched  their  camp  about  a  mile  from  the  city  three  hundred  Italians 
made  a  sally  and  came  to  blows,  without  any  loss  on  our  side.  The  enemy,  posted  behind 
a  hill  called  Famagosta,  began  to  build  there  forts  which  were  five  in  number,  facing  five  of 
the  city  bastions,  and  while  they  were  building  them  many  of  their  men  were  slain  by  our 
artillery.  When  the  forts  were  finished  they  began  to  batter  the  city  incessantly  with  their 
guns,  and  while  still  firing  to  make  trenches  which  ran  from  one  bastion  to  another.  Then 
they  set  to  make  other  winding  trenches  which  sometimes  came  up  to  the  walls  of  the  city, 
and  again  another  which  girdled  all  five  bastions,  in  which  they  posted  many  guns  and 
musketeers,  who  fired  continually,  and  hindered  us  from  approaching  the  walls,  which  were 
without  parapets.  Next  they  brought  up  their  works  in  serpentine  fashion  to  our  ditch,  and 
there  made  two  parapets,  one  on  the  right  and  the  other  on  the  left,  and  managed  so  that  our 
artillery  could  not  prevent  them  coming  up  to  the  angles  of  these  bastions,  and  they  did 
come  up  and  cut  off  the  angles.  Meanwhile  our  men  made  two  sallies  by  night  to  find  out 
what  they  were  doing,  not  without  loss  on  our  side  and  theirs.  On  the  Feast  of  the  Virgin, 
August  15,  a  sally  was  made  to  spike  their  guns,  and  a  fierce  skirmish  ensued,  in  which 
many  of  the  Turks  were  killed,  and  forty  of  our  men,  among  whom  were  Captain  Giobattista 
da  Fano,  Count  Alberto  Scotto,  and  Captain  Cesare  da  Treviso,  Lieutenant  of  the  Colonel. 

After  this  skirmish  no  further  sallies  were  made  so  as  not  to  lose  men.  The  Turks 
meanwhile  set  to  joining  the  soil  which  they  dug  out  of  the  bastions  with  other  soil  which 
they  brought  up  in  front  of  the  ditch,  and  thus  with  fascines  and  earth  they  built  up  a  road 
to  the  level  of  the  bastions,  while  we  could  assail  them  only  with  fireworks  and  stones. 


FALCHETTI.  SOZOMENO. 


81 


Along  this  road  every  day  some  of  them  kept  suddenly  mounting  up,  and  always  killed  some 
of  our  men.  When  they  were  now  fully  furnished  with  everything  necessary  for  the  attack 
they  ceased  firing  and  came  to  a  parley,  demanding  the  surrender  of  the  city.  Report  was 
duly  made  to  the  commanders  and  to  the  Governor  Rinconi,  and  it  was  determined  to  give  no 
ear  to  their  proposals  but  to  treat  them  as  enemies.  A  few  days  later,  on  the  morning  of 
Saturday,  Sept.  9,  as  reveille  was  sounded,  they  were  already  on  the  walls,  having  climbed 
up  quietly  in  the  night  along  the  roads  they  had  made  without  being  discovered  by  our 
soldiers,  and  attacked  us  so  suddenly  that  we  could  offer  little  resistance  to  their  first  charge. 
But  our  troops  retired  to  a  shelter  constructed  by  Captain  Palazzo,  where  they  met  the  enemy 
gallantly.  And  there  the  Turks  would  have  got  no  further  into  the  city,  had  it  not  been  that 
while  we  were  fighting  there  burst  on  our  flank  a  great  band  of  the  enemy  who  were  under- 
stood to  have  entered  by  another  bastion.  They  killed  very  many  of  our  men,  among  whom 
were  the  commander,  his  brother  and  Captain  Palazzo.  No  resistance  was  possible,  and  one 
fled  here,  another  there.  I  got  safe  with  twenty-five  of  my  company  to  the  Square  of  the 
Salines,  where  was  gathered  a  large  band  of  nobles.  We  made  a  stand,  and  when  the 
Square  was  taken  with  great  loss  on  our  side,  we  retreated  to  the  Great  Square,  where  were 
the  chiefs  on  hor.seback,  with  the  Bishop  and  many  others.  Here  we  made  a  fresh  stand, 
but  lost  ground  and  retreated  to  the  palace  of  Signor  Dandolo,  where  we  found  himself  and 
the  Bishop.  The  gates  were  bolted,  and  when  the  Turks  were  for  charging  at  them  we  told 
them  from  the  windows  that  we  surrendered.  Tliey  would  not  consent,  but  the  Lieutenant, 
Signor  Dandolo,  set  free  a  Turk  whom  he  had  taken  prisoner,  and  sent  him  to  tell  the  Pasha 
that  we  surrendered  with  all  our  forces,  and  bid  him  order  his  men  not  to  kill  us.  The 
Pasha  sent  a  note  to  the  janissary  who  was  to  take  us  prisoners ;  they  set  to  killing  and 
haling  us  away,  and  in  their  onslaught  Signor  Dandolo  was  killed,  and  the  Bishop  made 
prisoner  with  many  others. 

I  had  been  on  the  bastion  Podochataro,  where  our  standard  bearer  had  lost  his  ensign 
which  I  recovered.  I  was  in  all  the  fights  mentioned  above,  and  was  at  last  made  prisoner 
by  a  Turk,  who  led  me  to  the  pavilion,  where  three  days  later  I  was  sold  for  sixteen  sequins 
to  a  renegade,  who  carried  me  off  to  the  fleet  and  set  me  on  a  galley  where  I  lay  chained  for 
twenty  days. 


SOZOMENO. 

Gio.  Sozomcno  served  as  an  Engineer  during  the  siege  of  Nicosia,  and  was  made  a  prisoner  at  its  fall. 
His  name  occurs  in  A.  Calepio's  list  of  "  noble  Cypriot  Captains  enslaved."  I  have  not  been  able  to  see 
Sozomcno,  Gio.,  Nnrratione  dellu  giterra  di  Nicosia  fatta  nel  Regno  di  Cipro  da'  Turchi  V  anno  1570, 
8vo,  Bologna,  If)?!,  but  I  have  little  doubt  that  the  translation  here  offered  of  a  manuscript  preserved  in 
the'lJibliotec'a  Olivcriana  at  Pesaro,  No.  117,  which  is  clearly  contemporary  with  the  events  it  narrates, 
would  be  found  in  close  correspondence  with  that  work.  The  narrative  is  addressed  "al  Serssmo  gran 
principe  di  Toscana  Sr.  Mio  Ossmo,"  probably  the  Grand  Duke  Cosimo,  who  died  in  1574. 

The  narrative  of  Gio.  Sozomeno,  Engineer. 
The  first  day  of  July  the  Turkish  fleet  appeared  in  the  waters  of  Baffo,  and  the  second 
day  news  reached  us  that  it  had  landed  at  the  Salines  on  that  very  day  all  the  cavalry  and 
infantry  without  meeting  any  resistance,  although  S.  Astorre  BagUone,  Governor  General, 
wanted  to  show  himself  with  the  cavalry  and  mounted  musketeers  to  throw  the  landmg  mto 

11 


82 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


confusion,  and  to  learn  the  enemy's  strength,  but  neither  the  Lieutenant  nor  the  Coadjutor 
would  have  it  so,  saying  in  support  of  their  decision  that  they  could  not  have  prevented  the 
landing  because  their  force  of  infantry  and  cavalry  was  so  small,  and  that  it  was  wrong  to 
risk  what  they  had,  and  to  prejudice  the  defence  of  the  fortresses,  to  retire  to  which  was 
a  matter  of  nearly  thirty  miles :  if  this  had  been  four  or  even  ten  miles  it  would  have  been 
worth  making  the  attempt.  And  this  opinion  prevailed  because  his  lordship  affirmed  that 
Signor  Sforza  Pallavicino  used  to  say  the  same  thing,  and  because  the  Lieutenant  willed  it 
so.  Nevertheless  the  rest  of  the  nobility  of  Nicosia,  with  the  exception  of  the  Count  of 
Roccas  and  his  brothers,  presented  a  most  spirited  letter,  saying  they  were  ready  and  desirous 
with  Signor  Astorre  Baglione  to  march  to  the  Salines,  and  to  try  every  means  of  preventing 
the  landing,  or  at  least  as  far  as  they  could  to  throw  into  disorder  and  injure  the  enemy. 
A  good  witness  to  this  is  Signor  Astorre,  who  told  the  whole  truth  about  this  letter  at 
Famagosta  in  the  presence  of  Sr.  Niccolo  Donato,  chief  officer,  on  board  his  own  galley.  So 
the  stradiot  cavalry  which  was  with  the  Count  of  Roccas  at  the  Salines  retired  to  Nicosia  as 
soon  as  the  fleet  arrived  before  the  Salines,  and  remained  in  that  city  until  the  end. 

Part  of  the  army  without  artillery  appeared  in  the  environs  of  Nicosia  on  July  25,  and 
at  once  Colonel  Palazzo  da  Fano  advised  and  wished  to  make  a  sally  with  all  the  stradiot 
horse,  the  cavalry,  the  newly  raised  infantry,  and  part  of  the  Italian  and  Greek  foot  soldiers, 
and  to  charge  that  wing  of  the  enemy  before  the  rest  arrived  (it  came  up  next  day  with  the 
artillery),  showing  that  there  was  reasonable  hope  of  effecting  some  signal  success.  Neither 
the  Lieutenant  and  his  Council  nor  the  Coadjutor  would  consent,  although  among  ourselves 
the  said  Colonel  was  esteemed  as  an  officer  experienced  in  war  and  completely  trustworthy. 
The  enemy's  forces  were  now  all  united,  and  their  camp  pitched  without  any  resistance  on 
our  part.  Five  hundred  horsemen  only  were  despatched  from  the  Salines  to  Famagosta,  to 
keep  that  city  strictly  invested,  and  also  to  cut  us  off  from  all  help  which  might  reach  us 
therefrom.  They  camped  then  with  their  tents  on  the  open  country,  and  on  the  hills  of 
Mandia,  where  stood  the  pavilion  of  the  Pasha  commanding  the  expedition.  They  dug  on 
the  spot  a  well  in  which  contrary  to  the  general  opinion  they  found  an  infinite  supply  of 
water.  A  great  part  of  the  army,  and  specially  of  the  cavalry,  was  posted  at  S.  Clemente, 
where  is  the  spring  which  supplies  the  citadel,  and  there  were  tents  also  in  the  villages 
G-alangia  and  Acalassa,  five  Italian  miles  away,  for  the  convenience  of  the  infantry  which 
had  halted  there.  The  first  thing  the  Turks  did  as  soon  as  they  were  united  and  settled  in 
camp  was  to  come  round  Nicosia  on  horseback  to  provoke  us  to  sally  out  and  skirmish.  But 
the  Coadjutor  and  the  Council  would  never  allow  us  or  the  nobles  (who  were  most  eager  to 
do  so  too,  and  were  even  by  speeches  and  spirited  letters  showing  that  they  wanted  to 
meet  the  enemy)  to  leave  the  city ;  except  once  only,  when  Captain  Cortese,  a  stradiot,  was 
taken  and  killed. 

When  the  Turks  perceived  that  we  did  not  intend  to  come  out  into  the  plain  they  began 
to  devote  their  time  to  the  making  of  forts.  The  first  was  built  on  the  hill  of  Santa  Marina, 
at  a  distance  of  270  paces  from  the  Podecattero  bastion :  it  was  finished  with  very  great 
speed,  and  little  resistance  on  our  side,  although  from  the  curtain  between  the  Podecattero 
and  Caraffa  bastions,  and  from  the  front  of  the  bastion  we  fired  with  pieces  of  eighty  to 
prevent  its  construction :  but  they  built  it  by  night,  and  we  could  not  hinder  them.  From 
this  fort  they  kept  battering  the  houses,  and  part  of  the  platforms  of  the  curtains,  but  with 
no  great  damage  to  our  soldiers.  They  built  their  second  fort  at  S.  Griorgio  di  Magniana, 
and  from  this  they  battered  in  like  manner  our  houses,  and  forced  us  to  withdraw  our 
defences,  but  it  was  of  little  service  to  them  to  destroy  the  houses  outside.    The  third  was 


SOZOMENO. 


83 


on  the  little  hill  called  Margheriti,  which  is  between  the  Costanzo  and  Podecattero  bastions. 
The  fourth  in  the  middle  of  the  slope  of  mount  Tomandia :  but  from  these  forts  they  could 
make  no  grand  attack  on  the  walls.    From  these  points  they  began  to  push  inwards  and  to 
come  up  to  the  ditch  and  edge  of  the  old  city.    Then  with  their  trenches  they  got  up  under 
the  four  bastions  Podecattero,  Costanzo,  Davila  and  Tripoli,  to  face  which  they  set  four 
other  very  lively  forts  at  eighty  paces  from  our  ditch,  from  which  they  sought  to  bombard 
with  some  effect,  and  for  four  successive  days  they  fired  with  pieces  of  50  from  morning  to 
night :  only  in  the  middle  of  the  day  they  rested  for  four  hours  on  account  of  the  great  heat. 
ITiey  discovered  however  that  they  could  do  nothing,  because  the  earthworks  were  such  that 
the  shot  from  their  artillery  lodged  therein  without  destroying  them.    So  they  gave  up  their 
attempts  to  fire  upon  us,  and  began  to  creep  up  with  spades  and  picks  and  sundry  very  deep 
trenches.    W e  on  the  other  hand  did  not  fail  to  respond  with  our  artillery,  with  which  we 
did  them  great  damage,  overturning  and  disabling  some  of  their  cannon.    For  all  that  they 
came  up  to  the  counterscarp,  round  which  they  drew  a  great  counterfosse,  throwing  up  the 
earth  towards  the  city,  and  in  this  they  posted  innumerable  musketeers,  who  day  and  night 
aimed  at  anyone  who  showed  himself  on  the  walls.     Their  trenches  and  forts  were 
strengthened  with  empty  fosses,  lunes  and  pits  broad  and  deep  enough  to  hold  large  bodies 
of  men,  while  neither  our  artillery,  cavalry  nor  infantry  could  harass  or  dislodge  them 
except  to  our  loss.    Next  they  began  to  drive  very  deep  trenches  into  the  ditch  of  the  city, 
throwing  in  earth  and  fascines,  which  latter  their  horsemen  brought  in  from  a  distance, 
without  any  hindrance  from  our  cavalry,  such  as  the  knights  and  feudatories  wished  to 
make.    With  these  traverses  of  fascines  they  overtopped  our  flanks,  which  could  do  them  no 
kind  of  hurt.    They  then  began  to  cut  away  the  angles  and  front  of  our  bastions.    We  saw 
the  enemy  pushing  on  without  any  loss  on  their  side,  and  no  kind  of  hindrance  on  ours,  and 
anxious  about  the  future  we  applied  many  times  to  the  Government  and  the  Coadjutor, 
urging  that  a  brisk  sortie  should  be  inade  to  destroy  what  the  enemy  had  constructed  in  the 
ditch.    But  the  opinion  of  their  Icn-dships  was  that  no  sortie  should  be  made,  seeing  that  the 
Italian  soldiers  were  very  few,  and  the  rest  were  peasants,  while  the  mass  of  city  folk  was 
without  experience,  courage,  or  numbers.  For  during  this  summer  a  general  sickness  prevailed 
in  this  most  unlucky  city,  whereof  there  died  not  only  very  many  Italian  soldiers,  but  a  very 
great  number  of  the  peasants  and  citizens.    Of  the  Italians,  who  were  at  first  1300,  between 
those  who  died  of  disease  or  who  were  killed  or  wounded  during  forty-six  days  and  fifteen 
assaults  so  many  were  missing  that  in  the  last  assault  only  400  were  found  fit  to  fight. 

For  all  these  reasons  they  were  against  leaving  the  city.  Nevertheless  as  danger 
pressed  and  nuMi  saw  the  irrc^mediable  ruin  which  hung  over  us,  it  was  decided  to  make 
a  spirited  sortie  with  part  of  the  peasants  and  citizens,  the  Italians  and  all  the  cavalry  and 
stradiots,  while  the  feudatories  and  knights  complained  that  they  were  wronged  and  insulted 
because  they  were  not  allowed  to  go  out.  But  there  was  no  remedy,  and  the  chiefs  even 
wished  to  recall  the  order  given,  so  at  mid-day  on  August  15-the  hour  was  chosen  because 
in  the  morning  the  Turks  were  always  about  and  armed,  but  at  mid-day  lay  down  and  slept 
in  the  shade-the  infantry  to  the  number  of  a  thousand  marched  out  under  Captain  1  lovene 
of  Vicenza,  Lieutenant  to  the  Coadjutor,  who  although  his  duties  were  those  of  a  niounted 
officer  wished  on  that  day  to  go  out  on  foot,  and  with  Count  Alberto  Scotto  and  other 
captains  led  his  brave  Italian  soldiers  and  some  Greeks  so  well  that  they  got^  up  to  the 
enemy's  forts  and  made  themselves  masters  of  two  which  were  abandoned  by  the  lurks,  who 
feared  that  worse  might  yet  befall  them.  So  much  excitement  was  caused  by  this  exploit 
that  even  in  the  pavilions  there  was  confusion  and  dismay  enough  to  drive  their  owners  to 

11  A 


84 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


flight.  The  war  indeed  would  have  ended  on  that  day  if  our  cavalry  had  come  out  as  was 
arranged.  I  heard  all  this  from  Turks  and  some  Christians  during  the  time  that  I  was 
a  prisoner  in  their  hands.  But  to  our  infinite  ruin  and  disgrace  the  Lieutenant  upset  the 
arrangements,  and  would  not  allow  any  of  the  mounted  men  to  leave  the  city ;  the  reason 
was  that  he  trusted  very  greatly  to  the  nobles  for  the  defence  of  the  city,  and  feared  they 
might  be  killed  or  made  prisoners.  And  when  some  noble  youths,  knights,  among  whom  was 
Messer  Grio.  Fallier,  an  illustrious  Venetian  of  courage  and  honour,  wished  to  go  out  secretly 
with  their  vizors  lowered  and  mixed  up  with  some  stradiots  they  were  recognised  by  the 
Lieutenant  who  was  standing  for  this  very  purpose  at  the  gate,  and  got  angry  and  forbade 
anyone  else  to  go  out,  either  of  these  or  even  of  the  stradiots,  and  left  those  poor  soldiers, 
who  were  victorious  and  expected  to  be  supported  by  our  horse,  to  be  attacked  by  the 
cavalry  of  the  enemy,  and  thrown  into  confusion  and  routed.  There  were  left  dead  Captain 
Piovene  and  Count  Alberto  Scotto :  the  Lieutenant  of  Captain  Pochipani  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  many  other  Italian  and  Greek  soldiers,  a  hundred  in  all.  The  rest  retired  by  the  same 
gate :  they  carried  off  muskets,  scimitars,  boAvs,  tuUpanti  and  other  spoil  abandoned  by  the 
Turks.  A  musket  was  taken  damascened  in  silver  which  was  sold  for  thirty  scudi.  From 
that  day  forth  do  what  we  would,  no  further  sortie  was  allowed,  as  though  we  had  agreed  to 
let  the  enemy  come  upon  us  without  resistance  to  destroy  us.  By  the  advice  of  Colonel 
Palazzo  da  Fano  two  reduits  were  made  in  the  two  bastions  Podecattero  and  Constanzo,  and 
according  to  the  same  officer's  design  the  throats  of  the  two  bastions  were  narrowed :  in  the 
Avila  and  Tripoli  bastions  we  made  a  simple  reduit  designed  by  me  Giovanni  Sosomeno, 
leaving  not  a  foot  of  space  for  the  enemy. 

We  could  no  longer  prevent  the  Turks  from  completing  a  level  and  easy  ascent  for  their 
attacks.  They  made  fifteen  in  forty-five  days,  now  on  one  bastion,  now  on  two,  now  on  all 
four  at  once ;  all  of  them  were  bravely  repulsed  by  us  with  great  slaughter  on  both  sides  as 
well  as  with  great  consumption  of  balls,  rockets  and  other  fireworks,  so  that  verily  we  were 
compelled  to  write  in  cypher  to  Famagusta,  bidding  them  send  us  reinforcements  of  infantry, 
and  with  them  Signer  Astorre.  And  because  the  answer  tarried,  we  thought  our  messengers 
had  been  taken,  as  they  were :  for  the  Turks  displayed  them  to  us  as  prisoners,  so  that  seeing 
we  were  cut  off  from  help  we  might  surrender.  Whereon  we  were  again  obliged  to  send 
Captain  Griobat.  Colombo,  knowing  him  to  be  a  man  of  judgment  and  weight;  who  after 
he  had  pleaded  our  cause  at  Famagosta  returned  with  very  great  peril  of  his  life  without  any 
supports.  To  the  same  end  we  wrote  in  cypher  to  those  who  were  in  the  mountain ;  these 
messengers  too  were  taken  and  shown  to  us  by  the  Turks,  to  make  us  feel  sure  that  from  no 
quarter  could  we  get  help,  and  so  to  surrender.  The  last  assault  was  made  on  the  ninth  of 
September,  and  began  at  dawn  with  tremendous  vigour  and  men  innumerable,  so  that  the 
attacks  never  slackened  for  want  of  fresh  troops,  and  all  four  bastions  were  assailed  at  once. 
At  the  Podecattero,  Caraman  Pasha  (whose  family  name  was  Remoliti)  led  the  Caramanian 
troops.  At  the  Constanzo  was  Muzaffer  Pasha  and  his  men.  At  the  Avila  and  Tripoli 
bastions  were  Mustafa  and  Ali  Pasha,  one  of  the  commanders  of  eighty  galleys  of  the  fleet. 
All  these  led  at  the  same  time  most  furious  charges.  The  defenders  of  the  Constanzo,  Avila 
and  Tripoli  bastions  withstood  the  attacks,  and  repulsed  the  enemy  without  allowing  them 
to  get  over  the  parapet.  The  slaughter  was  great  on  both  sides,  but  much  more  on  that  of 
the  Turks.  In  the  Podecattero  bastion  however,  I  know  not  from  what  lack  of  arrangement, 
neither  the  commanders  nor  the  soldiers  were  of  the  temper  needed  for  so  great  a  task,  so 
that  without  check  from  our  men  the  Turks  got  in  and  made  themselves  masters  of  the 
platform  and  the  reduit.    The  few  Italians  who  were  there  present  fought  with  spirit  and 


SOZOMENO. 


85 


were  cut  to  pieces,  as  well  as  the  nobles  with  them.  But  the  country  folk  of  the  cernide,  and 
those  who  were  collected  at  the  last  moment  in  the  city,  behaved  badly :  some  of  them  let 
themselves  down  through  the  embrasures  and  along  the  curtain  and  fled  into  the  country. 
When  the  Coadjutor  heard  this  he  ran  with  his  brothers,  Colonel  Palazzo  and  other 
gentlemen  to  the  help  of  this  bastion.  Though  he  came  up  late  he  tried  with  very  great  valour 
to  drive  back  the  enemy,  but  their  numbers  were  so  great  that  they  got  in  and  killed  him, 
his  brothers,  the  Colonel  and  all  the  gentlemen  who  accompanied  him.  The  other  bastions 
were  held  until  the  Turks  had  forced  an  entrance  into  the  city  and  closed  in  on  their  rear, 
pushing  through  the  throat  of  the  works.  Then  followed  a  horrid,  a  pitiful,  spectacle.  Our 
unhappy  defenders  were  savagely  slaughtered,  caught  between  two  fires  and  knowing  not 
whither  to  turn,  where  to  seek  safety.  Yet  just  a  few  of  them  saved  their  lives  by  rushing 
among  the  enemy  and  escaping  from  the  bastions  into  the  city.  These  collected  in  the 
narrow  lanes  with  a  few  of  the  citizens  and  held  their  own.  Some  country  folk  of  the  cernide 
came  up,  but  when  they  saw  the  crowd  of  Turks  and  the  slaughter  of  our  men  they  turned 
round,  nor  could  we  by  any  means  make  them  stand :  they  even  turned  their  arms  on  those 
who  wanted  them  to  face  the  foe.  There  was  random  fighting  in  all  the  streets  and  squares, 
with  no  order,  no  leaders,  'i'he  slaughter  lasted  until  three  o'clock,  those  who  resisted  were 
killed,  those  who  surrendered  were  made  prisoners.  At  last  the  Pasha  arrived  in  the  city. 
Seeing  the  great  slaughter,  and  finding  many  armed  men  both  in  the  Palace  Square  and 
elsewhere,  he  bid  his  own  men  cease  fighting,  and  exhorted  ours  to  surrender,  promising  to 
save  their  lives  if  they  laid  down  their  arms.  Many  did  so.  The  nobles  who  survived  were 
some  twenty-five  or  thirty,  with  no  great  number  of  citizens. 

Such  was  the  miserable  end  of  that  most  unhappy  city  of  Nicosia.  If  this  capital  (and 
the  remainder  of  the  Kingdom)  had  had  a  good  government  and  a  larger  number  of  soldiers 
it  might  have  lield  out  for  a  long  time,  as  long  in  fact  as  it  had  victuals.  Further,  I  am 
strongly  of  opinion  that  if  the  strength  of  the  Kingdom  had  been  fully  known,  not  only  could 
the  landing  of  troops  have  been  delayed,  but  if  a  landing  had  been  made  so  much  injury 
could  have  been  inflicted  that  the  enemy  would  have  readily  changed  their  plans.  Thus  if 
a  choice  could  have  been  made  of  six  to  seven  thousand  horses  (I  include  our  mares),  some 
of  them  fit  for  lancers  lightly  equipped,  others  for  our  best  musketeers — besides  these,  if  we 
could  have  shown  twenty-five  thousand  francomatti  on  the  hills  near  the  Salines,  in  full 
sight  of  the  troops  on  the  fleet,  giving  these  last  the  idea  that  they  would  be  attacked  in  the 
open  country — anyhow,  even  allowing  that  we  had  neglected  to  take  the  necessary  measures 
to  prevent  the  Turks  landing  at  tlie  Salines,  I  was  of  opinion  (and  I  submitted  a  statement 
to  that  effect  to  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Kingdom)  that  we  could  defend  Nicosia  and  drive 
back  the  enemy  with  the  cavalry  which  we  had  in  the  city :  for  there  were  five  hundred 
stradiots,  besides  the  horses  of  the  feudatories  and  mounted  men  raised  for  the  occasion  with 
others  who  were  not  obliged  to  serve  on  horseback,  who  could  make  up  in  all  a  thousand  or 
more  war-horses,  besides  a  large  number  of  hacks  good  enough  for  musketeers.  Of  these  I 
wanted  to  pick  out  the  best,  and  post  them  with  the  stradiots,  who  would  always  have  been 
ready  to  charge  the  enemy's  flank  if  they  got  in,  for  the  ground  between  the  walls  and  the 
houses  is  so  broad  and  open  that  a  large  force  of  cavalry,  twenty  and  more  abreast,  could 
have  joined  battle  there.  And  in  the  last  assault,  when  we  were  all  in  order  and  fully 
prepared,  the  enemy  on  their  entry  might  have  been  attacked  on  both  flanks  and  easdy 
repulsed.  But  as  it  was  our  men  were  not  used  to  the  weapons  given  them  to  use  on  foot, 
and  did  little  to  help  the  defence  of  the  walls.  Cavaliere  Magi,  an  engineer  sent  by  the 
Signory,  was  present  when  I  gave  my  opinion  and  maintained  it  against  Colonel  Palazzo, 
who  thought  otherwise. 


86 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


The  whole  Turkish  fleet  was  composed  of  400  sail,  to  wit  160  galleys,  half  of  which  were 
in  excellent  order,  with  musketeers,  artillery  and  combatants,  not  less  than  100  men  to 
a  galley.  The  other  half  was  made  up  of  vessels  badly  supplied  with  men  and  guns,  and 
many  of  them  were  old  galleys.  Of  galliots,  fuste  and  hrigantini  di  essenti  there  were  60,  all 
well  manned.  I  could  not  say  if  there  were  more  large  or  small  vessels,  but  the  whole 
number  of  ships  with  oars  was  200.  The  rest  were  sailing  ships,  caramussoli,  3  ships  of 
Venetian  build,  6  lighters,  6  mortar  boats  and  many  frigates  to  make  up  the  total  of  four 
hundred. 

They  had  4000,  report  said  even  10,000  horses,  counting  mares  and  a  large  number  of 
mules  saddled  and  used  as  horses.  The  horses  were  carried  on  the  large  and  small  ships,  the 
lighters  and  mortar  boats :  each  galley  also  carried  two.  There  were  altogether  6000 
janissaries :  the  whole  force,  including  janissaries  and  cavalry,  which  was  landed  in  two 
separate  bodies  for  the  siege  of  Nicosia,  made  up  100,000  men.  The  fleet  never  landed  any 
of  the  crews  of  the  galleys  until  they  saw  that  our  navy  was  too  weak  to  molest  them :  nor 
did  Mustafa  Pasha  bring  up  reinforcements  for  the  attacks  until  Piali  Pasha  sent  up  men 
from  the  fleet  under  Ali  Pasha :  I  cannot  say  how  many,  the  Turks  said  25,000,  but  I  do 
not  think  there  were  so  many.  As  soon  as  these  arrived  they  renewed  the  vigour  of  their 
assaults.  Mustafa,  the  General  of  the  expedition,  many  and  many  a  time,  not  only  by 
messengers  but  by  letters  fired  into  the  city  on  arrows,  made  our  chiefs  understand  that  they 
must  surrender :  he  did  not  desire  their  ruin,  only  their  submission ;  their  goods  he  would 
leave  them  to  enjoy.    But  they  would  never  consent. 

As  soon  as  Nicosia  was  taken  Ali  Pasha  returned  at  once  with  his  men  to  the  fleet, 
which  sailed  for  the  gardens  of  Famagosta.  The  army  marched  to  besiege  this  city,  and  the 
ships  remained  there  until  news  arrived  that  our  fleet  had  reached  Castel  Ruzzo  to  engage 
the  Turkish  fleet  in  Cyprus.  On  hearing  this  Piali  and  Ali  landed  at  once  and  came  to  the 
tent  of  Mustafa  Pasha,  where  they  consulted  as  to  what  should  be  done.  It  was  rumoured 
that  Piali  was  afraid  of  losing  his  ships,  for  he  had  heard  that  the  junction  of  the  different 
squadrons  had  made  our  fleet  extremely  strong ;  and  although  they  were  well  aware  of  the 
great  losses  they  knew  thoroughly  all  the  movements  of  our  ships,  and  were  even  aware  of 
a  dispute  between  Italians  and  Greeks  at  Canea,  which  made  them  fancy  that  we  had  taken 
recruits  at  Candia,  especially  archers,  a  force  they  esteem  highly.  They  adopted  however 
the  advice  of  Mustafa,  who  insisted  that  the  dignity  and  power  of  the  Grand  Signer  would 
not  allow  them  to  refuse  battle:  they  must  go  bravely  on,  and  God  was  with  them.  Whereon 
they  landed  all  the  Christians  and  useless  folk,  and  equipped  their  galleys  with  good  artillery 
and  fighting  men. 

The  whole  fleet  of  oared  vessels  advanced  to  Limiso;  the  caramussolini,  sailing  ships, 
lighters  and  mortar  boats  remaining  at  their  anchorage  off  the  gardens  of  Famagosta.  Two 
galleys  were  sent  to  Cape  Santepilani  and  beyond  to  descry  and  give  warning  of  our  fleet. 

All  these  details  I  learned  from  the  Turks  themselves  while  I  was  a  prisoner  with  the 
forces  of  Mustafa.  As  soon  as  they  heard  of  the  retreat  of  our  fleet  they  came  back  making 
great  demonstrations  of  joy,  and  embarking  the  slaves  and  the  rest  of  their  baggage  sailed 
away  on  the  sixth  of  October.  I  do  not  know  whither,  but  it  was  said  that  Piali  Pasha 
went  with  the  galleys  to  Constantinople  and  Ali  with  his  to  Rhodes.  The  greater  part  of 
the  slaves,  male  and  female,  were  taken  off  the  island.  The  flower  of  the  youth,  with  much 
rich  spoil,  was  embarked  on  a  galleon  of  Mohammed  Pasha,  and  on  a  caramosolin  and  a 
galley  destined  as  presents  to  the  Grand  Signer  and  to  Mehmed  Pasha.  But  one  of  these 
ladies  set  fire  to  the  ammunition,  which  blew  up  with  the  galleon,  the  caramosolin  and  the 
galley,  and  all  the  persons  and  stores  on  board,  except  the  captain,  the  clerk  and  some  others 


SOZOMENO.  DIEDO. 


87 


who  saved  themselves  by  swimming  ashore.  It  was  a  miserable  sight  to  see  the  bodies  of 
those  unhappy  beings  in  the  air :  may  God  give  peace  to  their  souls.  Would  that  His  Divine 
Majesty  had  granted  to  us  all  who  have  remained  alive  the  same  fate.  To  me  it  would  have 
been  more  welcome  than  to  see  my  younger  daughter  in  the  hands  of  the  infidels,  and  the 
elder  burnt  to  death. 

In  the  city  of  Nicosia  they  have  left  a  garrison  of  4000  infantry  and  1000  horse  under 
the  command  of  MuzafFer.  Mustafa  with  the  rest  of  the  troops  marched  to  Famagosta  and 
encamped  in  the  village  of  Pom'adamo,  three  miles  from  the  fortress. 


DIEDO. 

Giacomo  Diedo,  a  Senator,  published  at  Venice  in  1751,  in  four  volumes  quarto,  his  History  of  the 
Republic  of  Venice  from  its  foundation  to  the  year  1747.  Our  translation  from  volume  ii.  book  vi, 
pp.  228—237,  gives  in  its  entirety  his  account  of  the  siege  and  fall  of  Nicosia,  July  22— September  9,  1570. 
He  appears  largely  indebted  to  the  earlier  writings  of  Paolo  Paruta  (1540 — 1598),  whose  account  of  the  same 
period  may  be  read  in  his  Storia  delta  Guerra  di  Cipro,  Libri  ire,  8vo,  Siena,  1827,  pp.  88 — 122. 

The  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  one  of  the  principal  islands  of  the  Mediterranean,  looks  on  the 
East  towards  Syria,  to  which  (if  we  may  trust  ancient  traditions)  it  was  once  joined,  on  the 
West  towards  Sarmania,  the  ancient  Pamphylia,  on  the  South  towards  Egypt,  and  on  the 
North  towards  Cilicia,  now  called  Caramania.  Its  length  extends  for  two  hundred  miles  from 
S.W.  to  E.,  its  breadth  is  seventy  miles  only,  and  its  circumference  about  seven  hundred.  It  is 
happy  in  its  climate,  which  allows  its  inhabitants  to  raise  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth  more  than 
they  need  for  themselves,  and  allows  them  to  export  much  produce,  especially  sugar,  cotton 
and  saffron.  It  abounds  in  white  salt,  and  contains  mines  of  gold,  silver  and  other  metals : 
so  that  from  the  variety  of  its  products,  and  its  favourable  situation  it  was  called  Macaria, 
the  Happy  Land.  It  is  true  that  as  time  and  change  shed  their  malign  influence  over  every 
region  in  the  universe,  the  face  of  this  happy  land  too  was  altered.  There  was  a  time  when 
the  island  was  for  a  while  left  untilled,  and  despoiled  of  its  inhabitants  by  the  want  of  rain : 
but  heaven's  inclemency  slackened  at  length,  and  this  noble  and  pleasant  land  resumed  its 
old  aspect,  and  by  the  influx  of  still  larger  crowds  was  peopled  anew. 

In  the  most  remote  ages  Cyprus  had  nine  kings,  but  after  the  Macedonian  Empire,  upon 
the  division  which  Alexander  at  his  death  made  of  his  vast  dominions,  Alexandria,  in  which 
was  comprised  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  fell  to  Ptolemajus.  Ptolemseus  was  overcome  by 
Demetrius,  son  of  Antigonus,  king  of  Syria,  and  for  a  short  time  lost  possession  of  the  island, 
but  he  soon  recovered  it  and  handed  it  on  to  his  successor  Philadelphus.  As  the  Roman 
Empire  was  enlarged  out  of  the  spoils  of  the  Greek,  the  kingdom  was  reduced  to  a  province 
under  successive  Governors,  until  Isaac  Comnenus,  the  last  who  enjoyed  that  title  and 
authority,  was  deprived  of  them  by  Richard,  King  of  England,  who  sold  it  for  a  hundred 
thousand  ducats  to  the  Knights  Templar,  by  whom,  on  account  of  the  turbulence  of  the 
islanders,  it  was  restored  to  the  English. 

Richard  sold  it  again  under  the  same  conditions  to  Guy  Lusignan,  whose  descendants 
for  a  space  of  more  than  three  hundred  years  succeeded  him  in  his  dominions  and  kingly 
title.  James,  the  last  of  the  line,  married  Catherine  Cornaro,  a  noble  Venetian  lady  >vith  a 
dowry  of  a  hundred  thousand  ducats,  and  a  few  months  later  passed  to  another  life  leaving 


88 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  Queen  and  his  posthumous  child  heirs  of  the  kingdom.  The  child  died  in  infancy,  and 
the  Queen  remained  in  sole  possession,  but  she  would  soon  have  fallen  a  victim  to  the 
ambition  of  the  great  island  nobles,  the  craft  of  the  Sultans  of  Egypt,  and  the  farsightedness 
of  Ferdinand,  King  of  Naples,  who  longed  to  make  himself  master  of  her  kingdom  through 
a  marriage  with  the  Queen,  if  she  had  not  been  able  to  range  against  these  manifest  perils 
the  forces  of  her  own  country  for  her  maintenance  and  defence.  At  last  finding  herself 
constantly  exposed  to  violence  and  to  treachery  she  accepted  the  advice  of  her  brother 
George  Cornaro,  who  suggested  that  she  should  return  to  Venice  and  abandon  to  the  Republic 
her  sovereign  rights  and  the  guardianship  of  the  kingdom.  Cyprus,  henceforth  reduced  to 
a  province,  was  defended  down  to  the  time  of  which  we  are  about  to  speak  against  the 
turbulence  of  its  inhabitants  and  the  jealousies  of  its  neighbours  by  the  power  of  Venice. 

But  now  the  Turkish  Sultan  Selim,  who  coveted  the  island,  set  himself  to  attempt  its 
conquest,  waving  aside  the  considerations,  which  had  weighed  with  his  predecessors,  that  the 
enterprise  was  difficult  in  itself,  and  certain  to  stir  up  against  his  empire  the  forces  of  the 
Christian  princes  joined  to  the  powerful  armaments  of  the  Venetians. 

However  one  day  he  went  out  hunting  with  his  principal  Pashas  (the  Turks  call  an 
assembly  of  this  kind  a  mounted  Divan)  and  laid  the  question  before  them. 

The  opinions  at  first  were  various,  Mehmed,  the  Grrand  Vazir,  maintaining  that  it  would 
be  more  to  the  advantage  and  glory  of  the  empire  to  carry  its  arms  in  another  direction, 
either  against  Spain,  to  check  its  aggrandizement  and  to  set  free  the  Moors  of  Grranada,  or 
against  places  which  might  pave  the  way  to  conquests  in  the  fairest  provinces  of  Europe. 
The  kingdom  of  Cyprus  was,  he  said,  jealously  guarded  by  the  Venetians;  the  forts  fully 
supplied  with  troops  and  artillery,  and  on  the  mere  report  that  they  would  be  attacked  the 
Republic  had  added  wonderfully  to  the  fortifications  and  fastnesses.  It  ought  not  to  be 
difficult  to  the  troops  of  Venice  to  prevent  a  landing,  and  to  surprise  vessels  whose  best  men 
would  be  away,  employed  in  the  siege  of  fortresses ;  and  again,  if  on  the  rumour  of  an  attack 
the  Christian  powers  were  stirred  to  a  common  defence,  how  difficult  would  be  the  task 
undertaken  by  the  Porte  of  carrying  on  a  war  in  violation  of  their  pledges,  and  so  soon  after 
the  signing  of  treaties  of  peace ;  on  these  grounds  prudence  and  the  interests  of  the  empire 
recommended  that  the  acquisition  of  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus  should  be  deferred  to  a  more 
convenient  season,  and  that  the  Venetians  should  be  lulled  with  the  prospects  of  peace  until 
they  could  be  taken  defenceless  and  unawares. 

Piali  and  Mustafa  Pasha  were  of  the  opposite  opinion,  though  rather  for  their  private 
ends  and  their  hatred  of  Mehmed  than  for  the  real  good  of  the  empire.  They  suggested  to 
the  Sultan  that  the  forces  of  his  kingdom  could  not  be  directed  to  a  worthier  object  than 
that  of  adding  to  it  an  island  conveniently  situated  and  serviceably  rich,  and  which  harboured 
the  corsairs  of  the  Levant,  who  obstructed  the  free  passage  of  the  seas,  and  were  a  danger 
and  menace  to  Musalmans  on  the  voyage  to  Mecca. 

That  the  power  of  Venice  was  not  sufficiently  flourishing  to  resist  the  luck  and  valour 
of  the  Ottoman  Empire :  that  the  assistance  of  the  princes  of  Christendom  was  uncertain,  and 
generally  of  little  service,  for  past  conflicts  had  made  it  clear  that  they  might  figure  as  an 
appendage  or  ornament,  without  being  a  substantial  help,  to  their  allies.  That  the  defence 
of  the  Cypriot  strongholds,  and  the  very  existence  of  the  kingdom,  depended  solely  on  a  few 
garrisons,  which  would  be  reduced  by  privations  and  assaults  before  they  could  be  reinforced 
by  expeditions  from  other  countries.  That  the  natives  of  the  island  had  through  long  peace 
laid  aside  their  military  habits,  the  feudal  soldiers  had  abandoned  the  use  of  arms  for  ease 
and  luxury,  and  in  their  stead  were  employed  a  low  class  of  mercenaries.    That  an  attack 


DIEDO. 


8» 


upon  Spain  would  prove  exceedingly  difficult :  the  country  was  far  off,  mountainous,  barren,, 
and  every  step  would  cost  blood  and  peril.  Not  but  they  must  carry  out  the  constant 
injunction  of  their  ancestors  to  extend  the  empire  by  ever  new  conquests,  and  keep  alive  the 
vigour  which  spreads  through  the  whole  bodj'^  into  its  outlying  members,  but  they  need  not 
seek  in  scattered  and  remote  regions  the  ephemeral  glory  of  ideal  conquests,  whose  achieve- 
ment were  difficult,  and  their  maintenance  certain  to  dissipate  the  power  of  the  nation. 

Selim,  encouraged  by  this  reasoning,  but  still  more  incited  by  his  own  inclination  for  the 
enterprise,  decided  to  carry  it  out,  declaring  that  he  would  himself  lead  to  the  war  a  force 
worthy  of  his  empire,  and  with  his  own  royal  presence  offer  resistance  to  any  attack  from 
the  Christian  princes.  Setting  aside  therefore  his  project  of  uniting  the  Don  and  the  Volga 
by  a  great  canal  (which  was  to  facilitate  his  passage  into  Persia),  having  allayed  certain 
risings  of  Aral)s,  and  having  received  from  the  Pasha  of  Erzerum  news  of  the  peaceful  dis- 
position of  the  King  of  Persia,  he  issued  strict  orders  for  the  construction  of  a  large  number 
of  bomb-vessels  in  the  Gulf  of  Ayas,  and  in  the  Mediterranean ;  for  the  fitting  out  ^vith  all 
speed  of  the  old  galleys,  and  the  building  of  new  vessels,  and  sent  express  commands  to  the 
Beylerbey  of  Anatolia  ((.'aptain  General  of  Asia  Minor)  to  concentrate  the  troops  in  all  the 
provinces  in  Caranmnia. 

Such  were  the  preparations  of  the  Turks  for  an  attack  on  the  island  of  Cyprus,  and 
although  other  pretexts  were  alleged  to  excuse  them,  common  rumour  and  certain  unmis- 
takeable  signs  made  their  purpose  clear,  as  Marcantonio  Barbaro,  ambassador  to  the  Porte, 
was  able  to  assure  the  Senate. 

There  were  however  not  a  few  Senators  who  flattered  themselves  that  Selim  would  not, 
at  the  beginning  of  his  reign,  plunge  into  a  difficult  war,  which  might  stir  up  the  Christian 
princes  to  injure  his  empire.  They  clung  to  their  opinion  so  obstinately  as  to  impress  on  the 
Senate  that  they  should  use  the  greatest  caution  in  their  warlike  preparations,  so  as  not  to 
divert  the  Turks  from  any  other  enterprise  which  they  might  have  in  view,  and  not  to  draw 
down  on  the  Kcpublic  an  attack  which  was  probably  designed  for  the  injury  of  others.  But 
ideas  of  delay  were  soon  exchanged  for  those  of  anxious  haste,  when  the  Senate  was  assured 
by  fresh  despatches  from  their  ambassador  that  the  Turkish  preparations  were  aimed  solely 
at  the  island  of  (.'yprus.  Kveryone  was  excited  to  rivalry  in  making  suggestions,  and  in 
carrying  out  the  decisions  of  the  Senate.  It  was  resolved  to  fit  out  one  hundred  light  galleys: 
eleven  commanders  were  chosen  for  the  large  galleys,  and  Francesco  Duodo,  a  man  already 
illustrious  in  naval  warfare,  was  appointed  to  lead  them,  with  the  title  of  Captain.  The 
commaiul  of  the  urnu'd  ships  was  entrusted  to  I'ietro  Trono :  and  to  increase  the  strength  of 
the  whole  fleet  it  was  decided  to  man  a  galleon  of  extraordinary  size,  whose  bulk  and  strength 
should  be  the  giuird  and  stay  of  the  smaller  vessels.  The  command  of  this  was  given  to 
Girolamo  Contariui.  'IMie  supreme  command  of  the  naval  armaments  was  given  to  Girolamo 
Zane,  Procurator  of  S.  Mark :  he  had  been  elected  two  years  before,  but  had  not  set  out,  and 
was  considered  legally  entitled  to  remain  in  office. 

A  naval  force  of  considerable  importance  was  thus  in  preparation,  and  no  less  energy 
was  shown  in  reinforcing  the  garrison  in  the  strongholds  of  Cyprus,  Dalmatia  and  others  m 
the  Levant.  They  were  much  strengthened  in  numbers,  and  their  duties  increased,  for  the 
greater  safety  of  the  forts  and  the  better  discipline  of  the  men. 

As  however  it  was  Cyprus  rather  than  the  other  places  which  was  threatened,  the 
Senate  hurried  the  departure  of  Eugenic,  Singlitico,  a  Cypriot  noble,  who  held  the  post  of 
adiutant-general  of  the  land  forces,  mth  a  thousand  foot  soldiers.  (Jirolamo  Martinengo,  a 
condottierr,  was  sent  there  with  two  thousand  foreign  infantry:  and  as  the  rumour  of  prompt 

12 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


pay  drew  from  all  parts  mercenaries  and  captains  of  renown,  all  were  accepted  and  trans- 
ported with  all  speed  to  Cyprus. 

[The  armaments  were  thus  complete,  but  dissensions  prevailed  in  the  Senate  as  to  how 
they  could  best  be  employed.  The  writer  inclines  to  the  opinion  that  a  squadron  of  some 
forty  galleys  should  have  been  despatched  at  once,  to  infuse  courage  in  their  friends,  to 
anticipate  the  forays,  and  to  interrupt  communications  between  the  various  provinces  of  the 
enemy.  A  League  of  the  Christian  princes  would  involve  delays,  provoke  jealousies,  and 
result  in  a  display  of  force  more  magnificent  than  eifective.  The  majority  however  held  that 
it  were  unwise  to  scatter  their  ships,  and  invite  pursuit.  Their  fortresses  were  well  found  in 
men  and  munitions;  they  could  well  wait  until  they  had  secured  the  adhesion  and  help  of 
other  Christian  powers. 

Appeal  was  first  made  to  the  Pope,  Pius  V.,  who  promised  his  aid,  sanctioned  the  levy 
of  100,000  ducats  from  the  Venetian  dominions,  and  accepted  the  conduct  of  the  League.  At 
his  instance  the  King  of  Spain,  Philip  IL,  ordered  his  ships  to  assemble  in  Sicily,  and  to 
await  the  Pope's  directions.  The  King  of  Portugal,  Sebastian  I.,  pleaded  the  poverty  of  his 
kingdom,  recently  wasted  by  the  plague,  and  sent  no  ships.  The  German  Emperor,  Maxi- 
milian II.,  gave  a  general  approval  only  to  the  object  of  the  League.  The  King  of  France, 
Charles  IX.,  declined  to  join  it,  but  offered  to  interpose  with  friendly  counsel  between  the 
Porte  and  the  Republic.  The  Dukes  of  Savoy  and  Urbino,  and  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tuscany 
promised  their  help :  the  Duke  of  Ferrara  was  only  with  difficulty  persuaded  not  to  side  with 
the  enemies  of  Venice.    The  Persian  king  refused  to  receive  its  ambassador. 

The  Turks  meanwhile  hastened  their  preparations,  though  the  Venetian  ambassador 
was  able  to  postpone  the  declaration  of  war  until  the  return  of  Kubat  Chawush,  who  was 
despatched  to  Venice  to  treat  directly  with  the  Senate.  Their  reply  was  a  defiance,  and 
hostilities  commenced  on  the  eastern  shores  of  the  Adriatic.  At  Corfu  the  Venetians  lost 
twenty  thousand  men  from  the  plague.  The  galleys  of  Venice,  Spain  and  the  Church 
assembled  at  last  at  Candia;  those  of  the  Porte,  under  the  Hungarian  Piale,  with  Lala 
Mustafa  and  Oulouj  Ali,  Turks,  after  an  unsuccessful  attack  on  the  island  of  Tenos,  embarked 
the  troops  mustered  about  Adalia,  and  sailed  for  Cyprus.  There  were  one  hundred  and  fifty 
galleys,  with  lighters  and  other  smaller  craft,    pp.  215 — 228.] 

On  July  1,  1570,  the  Turkish  fleet  was  descried  off  the  western  point  of  Cyprus  near 
Paphos.  It  sailed  South  and  passed  from  Limisso  to  the  promontory  of  Curium,  Capo  de' 
Gatti,  ravaging  the  sea  shore  and  carrying  off  prisoners.  The  next  day  it  arrived  at  the 
Salines,  and  anchored  off  the  Marina  on  the  East.  There  Mustafa,  meeting  no  resistance, 
landed  his  men  and  guns,  and  pushed  on  a  few  squadrons  towards  the  interior  to  discover 
from  prisoners  the  condition  of  the  country  and  its  fortresses.  This  happy  beginning  gave 
them  courage,  and  they  won  over  to  their  side  many  of  the  inhabitants,  taking  special  care 
to  attract  by  promises  and  gifts  the  hill-folk,  whose  fastnesses  would  have  been  difficult  to 
reduce  by  force  of  arms.  Mustafa  was  unwilling  to  commence  the  investment  of  the  fortresses 
before  he  had  collected  round  him  all  his  troops,  and  despatched  eighty  galleys  and  other 
vessels  to  Tripoli  and  the  Caramanian  coasts  to  embark  the  whole  of  the  land  forces,  so  that 
in  a  few  days  he  had  assembled  with  the  colours  fifty  thousand  infantry,  two  thousand  five 
hundred  cavalry,  as  many  more  carriers,  three  thousand  pioneers,  with  thirty  pieces  of  large 
artillery,  and  fifty  of  lesser  calibre. 

The  garrisons  of  the  Cypriot  fortresses  were  ill  matched  with  so  powerful  an  army. 
There  were  but  two  thousand  paid  foot  soldiers,  a  thousand  delle  Cernide  di  Terra  Ferma, 


DIEDO. 


91 


and  two  thousand  with  Martinengo,  and  these  from  various  illnesses  contracted  through  a 
change  of  climate  were  daily  reduced  in  number,  so  that  all  hope  of  defending  the  towns 
rested  on  the  loj'alty  and  courage  of  the  islanders,  always  ready  for  feats  of  arms  and 
ventures. 

The  Stradiot  horse  hardly  amounted  to  five  hundred,  because  the  feudal  nobles  who 
enjoyed  revenues  from  the  royal  treasury  with  the  condition  of  keeping  three  or  four  horses 
each  no  longer  made  use  of  such,  but  employed  mules,  which  are  bred  in  the  island  of 
remarkable  size,  so  that  they  could  furnish  scarcely  one  hundred  horses,  and  these  more 
adapted  for  show  than  for  use  in  war. 

The  news  of  the  Turkish  landing  spread  throughout  the  island,  and  the  inhabitants 
of  the  cities  were  filled  with  confusion  and  alarm  at  the  thought  that  their  whole  hope  of 
defence  rested  in  the  two  fortresses  of  Nicosia  and  Famagosta.  The  first  was  strong  and 
well  supplied  with  artillery,  but  there  were  not  enough  troops  to  man  the  vast  extent  of  its 
walls.  Famagosta  was  small  and  weak,  and  needed  men  of  valour,  whose  strength  and  high 
spirit  should  make  up  for  the  defects  of  its  fortifications.  Men  of  authority  too  were  lacking. 
Martinengo  was  dead,  and  there  remained  only  Astorre  Baglione  in  command  of  the  troops. 
The  office  of  Governor-(Jeneral  was  vacant  by  the  death  of  Lorenzo  Bembo,  and  though 
Sebastiano  Veniero  had  Ijeen  appointed  by  the  Senate  in  his  stead  he  had  not  time  to  reach 
his  post  before  the  kingdom  was  overrun  by  the  enemy.  It  became  absolutely  necessary  to 
give  the  chief  military  commands  to  Cypriots  of  noble  family.  The  Count  di  Rocas  was 
made  lieutenant  to  Haglione:  (riacomo  Mores,  Count  of  Tripoli,  took  charge  of  the  artillery, 
Giovanni  Singlitico  of  the  cavalry,  Giovanni  Sosomeno  of  the  pioneers.  Scipione  Caraffa 
and  Pietro  Faolo  Singlitico  were  entrusted  with  the  duty  of  collecting  villagers  to  occupy 
the  mountain  passes.  These  however  had  Tuore  loyalty  and  smartness  than  experience  in 
military  matters,  and  there  ensued  some  hesitation  as  to  the  way  in  which  they  should 
prevent  the  Turks  from  concentrating  their  attack  on  the  fortresses.  It  seemed  natural  to 
take  to  the  open  country,  to  block  the  roads,  and  show  a  bold  front :  but  their  spirit  was 
greater  than  their  means;  tliey  had  but  few  cavalry,  and  not  infantry  enough  to  defend  the 
walls,  and  if  these  men  were  scattered  about  in  outposts  there  would  be  no  one  to  bring 
supplies  to  the  cities.  They  resolved  however  to  meet  the  enemy  in  the  field,  and  the  Count 
di  Rocas,  who  had  with  great  difficulty  c(jllected  three  hundred  horsemen,  with  one  hundred 
Italian  niusketeers  on  ponies,  commanded  by  Antonio  da  Berettino  and  Lazaro  Coccapani, 
started  from  Nicosia,  whih-  Baglione  left  Famagosta  with  three  hundred  mounted  musketeers 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  Sfmdlots,  and  the  Cavalier  Pietro  Roncadi  came  from  Baffo  mth 
tlu'  few  remaining  horsemen.  When  they  had  met  they  began  to  reflect  seriously  on  the 
risk  to  which' they  were  exposing  this  handful  of  men  with  whom  rested  the  very  existence 
of  the  kingdom,  and  that  too  without  a  chance  of  any  signal  success,  their  numbers  bearing 
no  proportion  to  those  of  the  enemy.  They  determined  accordingly  to  return  to  defend  the 
f.,rtresses  and  so  the  Turks  were  left  free  to  advance  safely  into  the  island,  harrying  and 
wasting  the  countrj-  at  th(>ir  will,  and  killing  or  making  captive  its  inhabitants. 

The  Turkish  commanders,  encouraged  by  this  lucky  beginning,  debated  where  first 
to  turn  their  arms.  I'iale  maintained  that  the  army  should  be  led  to  the  siege  of  Famagos  a. 
It  was  easier  to  take,  and  the  soldiers,  cheered  by  the  spoil,  would  be  m  better  heart  for  the 
attack  of  Nicosia,  a  city  situated  in  a  vast  plain,  far  from  the  sea,  and  containing  an  unwarhke 
population,  which  would  be  terror-struck  at  the  fall  of  Famagosta,  and  offer  terms  of 
cauitulation  without  bloodshed,  ,        ,     u  i 

^  Mustafa  differed,  and  thought  that  before  attacking  Famagosta  they  should  make 


92 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


themselves  masters  of  Nicosia,  where  were  collected  the  riches  of  the  kingdom.  Its  conquest 
would  ensure  them  the  possession  of  the  island,  of  which  Nicosia,  from  its  position,  dignity 
and  wealth,  might  be  called  the  heart.  Famagosta  had  been  held  by  the  Genoese  for  a  space 
of  ninety  years  without  disturbing  the  Lusignan  kings  in  their  safe  and  peaceable  possession 
of  the  rest  of  the  kingdom.  Supposing  the  Christian  forces  to  arrive,  the  place  could  easily 
be  recovered,  for  it  was  weak  and  situated  in  a  corner  of  the  kingdom.  The  honour  and 
interest  of  the  Empire  counselled  the  removal  of  the  greater  difficulties:  nor  could  they 
•doubt  but  that  were  Nicosia  taken,  the  victorious  ensigns  of  the  Grand  Signer  would  be 
planted  on  every  fortress  in  the  island. 

The  camp  was  then  moved  towards  Nicosia.  The  Turks  found  no  opposition  on  the 
way :  the  inhabitants,  through  inconstancy  of  temperament,  or  because  the  yoke  of  slavery 
imposed  on  them  by  the  Cypriot  nobles  made  them  flatter  themselves  that  they  might  find 
better  luck  under  a  new  master,  even  offered  them  provisions,  and  gave  them  the  fullest 
information  as  to  the  position  of  affairs  and  the  condition  of  the  island. 

The  confusion  of  the  commanders,  and  the  alarm  of  the  people  of  Nicosia  at  the 
appearance  of  the  Turkish  army  was  incredible :  they  were  as  unready  as  though  the  event 
were  wholly  unexpected.  The  city,  through  the  negligence  of  its  chiefs,  was  poorly  provided 
with  grain :  the  trenches  were  not  thoroughly  dug  out ;  the  inhabitants  were  not  disciplined, 
for  up  to  this  time  so  confident  had  they  been  that  they  would  not  be  attacked  that  they  had 
quite  lately  disbanded  the  island  troops  called  Cernide,  and  left  the  town  undefended. 
Niccolo  Dandolo  had  the  chief  command,  a  man  unfit  for  so  important  a  post :  but  generals 
were  few,  and  a  certain  reputation  acquired  at  sea  seemed  to  point  him  out  as  competent  to 
act  under  the  direct  orders  of  the  Governor-General.  But  this  post  was  unfortunately  vacant. 

Everything  was  in  confusion,  but  what  measures  the  lack  of  time  and  of  experience 
allowed  the  commanders  took.  The  Cernide,  who  had  scarcely  got  back  to  their  villages,  were 
recalled,  and  a  decree  was  published  allowing  everyone  who  brought  food-stuff  into  the  city 
to  sell  it  on  his  own  terms.  It  was  of  little  profit,  for  the  peasants  generally  had  become 
stupid  and  confused,  and  a  very  large  quantity  of  grain,  which  might  have  been  brought 
in  for  the  use  of  the  garrison,  remained  outside,  at  the  disposal,  and  to  the  advantage  of  the 
Turks.  Their  daring  increased  accordingly.  They  pitched  their  camp,  set  up  their  pavilions, 
and  put  their  guns  in  position,  while  not  a  single  Cypriot  sallied  from  the  town  to  interrupt 
the  work. 

The  Ottoman  main  camp  extended  from  Santa  Marina  to  Anglagia,  facing  the  space 
covered  by  four  of  the  city's  bastions,  while  large  bodies  of  horse  and  foot  were  posted  at 
various  points  to  prevent  ingress  to  and  egress  from  the  besieged  fortress. 

Meanwhile  soldiers  and  citizens  were  disposed  within  to  the  best  possible  advantage, 
and  they  began  to  discharge  their  cannon,  of  which  there  was  abundance,  and  created  some 
confusion  in  the  Turkish  camp.  After  many  objections  on  the  part  of  the  generals,  a 
skirmishing  party  of  a  few  Stradiots  left  the  city.  They  dared  not,  on  account  of  their 
scanty  numbers,  get  beyond  the  protection  of  their  guns  :  and  even  so  Andrea  Cortese,  their 
captain,  advanced  too  far,  and  was  surrounded  and  killed.  But  the  more  the  besieged  kept 
on  the  defensive  the  more  the  courage  of  the  Turks  increased.  They  harassed  the  walls 
with  cannon,  drew  trenches  close  to  the  ditch,  and  with  a  dense  hail  of  musketry  and  arrows 
drove  the  defenders  from  their  posts;  and  having  with  incredible  speed  run  up  some  forts 
they  fought  even  at  a  vantage,  filling  the  city  with  terror  and  confusion. 

There  were  ten  thousand  infantry  in  Nicosia,  all  untried  men  collected  from  the  villages 
of  the  island,  and  a  reserve  of  fifteen  hundred  Italians.    The  number  of  pioneers  was  large, 


DIEDO. 


93 


for  besides  the  four  thousand  under  Sosomeno  many  of  the  islanders  had  taken  refuge  within 
the  city :  hut  arms  were  fatally  wanting,  so  that  many  soldiers  took  their  turn  of  duty  on 
the  ramparts  armed  with  spontoons  and  halberts  for  lack  of  pikes  and  muskets.  The  generals 
had  little  authority,  the  subaltern  officers  wavered  in  their  obedience,  and  a  force  which  had 
been  sufficient  for  a  vigorous  resistance,  had  it  been  composed  of  disciplined  and  tried 
soldiers  under  proper  commanders,  was  really  weak  and  ineffective. 

And  so  it  was  that  everyone  felt  that  human  means  were  weak  indeed  to  resist  so  fierce 
an  assault,  and  with  general  prayers  and  solemn  processions  they  implored  the  favour  of 
heaven.  Warm  impulse  was  given  to  the  common  devotion  by  the  example  and  exhortations 
of  Francesco  Contarini,  Bishop  of  Baffo,  who  in  the  absence  of  Filippo  Mocenigo,  Archbishop 
of  Nicosia,  held  the  first  place  among  the  ecclesiastics  of  the  kingdom.  This  prelate  preached 
at  length  to  the  nobles  and  a  large  concourse  of  people  assembled  in  the  church  of  8.  Sophia, 
pointing  out  the  greatness  of  their  danger,  but  also  the  confidence,  which  each  one  should 
repose  in  the  omnipotent  hand  of  (jod,  of  being  able  to  resist  the  fury  of  the  barbarians,  who 
sought  in  the  conquest  of  their  strongholds  to  profane  their  altars,  trample  down  their 
religion,  and  turn  their  churches  into  foul  dens  of  a  false  faith.  He  assured  them  of  the 
earnest  resolve  of  the  Senate  to  give  the  island  efficient  help :  lie  pictured  to  them  the 
preparations  which  the  princes  of  Christendom  were  making  for  the  common  cause,  and 
finally  exhorting  all  to  be  constant,  he  offered  himself  as  the  companion  of  their  dangers, 
and  joined  his  prayers  to  theirs,  that  God  might  bless  their  arms  with  victory,  and  spread 
weakness  and  confusion  among  their  enemies. 

All  were  moved  by  the  bishop's  discourse,  and  there  was  not  a  man  who  did  not  promise 
to  fight  to  the  death.  They  crowded  eagerly  to  the  defence  of  the  walls,  but  many  fell 
pierced  by  the  dense  hail  of  the  'I'urkisli  nnisketry.  In  a  short  time  the  besiegers  had 
occupied  as  much  ground  in  front  as  was  covered  by  two  curtains  and  two  bastions.  The 
scanty  numbers  of  the  besieged  deterred  them  from  sallying  out  to  destroy  the  enemy's 
works,  but  they  harassed  them  with  their  guns,  trusting  to  the  skill  of  Antonio  Berettino,  a 
man  well  versed  in  the  >ise  of  artillery,  to  batti'r  and  raze  the  newly  constructed  forts.  A 
shot  carried  him  off,  and  no  small  number  of  brave  soldiers  fell  beside  him.  And  as  the 
besieged  grow  (>ver  more  and  more  afraid  that  their  resistance  could  not  be  long  maintained, 
so  ever  fresh  confidence  pushed  on  the  Turks,  'i'liey  reached  the  counterscarp,  occupied  the 
fosse,  and  working  away  at  the  foot  of  the  bastions,  made  a  kind  of  stairway  to  pave  the  road 
for  an  assault.  To  try  the  pluck  of  the  besieged  they  made  a  rush  at  the  Costanzo  bastion, 
took  its  defenders  by  sui-prise,  and  dashed  these  back  with  such  violence  that  they  were  able 
to  get  over  the  parapet;  but  being  surrounded  by  the  band  of  Paolo  dal  Vasto  and  Andrea 
di  Aspelle  the  Turks  were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter.  Yet  they  spread  such  terror 
around  them  that  it  was  firmly  believed  that,  had  they  redoubled  their  attacks,  on  that  very 
day  the  city  would  have  easily  fallen  into  their  hands.  The  imminence  of  the  danger  was 
a  lesson  to  the  besieged,  and  after  long  debate  they  determined  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the 
enemy's  works,  and  to  destroy  the  forts,  by  a  sally  in  force:  a  resolution  hailed  with  delight 
by  the  soldiers,  both  horse  and  foot,  who  feaivd  only  a  useless  death  on  the  ramparts. 
Cesare  Piovene,  of  Vicenza,  lieutenant  of  the  Count  di  Kocas,  put  himself  at  their  head. 

At  first  the  sally  had  its  hoped-for  effect,  for  the  Turks  were  surprised  as  they  were 
taking  their  mid-day  rest,  overcome  by  the  excessive  heat,  and  the  Cypriots  captured  two 
forts  and  slew  every  man  who  defended  them.  The  end  might  have  been  as  fortunate.  It 
would  have  been  easy  to  cut  down  the  cavalry,  spike  the  guns,  set  fire  to  the  ammunition, 
luul  not  the  soldiers  thrown  themselves  recklessly  on  the  spoil,  and  given  the  1  urks  time  to 


94 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


rally,  and  to  force  their  assailants  into  hurried  flight,  which  their  eagerness  to  secure  their 
booty  had  almost  made  an  utter  rout.  Piovene,  however,  with  a  handful  of  men,  held  the 
fort  he  had  taken,  and  begged  for  support  from  the  city,  but  the  Count  of  Tripoli,  who  was 
selected  to  help  him,  fearing  that  the  Turks  would  attack  (as  they  did)  the  Costanzo  bastion, 
kept  his  troops  with  him,  and  Piovene,  -with  his  comrades,  was  cut  in  pieces.  The  attempt 
had  no  other  result  than  to  increase  the  watchfulness  of  the  enemy,  who  harassed  the  town 
by  night  and  day. 

The  besieged  gave  up  all  idea  of  further  sallies,  and  devoted  themselves  to  the  repair 
of  the  parapets  of  the  bastions,  which  were  in  many  places  destroyed  by  the  enemy's  guns,  to 
completing  their  shelters,  and  devising  defences  within.  The  works  advanced  but  slowly: 
the  pioneers  overcome  with  fatigue  and  suffering  were  no  longer  fit  for  continuous  labour. 
Yet  soldiers  and  citizens  showed  the  same  determination  to  resist  to  the  end.  The  reports  of 
the  generals  and  the  hope  of  coming  aid  armed  their  courage,  and  their  chiefs  skilfully  spread 
rumoui'S  of  a  letter  received  through  a  renegade,  a  fugitive  from  the  Turkish  camps,  which 
assured  them  of  the  near  approach  of  the  Christian  fleet.  And  Avhile  they  continued  promptly 
and  vigorously  to  repulse  assaults  and  to  harass  the  enemy,  Mustafa  began  to  fear  for  the 
success  of  his  enterprise,  and  after  shooting  into  the  city  darts  to  which  were  bound  letters 
full  of  rumours  and  threats  addressed  to  the  chiefs  and  nobles,  he  signalled  to  the  guard  of 
the  Costanzo  bastion  to  come  to  a  parley.  Hostilities  were  suspended  for  two  hours,  while  he 
caused  notice  to  be  given — "that  he  saw  Avith  surprise  that  no  reply  was  given  to  his  letters, 
as  he  desired  the  safety  of  the  inhabitants  and  the  troops :  that  no  one  must  flatter  himself 
that  he  would  see  the  Sultan's  invincible  host  retire  from  the  walls  before  the  city  surrendered : 
he  knew  well  that  the  best  soldiers  of  the  defending  force  had  perished,  and  that  the  few 
survivors,  as  well  as  the  populace,  nourished  the  vain  hope  that  the  Christian  fleets  were  soon 
to  appear  in  their  waters,  while  in  truth  that  of  the  Venetians  was  melting  away  from  sickness 
and  death,  while  they  lingered  idly  in  the  port  of  Zara  expecting  to  meet  their  Spanish  allies, 
Avho  had  no  intention  of  fitting  out  their  galleys,  so  that  in  this  campaign  the  Turks  had  no 
fear  of  being  molested  by  sea :  that  this  delay  in  surrendering  could  in  no  wise  affect  the 
unhappy  inhabitants  except  by  increasing  the  misery  of  their  condition :  that  if  forthwith 
they  threw  themselves  on  the  mercy  of  the  Sultan  he  offered  them  honourable  conditions,  and 
security  of  life  and  property :  if  they  persisted  in  their  obstinacy  and  continued  the  defence 
they  must  expect  severe  punishment."  The  besieged  after  debate  replied : — "  that  the 
garrison  and  people  of  Nicosia  were  faithful  to  their  Prince,  and  wished  to  preserve  to  their 
latest  breath  their  allegiance  to  their  la^vf  ul  Sovereign :  they  were  certain  that  while  fighting 
in  so  just  a  cause  they  should  not  be  abandoned  by  G-od,  but  even  though  He  had  willed  it 
otherwise,  they  chose  rather  to  die  gloriously  than  to  live  on  in  infamy." 

The  Turks  gave  up  the  hope  of  a  voluntary  surrender  of  the  city,  and  set  themselves 
with  all  their  might  to  reduce  it  by  force.  They  kept  their  cannon  incessantly  at  work,  and 
day  by  day  made  fresh  attacks.  In  one  of  these  Griacomo  di  Nores,  Count  of  Tripoli,  fell  in 
the  Costanzo  bastion ;  his  brother  Francesco  Maria  succeeded  to  his  command. 

As  the  season  was  advancing  Mustafa  determined  to  take  the  city  by  an  attack  of  all 
arms,  Avhile  closely  investing  four  bastions,  Podocataro,  Costanzo,  Davila  and  Tripoli ;  but  so 
strong  was  the  faith  of  the  besieged  in  the  approach  of  help,  that  they  ascribed  the  last 
attempt  of  the  Turks  to  despair,  and  on  every  side  withstood  with  wonderful  courage  the 
assaults  of  the  enemy,  Avhom  they  repulsed  with  alarm  and  loss.  Mustafa  feared  no  less  than 
the  firmness  and  bravery  of  the  besieged  the  hesitation  of  his  own  troops,  and  specially  the 
Janissaries,  to  renew  the  attack,  but  he  encouraged  them  with  the  hope  of  reAvards,  and 


DIKDO. 


95 


announced  that  tlie  first  three  who  crossed  the  walls  should  be  made  Sanjaqs,  while  he  also 
who  first  entered  the  captured  city  should  at  the  first  vacancy  be  raised  to  the  rank  of  Pasha. 
Thinking  that  he  saw  the  vigour  of  his  f(n-ce  i-enewed  by  these  promises  he  resolved  to  lead 
them  to  a  general  attack  on  the  following  morning.  Before  sunrise  the  Turks  moved  up  to 
the  same  bastion  from  which  they  had  been  repulsed  the  day  before;  but  now  they  found  the 
besieged  sunk  in  sleep.  So  greatly  were  they  impressed  with  the  hope  of  coming  aid,  that 
they  felt  secure  against  fresh  attacks :  they  fancied  the  Turks  were  limbering  up  their  guns 
and  preparing  to  retreat,  although  the  noise  which  reached  them  from  the  enemy's  camp  was 
really  that  of  preparation  for  the  final  assault. 

As  it  was,  without  labour  oi-  peril  the  Turks  scaled  the  walls  of  the  Costanzo  bastion, 
cr\ished  the  wearied  defenders,  and  dashed  wildly  into  the  inmost  shelters,  while  the  Count 
di  Rocas  was  too  late  to  put  spirits  into  his  troops,  already  disordered  and  flying.  He  fell 
by  a  musket  ball,  and  with  him  were  lost  all  steadiness,  all  judgment:  the  host  ran  blindly, 
each  man  seeking  in  his  own  house  a  treacherous  shelter.  Pietro  Pisani,  a  Councillor,  and 
Bernardino  Pollani,  Captain  of  the  Salines,  came  up,  but  their  presence  made  little  impression 
on  the  confused  and  flying  troops.  The  first  was  trodden  down  and  killed,  the  other 
retreated  with  a  large  following  int(j  the  city,  and  for  a  long  time  held  his  own  against  the 
terrible  charges  of  the  invaders.  But  the  Turks  were  masters  of  the  Costanzo  bastion,  and 
pressing  on  to  seize  the  rest,  made  terrible  havoc,  showing  no  mercy  to  those  who  threw 
down  their  arms  and  begged  for  life,  and  hacking  down  the  soldiers,  and  so  passed  to  the 
square  where  the  citizens  held  out  with  a  courage  and  fierceness  equal  to  that  of  their 
assailants.  At  last  the  Pasha  of  Aleppo,  who  had  entered  the  city  by  the  Tripoli  bastion, 
bi'ought  up  thence  three  cannon  and  with  repeated  shots  drove  the  crowd,  disordered  and 
maimed,  into  the  courtyard  of  the  palace.  Thither  had  retreated  many  distinguished  persons, 
among  whom  were  the  Lieutenant  and  Bishop  Contanni.  The  Pasha  despatched  to  the 
Lieuteiumt  a  Cypriot  monk  who  had  fallen  into  his  hands,  sunnnoning  the  citizens  to  treat. 
To  save  their  lives  they  agreed  to  yield,  and  by  the  Pasha's  orders  laid  down  their  arms,  but 
the  doors  were  scarcely  opened  when  the  Turks  sprang  with  their  weapons  upon  the  defence- 
less {^rowd,  and  butchered  them  all,  the  chiefs,  the  bishop  and  every  fugitive. 

Such  was  the  lamentable  end  of  the  wretched  citizens,  such  the  tragic  fate  of  Nicosia, 
a  city  famed  as  a  fortress,  glorying  in  its  buildings,  and  widely  known  for  its  riches.  Its 
happy  position,  its  pleasant  climate,  the  gifts  showered  on  it  by  nature,  the  added  charms  of 
art,  had  givi'u  it  a  place  among  the  fairest,  strongest  and  most  renowned  cities  of  Europe. 

'I'he  foi-tress  was  theirs,  and  the  Turks  set  themselves  to  search  it  throughout,  and  to 
work  upon  the  inhabitants,  their  houses  and  churches,  the  impious  barbarities  which  such 
nations  us(>  towards  the  cities  they  conquer.  V'irgins  were  violated,  matrons  dishonoured, 
nobles  and  plebeians  thrown  together  into  chains,  sanctuaries  defiled,  holy  relics  scattered 
and  trampled  under  foot.  Yet  did  not  this  suffice.  Tlie  victorious  soldiery,  satiated  with 
booty,  blo(j(l  and  lust,  gave  further  vent  to  their  execrable  savagery  by  tearing  from  their 
graves  the  bones  and  dust  of  the  dead,  and  scattering  them  in  fiendish  rage  over  the  streets. 

'I'he  niutli  day  of  September  saw  the  fall  of  the  city,  'i'he  attacks  had  lasted  fifteen 
days,  (hiring  which  tinu-  so  fierce  was  the  fighting,  and  so  many  were  killed  both  within  and 
without  the  walls,  that  perhaps  hardly  more  lives  were  sacrificed  in  the  final  combat,  though 
in  that  one  day  were  butchered  more  than  twenty  thousand  persons  of  every  age  and  sex. 
Great  was  the  treasure  sent  by  Mustafa  to  Constantinople,  in  presents  to  the  Sultan  and  chief 
Pashas,  and  the  nund)er  of  prisoners  of  distinction  was  not  inconsiderable.  Wlien  the  greed 
of  connnanders  and  their  troops  was  satisfied,  and  a  garrison  of  four  thousand  soldiers  had 


96 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


taken  up  its  quarters  in  the  city,  the  Turkish  army  left  Nicosia,  on  its  way  to  Famagosta,  the 
only  town  which  remained  faithful  to  the  Venetians ;  for  the  other  districts  of  the  kingdom, 
as  well  as  the  hill-folk,  had  quietly  accepted  the  Turkish  yoke. 


PARUTA. 

Paolo  Paruta  was  born  in  Venice  in  1540,  entered  public  life  on  the  staff  of  an  embassy  sent  by  the 
Piepubhc  in  1562  to  the  Emperor  Maximihan  II.,  and  eventually  filled  all  the  chief  offices  of  State,  short 
of  that  of  Doge.  As  Historiographer  of  the  Republic  he  took  up  the  annals  begun  by  Pietro  Bembo,  and 
continued  by  Luigi  Contarini,  and  brought  them  down  to  March,  1573.  His  account  of  the  Siege  of 
Nicosia  (Storia  delta  Guerra  di  Cipro,  Libri  ire,  8vo,  Siena,  1827,  pp.  92—122)  is  here  given  as  "  made 
English  "  by  Henry  Carey,  second  Earl  of  Monmouth,  who  succeeded  his  father  in  1639,  and  died  s.  p.  m. 
June  13,  1661.  This  translation  was  published  in  folio,  London,  1658.  I  transcribe  from  Part  ii. 
pp.  46 — 60.  The  narrative  of  the  Siege  of  Famagusta  I  have  translated  anew  from  the  original  Italian, 
pp.  122 — 124  and  235 — 261.  Diedo's  account  of  the  same  event  may  be  found  in  his  Storia  della  Repubblica 
di  Venezia,  Venice,  1751,  volume  ii.  book  vn.  pp.  263 — 271. 

Paruta  died  in  1598,  and  his  History  was  published  by  his  sons  in  1605.  It  is  prized  for  its  exactness, 
for  the  dignity  and  strength  of  its  style,  and  the  skilful  way  in  which  the  author  makes  his  full  account 
of  the  affairs  of  Venice  flow  on  with  the  general  stream  of  Italian  history. 

The  Siege  of  Nicosia. 

The  Turkish  Fleet  was  discryed  to  be  about  Balfo,  upon  the  western  Cape  of  the  Island, 
on  the  first  day  of  July,  which  falling  lower  towai-ds  the  South,  scoured  the  River  which  is 
between  Limisso  and  the  Promontory,  which  is  called  by  many  Capo  de'  G-atti,  taking  many 
prisoners,  and  sacking  and  pillaging  several  country  houses.  But  making  no  long  stay  there 
they  steered  the  same  course,  and  came  the  next  day  to  Saline,  a  place  which  lies  upon  the 
same  shore,  somewhat  more  towards  the  East;  where  not  meeting  with  any  to  withstand 
them  they  landed  their  artillery,  and  their  souldiers,  and  secured  their  quarters  by  strong 
Rampiers,  from  whence  they  issued  out  to  plunder  the  neighbouring  parts,  endeavouring  to 
inform  themselves  by  the  prisoners  of  the  affairs  of  the  island,  and  advancing  as  far  as 
Leucata,  a  town  nine  leagues  from  Saline,  they  easily  reduced  those  country  people  to  their 
obedience,  to  whom  Mustafa  Pasha  gave  many  gifts,  and  promised  them  much  more,  thereby 
to  invite  others  to  submit  to  his  devotion,  especially  the  mountainers,  whom  he  could  not  so 
soon  reduce  by  force.  This  mean  while  the  Turks  sent  forth  80  gallies,  and  many  bottoms  of 
burthen,  some  to  Tripoli,  some  to  the  rivers  of  Caramania,  to  raise  more  souldiers  and  horse : 
so  as  their  whole  forces  being  soon  after  brought  together,  there  were  found  (as  most  men 
affirm)  in  the  Turkish  army  50000  Foot,  3000  Pioniers,  2500  Horse  for  war,  besides  as  many 
or  more  for  burthen,  30  pieces  of  artillery,  some  bearing  bullets  of  50  1.  weight,  some  of  100  1., 
and  50  Faulconets.  But  there  were  not  garrisons  in  the  island  of  Cyprus  sufficient  to  resist 
such  forces ;  for  there  were  not  above  2000  Italian  Foot  in  the  usuall  garrisons,  nor  were 
there  any  more  sent  afterwards,  save  3000  of  the  common  people  di  Terra  Ferma,  and  the  2000 
of  Martinengo's  men,  which  by  suffering  at  sea  were  reduced  to  a  much  lesser  number.  So  as 
the  greatest  hope  in  defending  the  cities  lay  in  the  new  Militia,  which  was  mustered  of  the 
islanders  themselves,  from  whom,  as  was  affirmed  by  many  Captains  and  Governours,  excellent 


DIEDO.  PARUTA. 


97 


service  might  upon  all  occasions  be  expected.    Nor  were  there  any  Horse  in  the  Kingdom 
for  action,  save  500  StradinfM  which  were  still  kept  in  pay,  nor  was  it  easie  to  get  more,  for 
though  many  of  the  nobles  who  enjoyed  several  things  from  the  Camera  Reale,  some  through 
antient,  some  through  new  privileges,  were  bound  to  find  by  those  their  Fee-farms  three  or 
four  horses  a  piece  for  the  Prince's  service,  and  that  these  amounted  to  about  700  horses,  yet 
were  there  not  many  more  than  100  of  them  that  were  serviceable  at  this  time.    Nay,  the 
breed  of  horses  was  very  much  decayed  throughout  the  whole  island,  by  reason  of  the 
greater  conveniency  which  the  inhabitants  found  in  riding  upon  mules,  whereof  this  country 
produceth  great  almndance,  and  those  very  large.    Things  were  therefore  in  a  very  bad 
posture,  since  there  wanted  sufficient  forces  to  withstand  so  powerful  an  enemy  who  were 
masters  of  the  field  :  nor  could  they  long  maintain  two  Forts,  whereof  Nicossia  being  one,  by 
reason  of  the  largeness  thereof  required  a  great  many  souldiers  to  defend  it ;  and  the  other 
which  was  Famagosta,  though  it  was  lesser  was  so  weak  and  imperfect  as  it  likewise  required 
many  men,  and  tho.se  valiant  ones  too,  to  make  good  the  defects  of  the  Fort.    And  though 
these  forces  were  but  small  yet  were  they  of  lesser  use  for  want  of  experienced  commanders: 
for  there  was  not  anyone  in  the  whole  island  of  quality  or  condition  save  Astore  Baglione, 
who  was  general  of  that  Militia,  Martinengo  being  dead  at  .sea  as  hath  been  said.    Nor  was 
there  any  Commissary  (leneral  of  the  island,  nor  any  Venetian  magistrate,  as  is  usually  had 
in  all  places  in  times  of  danger;  for  ijorenzo  Bembo,  who  held  that  place,  was  dead  but 
a  little  before,  in  wliose  place  tliough  the  Senate  soon  chose  Sebastian  Veniero,  Commissary 
of  Corfu,  yet  could  he  not  come  so  soon  to  Cyprus  to  execute  his  office.    The  chief  commands 
of  war  were  therefore  conferr(>d  upon  divers  Cyprian  gentlemen,  who  were  of  great  wealth 
and  nobility,  and  very  well  affected  towards  the  commonwealth,  but  of  very  little  or  no 
experience  at  all  in  the  Militia,  and  therefore  the  less  fit  for  such  employment.    Count  Rocas 
was  made  liaglione's  Lieutenant,  who  after  Bembo's  death  held  supream  authority  in  all 
things  belonging  to  the  Militia.    Ciacomo  di  Nores,  Count  of  Tripoli,  was  master  of  the 
artillery;  Giovanni  Singlitico,  Captain  of  all  the  horse  of  the  kingdom,  (iiovanni  Sosomeno, 
Captain  of  the  PionitM-s,  Scipione  Caraffa  and  Pietro  Paolo  Singlitico,  Captains  of  the  country 
people,  who  were  to  be  placed  in  strong  situations  upon  the  mountains;  and  so  other  offices 
and  emplo>  ni("nts  were  disposed  of  to  others.   And  the  received  opinion  being  that  the  Turks 
would  first  assault  Famagosta,  Baglione  would  go  to  the  custody  thereof  himself,  that  he 
might  use  his  endeavours  where  there  should  be  most  need.    Things  being  thus  ordered, 
after  many  consultations  it  was  concluded,  that  the  first  thing  they  would  do  should  be  by 
all  possible  means  to  hinder  the  enemy  from  landing;  or  at  least  to  infest  them,  keepmg 
along  the  shf)re  whither  they  should  seem  to  come,  so  as  they  should  be  enforced  to  separate 
and  change  their  station,  by  that  means  prolonging  the  business  since  they  could  not  tarry 
long  upon  those  downs  without  danger,  where  th(-re  was  no  harbour  for  their  fleet:  accordmg 
to  which  advice  as  soon  as  they  heard  news  of  the  enemy's  approach,  Count  Rocas  parted 
from  Nicossia  with  three  hundred  horse,  which  was  all  that  in  so  great  haste  could  be  got 
together  and  witli  one  hundred  dragoons,  commanded  by  Antonio  dal  Beretino  and  l.azzaro 
Cocopan'i,  and  marched  towards  the  place  which  was  designed  for  mustermg  all  the  Horse, 
which  was  a  fitting  plac,>  for  that  purpose,  not  far  from  the  shores  of  the  Sahne  where  it  wa^ 
thought  the  enemy's  Heet  would  laud  their  men,  because  there  was  the  best  anchormg,  and 
for  that  it  was  nearest  the  two  chiefest  cities,  Nicossia  and  Famagosta.    Baghone  went  also 
from  Famagosta  with  800  dragoons  and  150  stradiotti.    Pietro  Roncadi,  who  was  (xovernor 
of  the  Albanese  Militia,  going  at  th(>  same  time  from  Baffo,  ^vith  the  rest  of  the  cavalry ; 
which  being  all  met  they  resolved  not  to  advance  any  further,  nor  to  attempt  anythmg,  but 

13 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


to  return  all  from  whence  they  came;  were  it  either,  for  that  they  considered  their  forces 
better,  or  for  the  nearness  of  the  danger,  being  much  troubled  at  the  suddain  news,  that 
above  300  sail  (for  so  it  was  reported)  were  already  upon  the  shore ;  or  for  that  they  thought 
it  was  too  late,  and  would  be  to  no  purpose  to  do  what  they  formerly  had  resolved,  the 
enemy  being  already  arrived,  and  having  begun  to  land  their  men.  So  all  things  were  left 
free  and  safe  to  the  Turks,  to  their  no  little  wonder;  for  they  began  at  first  to  suspect  that 
this  easy  entrance  into  the  enemy's  country  did  not  proceed  from  any  weakness,  negligence 
or  cowardice  of  the  defendants,  but  that  it  might  be  done  out  of  some  design,  or  military 
stratagem,  to  draw  them  unawares  into  some  snare.  They  therefore  knew  not  at  first  what 
to  do,  and  proceeded  with  much  caution ;  but  having  over  run  many  parts  and  done  much 
prejudice,  not  meeting  with  any  resistance,  they  grew  more  bold ;  they  did  not  only  advance 
with  their  whole  camp,  but  roved  up  and  down  everywhere  whithersoever  their  desire  of 
pillage  or  any  other  thing  drew  them,  without  any  order  or  colours. 

But  the  Commanders,  that  they  might  lose  no  more  time  in  vain,  began  to  think  upon 
drawing  near  one  of  the  two  chiefest  Forts  of  the  Kingdom.  Piali  was  for  expugning 
Famagosta  first,  hoping  to  get  it  within  a  few  days,  which  being  lost,  he  said,  that  Nicossia 
must  likewise  necessarily  fall  soon  into  their  hands ;  for  that  being  full  of  unnecessary  people, 
far  from  the  seashore,  in  midst  of  a  Campagna,  beset  by  so  many  enemies,  it  would  not  be 
able  to  be  relieved,  without  which  it  could  not  long  hold  out.  That  Famagosta  was  a  little 
and  a  weak  Fort,  and  so  defective  as  it  would  not  be  able  to  withstand  the  first  battery ;  nor 
were  the  defendants  so  many,  or  so  valiant,  as  that  they  durst  expect  the  assault  of  so  brave 
an  army,  whose  reputation  would  be  so  much  encreased  by  that  victory,  as  all  things  would 
become  easy  which  might  as  yet  peradventure  be  thought  difficult.  Nay,  this  sole  example 
infusing  terrour  into  all  the  inhabitants  would  be  sufficient  to  put  them  soon  and  with  little 
trouble,  in  possession  of  the  whole  kingdom.  But  Mustafa  aflfirmed  on  the  contrary  that  the 
reputation  of  so  great  forces  ought  not  to  be  lessened  by  falling  upon  petty  enterprises, 
whereby  to  encourage  the  enemy  and  to  dishearten  their  own  men.  That  Famagosta  was 
possessed  by  the  Genueses  for  the  space  of  90  years,  and  yet  the  Lusignan  Kings  were 
masters  of  the  Island  at  the  same  time.  So  as  it  might  be  conceived,  the  taking  of  that  city 
would  not  make  much  towards  the  getting  of  the  whole  kingdom;  whereas  the  whole  nobility 
were  withdrawn  into  Nicosia,  and  most  of  the  people,  wealth  and  ammunition  of  the  island, 
so  as  one  labour  might  do  the  whole  business.  That  the  alterations  which  are  often  seen  to 
fall  out  in  a  short  time  when  great  actions  are  in  hand,  are  not  to  be  foreseen :  nor  was  it 
certain  that  Famagosta  would  be  so  soon  taken,  but  that  they  should  rather  be  necessitated 
to  imploy  those  forces  elsewhere,  according  as  the  Christian  Fleet  should  divert  them :  so  as 
if  they  should  depart  from  the  island,  and  leave  the  enemy  masters  of  almost  all  the  whole 
kingdom,  they  should  get  but  little  good  by  such  an  enterprise.  He  further  added,  that  the 
air  about  Famagosta  was  very  bad,  the  town  being  seated  low  amongst  marish  grounds,  and 
that  therefore  it  would  be  unsupportable  to  those  that  were  not  long  accustomed  thereunto ; 
that  therefore  they  were  not  to  carry  their  soldiers  where  they  were  likely  to  perish  of 
sickness,  but  where  they  might  give  proof  of  their  valour:  that  to  die  without  praise  or 
merit  was  common ;  that  no  worthy  valiant  man  could  fear  the  greatest  dangers  of  war,  or 
of  the  enemy's  forces,  when  they  were  accompanied  with  the  hopes  of  glory.  Moreover,  that 
they  had  learnt  by  such  prisoners  as  they  had  taken,  that  the  men  of  chiefest  authority,  and 
best  experienced  souldiers,  were  withdrawn  into  Famagosta,  wherein  the  true  defence  of 
cities  lay ;  not  in  walls  nor  bulworks,  when  every  man's  valour  is  to  be  tryed  in  assaults ; 
the  skill  and  worth  of  his  souldiers  being  much  better,  as  was  known  by  experience,  in  taking 


PARUTA. 


99 


in  of  strongholds,  than  was  the  art  or  industry  of  Christians  in  erecting  or  in  defending 
them.  That  their  great  train  of  artillery,  the  infinite  number  of  their  Pioners,  and  their 
experience  in  such  things,  would  facilitate  their  throwing  down  the  walls  of  Nicossia,  and 
the  bringing  of  their  valiant  souldiers  to  an  assault;  wherein  being  to  meet  with  but  little 
resistance,  by  i-eason  of  the  paucity  and  pusillanimity  of  the  defendants;  it  was  not  to  be 
doubted  but  that  the  victory  would  fall  into  their  hands,  with  as  much,  nay  peradventure 
with  more  easiness  than  they  could  hope  for  of  Famagosta,  but  certainly  with  much  greater 
rewards,  and  more  worth  their  labour  and  hazard. 

For  these  reasons,  and  out  of  the  respect  born  to  Mustafa's  authority  they  resolved  to 
attempt  Nicossia  first,  towards  which  the  whole  Camp  moved  the  22  of  July,  having  sent  five 
hundred  Horse  towards  Famagosta,  to  hinder  commerce  between  those  two  cities.    All  this 
while  the  Cavalry  lay  idle  in  Nicossia,  leaving  the  whole  country  open  and  free  to  be  pillaged 
by  the  enemy,  though  Cavalier  Roncadi,  and  some  other  Cxentlemen  of  the  City,  did  often 
earnestly  desire  that  they  might  go  out,  and  shew  themselves  to  the  enemy,  to  keep  them 
from  growing  the  bolder,  by  reason  of  these  the  Nicossians'  too  timorous,  and  peradventure 
too  cowardly  counsells.    But  those  who  had  the  Government  of  afFairs,  not  thinking  it  fit  to 
hazard  those  men  who  were  intended  for  the  defence  of  the  City,  would  by  no  means  be 
brought  to  give  way  thereunto.  Yet  being  more  moved  by  the  offences  of  their  own  men  than 
by  those  of  the  enemy,  when  they  heard  of  the  rebellion  of  Lefcara's  family,  which  had  not 
onely  suddenly  come  in  to  Mustafa,  but  committing  other  outrages  to  the  prejudice  of  those 
of  the  City,  had  sent  some  of  their  men  to  persuade  other  Citizens,  who  had  retired 
themselves  to  certain  nan-ow  passages  amidst  the  mountains,  and  were  free  from  being 
injured  by  the  Turks,  that  following  their  example,  they  should  discend  into  the  plains,  and 
submit  willingly  unto  the  Turks,  it  was  resolved  one  night  to  send  out  100  Horse  and  400 
Foot  to  fire  that  hamlet,  whereof  almost  all  the  inhabitants,  to  the  number  of  above  400  were 
put  to  the  sword.    Thus  their  treachery  was  severely  punisht,  and  by  the  terror  thereof,  the 
desire  of  novelty  was  curb'd  in  many  of  the  inhabitants,  by  reason  of  the  slavery  wherein 
they  were,  for  the  aforesaid  causes,  so  as  it  was  clearly  seen,  that  hoping  by  change  of 
government  to  change  their  fortune,  they  were  not  onely  not  likely  to  oppose  the  enemy,  but 
rather  to  afford  them  all  conveniency ;  which  inclination  of  theirs  Mustafa  sought  by  all 
possible  means  to  nourish,  making  many  presents,  and  greater  promises  to  such  as  should 
come  in  unto  him.    But  the  Turks  pursuing  their  way  without  any  obstacle,  drew  near  the 
walls  of  Nicossia,  and  as  soon  as  the  Army  was  discovered  by  those  that  were  within  the 
town,  they  were  all  possest  with  infinite  fear.    Nicolo  Dandolo  was  then  Governor  of  that 
City.'being  made  lieutenant  thereof  by  the  Common-wealth,  a  man  of  weak  judgement  to 
manage  so  weighty  a  businesse,  but  who  had  that  preferment  put  upon  him,  out  of  an  opinion 
conceived,  that  though  he  was  not  very  quick  witted,  yet  he  was  good  at  action,  by  reason 
of  the  experience  which  ho  was  believed  to  have  gotten  in  severall  imployments  at  sea.  He 
having  either  lost  his  understanding  through  the  extraordinary  apprehension  of  danger,  or 
not  knowing  through  his  want  of  reason  and  understanding,  how  to  provide  against  so  great 
an  exigency,  increased  the  difficulties  and  danger:  for  when  the  enemies'  fleet  was  arrived, 
he  had  not  got  the  ditches  to  be  fully  emptied,  nor  ordered  the  Militia,  nor  those  of  the 
country  nor  provided  for  sufficient  victualls  for  the  City.    To  amend  which  disorders  he  was 
forced  to  commit  greater;  a  publick  Edict  was  made,  that  it  should  be  lawf ull  for  every  one 
to  take  corn  wheresoever  they  could  finde  it,  which  being  brought  mto  the  City,  should  be 
understood  to  be  their  own,  which  being  too  late  a  remedy,  could  not  work  the  effect  which 
was  expected;  a  good  part  thereof  being  left  abroad  in  the  country  houses,  with  a  double 

13— "2 


100 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


inconvenience  to  the  country-men,  by  reason  of  the  advantage  the  enemy  made  thereof. 
Moreover,  having  with  very  little  regard  to  the  eminency  of  the  danger  dismist  the  meaner 
sort,  he  in  great  haste,  and  confusion,  sent  for  them  back,  before  they  were  got  to  their  own 
homes,  and  did  at  the  same  time  list  new  souldiers  in  the  country,  as  the  occasion  and 
necessity  did  best  dictate ;  whilst  our  men  opprest  thus  by  many  mischiefs,  spent  their  time 
in  ordering  their  affairs,  and  in  advising  how  they  might  hinder  or  disturb  the  enemies' 
proceedings;  all  resolutions  being  the  longer  in  taking,  for  want  of  any  Chieftaine,  who 
might  decide  the  diversity  of  opinions :  the  Turks  had  leasure  and  opportunity  given  them, 
to  set  up  their  Pavillions,  plant  their  Artillery,  and  fortifie  their  Quarters,  not  meeting  with 
any  disturbance,  save  by  shot  from  the  town.  For  though  the  Stradiotti  did  often  sally  out 
with  some  companies  of  Harchebugiers  to  skirmish,  yet  not  daring  by  reason  of  their  small 
numbers,  to  go  further  from  the  walls  than  they  were  sheltred  by  shot  from  the  town,  nor 
the  enemy  approaching  so  near,  as  that  they  might  be  thereby  prejudiced,  nothing  of 
moment  insued.  And  Andrea  Cortese,  Captain  of  the  Stradiotti,  a  bold  and  adventurous 
man,  being  one  day  advanc'd  a  good  way  before  his  own  men,  he  was  inviron'd  by  a  great 
many  of  the  enemy,  and  after  having  valiantly  defended  himself  for  a  long  while,  was  slain. 
The  Turkish  Army  incampt  themselves  from  Santa  Marina  to  Aglangia,  possessing  the  whole 
space  of  ground  which  was  opposite  to  four  Bulworks :  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  Fort, 
whither  the  Campe  reached  not,  each  Bashaw  sent  out  100  Horse,  and  as  many  Foot,  so  as 
the  City  being  inviron'd  on  all  sides,  could  neither  receive  in,  nor  send  out  any  men. 

Nicossia  stands  in  the  midst  of  the  Island,  almost  equally  distant  from  the  Northern  and 
Southern  shore,  and  from  the  two  utmost  parts  of  the  Island,  Baffo,  and  Carpasso :  It  abounds 
in  fresh  water,  is  of  an  indifferent  wholsome  air,  being  breath'd  on  by  the  pleasant  South- 
west wind,  which  inlivens  and  refresheth  the  inhabitants  when  they  are  wearied,  and 
swelter'd  with  the  immoderate  heat  of  that  climate,  wherefore  it  was  more  inhabited  than  any 
other  City  of  the  Kingdom ;  and  this  was  the  cause  why  the  Island  being  to  be  secured  by 
a  Fort,  the  Cyprians,  not  valuing  any  other  situation,  concur'd  all  of  them  readily  and 
liberally  in  contributing  towards  this,  so  as  this  City  was  reduced  into  a  Fort  Royall,  by  the 
means  of  Francesco  Barbaro,  Commissary  of  the  Island,  and  of  Julio  Savorgnano,  the 
(lovernor,  to  whom  the  Senate  had  committed  the  particular  care  thereof.  The  Fort  was  of 
a  circular  form,  with  eleven  bulwarks  whose  front  was  75  paces,  and  their  shoulders  thirty ; 
so  as  each  of  them  was  capable  of  2000  foot,  and  of  four  pieces  of  Cannon,  and  they  were  so 
built,  as  there  being  out-lets  on  every  side,  the  souldiers  might  go  shelter'd  on  all  sides  to  the 
counterscarpe ;  but  they  were  chiefly  secured  to  the  platforms,  which  were  above  30  paces 
broad,  so  as  it  was  held  by  such  as  were  possessors  of  military  discipline  one  of  the  fairest 
and  best  fortifications  that  was  in  the  world,  for  as  much  as  could  be  contributed  by  art. 
But  as  there  was  plenty  of  these  things,  so  was  there  scarcity  of  defendants;  for  when 
Astore  Baglione  went  from  thence,  Colonell  Roncone  remained  there,  with  charge  of  the 
Oommunalty  of  the  Island,  and  of  all  the  Italian  Militia,  and  some  other  captains,  who 
though  they  had  some  experience  in  war,  and  were  ambitious  of  honour;  yet  having  but 
small  authority,  their  advice  profited  but  a  little :  for  they  were  either  not  listened  to, 
through  the  indiscretion  of  such  as  stood  at  the  helm  of  government ;  or  else  accepted  of  with 
much  dispute  and  difficulty,  and  therefore  but  slowly,  and  badly  executed.  It  was  therefore 
resolved,  to  send  to  Famagosta,  to  desire  Baglione,  that  he  himself  would  come  to  Nicossia, 
and  bring  some  souldiers  along  with  him :  but  the  Magistrates  of  that  City  thinking  that 
they  had  not  men  enough  to  defend  it,  and  not  being  certain  but  that  the  enemy  might  alter 
their  minds,  so  as  they  might  have  occasion  to  use  them  themselves ;  they  positively  refused 


PARUTA. 


101 


to  part  either  with  their  men,  or  with  their  Captain;  and  Baglione  making  use  of  their 
authority,  desired  to  be  excused  for  that  time :  adding  that  Martinengo's  souldiers,  having 
lost  their  Commander,  said  absolutely  that  they  would  render  obedience  to  none  but  to  him; 
so  as  his  coming  away  might  cause  some  great  disorder  in  that  City.    There  were  then  in 
Nicossia  10000  foot  for  her  defence,  whereof  1500  were  Italians,  and  all  the  rest  inhabitants 
of  the  Island,  to  wit,  3000  of  the  common  sort,  2500  of  the  City,  2000  newly  lifted  into  the 
Militia,  taken  out  of  the  countiy  houses,  and  paid  partly  out  of  the  Exchequer,  partly  out  of 
private  mens  purses,  and  1000  Nicossian  gentlemen:  these  were  almost  all  new  men  un- 
experienced, and  not  over-well  armed,  in  so  much  as  many  wanting  Pikes  and  Muskets  were 
forced  to  use  Bills  and  Halberts.    But  the  City  was  very  well  provided  of  artillery,  nor  were 
there  wanting  such  as  knew  how  to  manage  them ;  they  had  likewise  great  store  of  Pioners, 
to  make  use  of  upon  any  occasion :  for,  to  boot  with  4000  listed  under  Jovan  Sosomeno,  they 
had  taken  in  above  4000  more  fit  for  such  imployments.    Yet  amidst  so  many  men,  and  so 
much  ground,  the  commanders  not  agreeing  in  the  manner  how  to  order  their  inworks,  this 
so  necessary  provision  was  left  imperfect.    By  these  disorders  these  forces  were  weakened, 
which  were  certainly  too  few  to  resist  so  puissant  an  army  of  the  enemies;  wherein,  on  the 
contrary,  great  observancy,  and  reverence  was  given  to  the  commanders,  and  all  military 
actions,  being  severely  ordei'ed,  were  with  strange  readinesse  observed.    Mustafa's  authority, 
who  was  a  bold  and  warlike  personage,  as  also  his  reputation  by  the  fame  which  he  had  won 
by  fighting  in  Helino's  army  before  he  was  emperour,  against  his  brother  Ahmed;  the 
unhoped  for  victory  which  was  then  gotten  being  attributed  to  his  forward  valour.  The 
souldiers,  who  were  accustomed  to  the  duties  of  war,  to  labour  and  hardships,  grew  much 
more  hardy,  by  the  opinion  they  had  of  their  captain's  worth  and  by  the  hopes  of  great 
reward  which  was  promised  them  upon  getting  the  victory.    There  were,  as  hath  been  said, 
a  great  number  of  men  in  the  army,  the  chief e  foundation  whereof  consisted  in  6000  Janisaries, 
and  4000  Spacrlii,  (these  are  souldiers  who  are  kept  in  continuall  pay,  to  serve  on  horse-back, 
and  upon  occasion,  do  serve  with  others  on  foot)  valiant  men,  and  brought  up  in  war. 
'Hierefore  the  more  humane  foresight  had  been  wanting  to  provide  against  such  forces,  the 
more  did  they  apply  themselves  to  beg  assistance  from  Cod.    Solemn  processions  were  daily 
made  throughout  the  City,  which  were  done  the  more  frequently,  and  with  the  more  devotion, 
by  the  example  and  exhortation  of  Francisco  Contarini,  Bishop  of  Baffo,  in  whom  episcopall 
dignity  became  more  honourable  and  reverend  by  the  ancient  nobility,  and  by  the  riches  of 
his  family,  and  by  his  own  goodness  and  worth.    He  being  the  prime  ecclesiastick  person, 
(for  Philippo  Mocenico,  Arch-bishop  of  Nicossia,  was  then  at  Venice)  was  not  wanting  in 
performing  such  duties  to  tho.se  people  which  they  could  have  expected  from  their  own 
pastour.    The  chief  of  the  City  being  one  day  assembled  in  the  church  of  Santa  Sophia, 
where  were  also  many  men  of  all  conditions,  he  spoke  thus  unto  them. 

"If  I  shall  look  upon  the  greatnesse  of  the  present  dangers,  I  cannot  but  much 
"apprehend  the  connnon  safety;  and  as  doubting  the  issue,  and  with  a  submisse  mind, 
"  yield  to  adverse  fortune.  And  if  on  the  other  side,  I  think  upon  your  worth,  magnanimity, 
"  fortitude,  and  constancy,  I  ftnde  a  certain  warmth  arise  within  me,  which  encourageth  me 
"  to  hope  for  better  things.  But  if  I  raise  myself  from  these  more  lowly  cogitations,  to  the 
"  consideration  of  divine  providence  and  goodnesse,  my  first  fear  is  not  onely  allayed,  but  is 
"  changed  into  an  assured  hope :  For  when  I  observe  the  truth  better,  I  know  that  hard  and 
"difficult  things  become  easye,  to  such  as  are  valiant;  and  even  impossibilities  to  faithfuU 
"  Christians,  are  made  facile.  Therefore  if  you  be  not  wanting  in  your  antient  and  known 
"  worth  and  if  you  continue  constant  and  stedfast  in  that  faith,  which,  together  with  your 


102 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


"  own  safeties,  you  have  undertaken  to  defend,  I  am  assured,  you  will  find  these  troubles  at 
"  the  last,  not  ordained  for  your  mine,  but  for  your  praise  and  eternal  glory.  "We  know  by 
"  infinite  examples  of  all  ages,  how  many  sieges  have  been  withstood  and  rendred  vain,  by 
"  a  few,  though  the  besiegers  were  very  numerous.  Constant  worth,  and  a  noble  resolution 
"  of  undaunted  mind  being  sufficient  to  stave  off  great  dangers.  But  as  for  such,  whom  Grod 
''hath  taken  into  His  particular  custody,  no  powers  of  man  hath  been  able  to  prejudice  them; 
"  nay,  nature's  self,  the  very  Heavens  and  Elements  have  been  subservient  to  them.  The 
"  waters  stood  still,  and  made  a  safe  passage  to  the  Jewes,  through  the  midst  of  the  sea ;  the 
"  most  scorched  grounds  afforded  them  fountains  of  clear  water,  to  refresh  them  withall,  and 
"  the  Heavens  gave  them  Manna,  a  miraculous  food,  to  nourish  them.  We  are  to  hope  for 
"  these,  or  the  like  assistances,  from  the  hand  of  Grod,  for  Selino  Ottaman  is  a  no  lesse 
"  wicked  and  cruell  persecutor  of  the  faithfull,  than  was  that  antient  Pharaoh.  Nor  are  we 
"  Christians,  who  are  bought  with  the  blood  of  His  Son,  lesse  dear  to  God,  or  lesse  beloved  by 
"  Him,  than  any  others  have  formerly  been,  of  which  future  miracle  we  have  an  evident  late 
"  example,  which  may  perswade  us  to  believe  we  may  share  of.  Do  you  know  in  what 
"  condition  the  Island  of  Malta  was,  this  time  five  years  ?  begirt  by  so  long  and  so  sore 
"  a  siege,  oppugned  by  so  many  souldiei'S,  defended  by  so  few,  void  of  all  hopes  of  help,  and 
"  in  all  sorts  of  wants  and  necessities.  Yet  the  defendants,  no  whit  lessening  their  valour  nor 
"  loyalty,  for  whatsoever  adverse  fortune,  the  Barbarians  power  was  rendred  vain  and  uselesse, 
"  and  they  were  laught  at,  for  their  over-daring  attempt.  And  that  the  power  of  divine 
"  providence  might  the  more  appear,  the  Fort,  when  reduced  to  the  last  extremity,  was  freed 
"  from  the  siege  by  the  enemy,  before  it  was  relieved  by  friends.  You  are  to  imitate  those 
"  stout  and  valiant  men,  by  exposing  your  selves  willingly  to  all  the  labours  and  dangers  of 
"  war,  nay  you  must  exceed  them :  for  those  knights,  being  forrainers,  of  severall  nations, 
"  fought  for  religion,  and  glory ;  you  do  not  onely  defend  these,  but  also  your  wives,  children, 
"  and  estates ;  so  as  all  things,  both  human  and  divine,  invite  you  to  shew  invincible  valour ; 
"  and  that  the  more  readily  and  boldly,  as  that  you  being  free  men,  and  generous,  are  to 
"  fight  against  slaves,  base  aiid  unarmed  people,  wont  to  overcome  more  by  their  numbers, 
"  than  their  valour.  Which  advantage  they  at  the  present  want,  this  City  being  defended 
"  by  strong  walls,  and  by  so  many  great  guns,  as  this  alone  will  be  sufficient  to  repulse  the 
"  enemy,  who  if  they  shall  dare  to  assault  us,  you  are  sure  of  the  victory,  if  you  can  but 
"  withstand  their  first  brunt.  For  it  cannot  be  long  ere  the  succour  come,  which  you  have 
"  heard  our  common  wealth  is  sending  us,  with  a  powerfull  Fleet,  which  will  never  refuse  to 
"  expose  all  her  forces  readily,  for  the  preservation  of  this  kingdom,  which  she  esteems,  as 
"  a  noble  member  of  her  state,  and  loves  so  well.  These  humane  provisions  being  of  them- 
"  selves  sufficient  to  deliver  us,  will,  through  your  prayers,  faith,  and  firm  resolution  to  forego 
"  your  sins,  make  you  invincible ;  when  your  sins  being  punished  more  by  fear  then  pain, 
"  you  shall  have  time  and  reason,  to  honour  and  praise  the  All-gloi'ious  God,  Who  shewing 
"  you  only  the  face  of  His  anger,  in  the  fury  of  this  barbarous  Ottaman,  will  have  provided 
"for  your  souls  health,  and  for  your  atchieving  of  heavenly  blessings,  together  Avith  the 
"preservation  of  your  lives,  country,  and  estates;  to  the  end  that  you  may  use  all  these 
"  hereafter,  to  His  glory.  Who  is  the  true  and  liberall  Lord,  and  the  free  giver  of  all  grace." 

The  whole  auditory  seemed  much  affected  by  these  words,  so  as  they  cheerfully  comforted 
one  another;  and  preparing  couragiously  to  defend  themselves,  they  betook  themselves 
solicitously  to  all  military  actions,  to  secure  their  parapets,  to  bestow  their  companies  in 
places  of  greatest  danger,  and  to  guard  their  bulworks  carefully.  The  danger  encreased 
daily,  as  the  enemy  drew  nearer;  for  the  Turks  wanting  neither  for  diligence  nor  industry. 


PARUTA.  103 

were  come  with  their  trenches  very  near  the  ditch,  and  by  frequent  musquet  shot,  playing 
upon  those  that  were  upon  the  walls,  kept  them  from  appearing  upon  the  parapets.  Moreover, 
they  planted  diverse  great  pieces  towards  the  City,  on  St.  Marina's  side,  whereby  they  did 
much  prejudice  to  the  houses,  not  without  great  fear  unto  the  people.  But  that  which  gave 
the  commanders  justest  cause  of  fear,  was,  their  stupendious  earth  works,  which  being  made 
with  great  art  and  expedition,  severall  forts  were  seen  within  a  few  daies,  to  be  raised  to  such 
a  height,  as  the  enemies  standing  upon  them,  might  fight  securely, and  upon  great  advantage; 
and  make  use,  not  onely  of  their  artillery  against  our  men,  but  of  their  arrows,  and  artificiall 
fire-works,  which  being  thrown  over  the  walls,  and  fastning  upon  wool-sacks,  whereof  the 
traverses  were  made,  destroyed  those  works,  depriving  those  within  of  those  defences.  The 
difficulty  grew  the  greater  to  the  defendants,  for  that  being  but  a  few,  they  could  hardly 
supply  the  duties,  which  the  defence  of  so  many  places  required ;  so  as  they  were  forced  to 
keep  from  sending  people  abroad  to  molest  the  enemy,  lest  they  might  add  to  their  own 
difficulties.  Their  chief  hope  lay  in  their  artillery,  which  being  well  managed,  did  disturb 
the  enemies  works;  Antonio  dal  Beretino,  a  witty  man,  and  a  well  experienced  canonier, 
did  much  good  thereby  to  those  of  the  town.  But  the  City  soon  lost  him,  and  many  others, 
who  were  well  verst  in  that  affair;  for  being  shot  by  the  enemies,  whereunto  they  were 
continually  exposed,  most  of  them  were  slain.  So  as  the  Turks  brought  on  their  trenches  so 
far,  as  they  came  to  the  counterscarfe,  wherein  making  some  breaches,  they  at  last  entred 
the  ditch ;  and  having  thereby  made  rampiers  of  earth,  whereby  to  defend  themselves  from 
the  enemies  shot,  they  began  to  undermine  the  bulworks  with  their  mat-hooks,  so  as  they 
soon  made  stairs,  whereby  they  might  the  more  easily  mount  the  bulworks ;  and  climbing  up 
thereby,  they  began  to  make  some  little  assaults  upon  the  bulworks,  Costanzo  and  Podocataro, 
(which  were  so  called,  from  the  families  of  such  gentlemen,  as  had  had  a  particular  care  in 
building  the  Fort)  to  see,  how  they  that  were  within  would  behave  themselves.  And  so  it 
fell  out,  as  those  who  were  upon  the  defence  of  Costanzo,  being  surprised  at  unawares, 
suffered  themselves  to  be  so  charged,  as  numy  of  the  Turks  advancing  very  boldly,  got 
beyond  the  parapets,  but  Paolo  dal  Guasto  and  Andrea  da  Spelle,  falling  upon  them  with 
their  companies,  the  enemies  were  repulst,  much  to  their  prejudice ;  but  not  without  the  losse 
of  many  of  our  men,  particularly  of  Andrea  who  fighting  valiantly  amongst  the  foremost, 
was  slain.  This  unexpected  assault  did  so  terrific  the  defendants,  as  many  thought,  that  if 
the  Turks  had  seconded  the  first  assailants  with  greater  forces,  the  City  would  have  been 
lost.  But  the  eschewing  of  this  danger  gave  them  no  better  hopes,  for  they  could  find  no 
way  to  disturb  the  Turks  works,  who  labouring  continually  in  the  making  of,  as  it  were, 
severall  cawseys  of  earth,  twenty  five  foot  broad,  which  reached  from  their  trenches  to  the 
breaches,  which  (as  hath  been  said)  was  made  in  the  counterscarf ;  and  sheltring  those  waies 
(m  the  sides,  with  faggots,  and  baskets  fill'd  with  earth,  they  prepared  for  greater,  and  more 
secure  assaults;  which  if  they  were  not  timely  opposed,  there  was  no  way  of  safety  left.  So 
as  though  it  was  a  hard  and  dubious  thing,  to  expose  the  best  of  their  few  good  souldiers  to 
so  great  danger;  yet  no  better  exigency  appearing,  they  resolved  upon  that  course  at  last, 
which  had  been  severall  times  before  refused.  Cesare  Piovene,  an  Italian,  Count  Rocas  his 
Lieutenant,  sallied  therefore  out  of  the  town,  %vith  part  of  the  Italian  foot,  and  with  the 
horse,  intending  to  fight  the  enemies  trenches,  and  their  forts,  to  clog  their  artillery,  and  to 
destroy,  or  at  least  to  do  what  mischief  he  could  to  their  works,  which  resolution  was  very 
welcome  to  the  souldiers,  who  were  impatient  to  see  themselves  daily  wasted,  and  the  utmost 
of  dangers  to  draw  nigh,  without  making  any  triall  of  themselves,  or  taking  revenge  upon 
the  enemie.    But  this  generous  action,  being  perhaps  too  lately  attempted,  was  then  too 


104  EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 

precipitously  pursued,  m'ought  not  the  good  eifect  whicli  was  hoped  for  nor  which  the  happy 
beginning  promised ;  wherein  Piovine  boldly  advancing,  took  two  of  the  enemies  forts,  and 
slew  almost  all  that  were  within  them;  who  being  sweltred  with  the  extream  heat,  (for  it 
was  at  full  noon  when  our  men  assaulted  them)  and  being  free  from  any  apprehension,  had 
laid  aside  their  arms  and  were  fallen  asleep.  But  Piovene's  souldiers,  according  to  the 
abusive  custom  of  our  militia,  gave  over  pursuing  the  victory,  and  fell  to  pillage;  which 
disorder  became  afterwards  the  greater,  because  the  Grrecians  and  Albaneses  having  too  early 
advanced  with  their  horse,  to  assault  the  enemies  trenches ;  were  it  either,  for  that  vying 
with  the  Italians  for  valour,  they  would  be  the  first  that  should  appear  in  that  action;  or  that 
they  were  not  well  pleased  to  be  commanded  by  Piovene ;  they,  by  this  their  unseasonable 
haste,  made  those  of  the  camp  too  soon  acquainted  with  their  comming,  so  as  many  Turks 
hasting  thither,  they  easily  made  our  men  run,  who  were  divided,  and  busied  about  plunder. 
But  Piovene  together  with  Count  Alberto  and  Jovan  Battista  da  Fano  tarrying  with  some 
few  of  their  men,  to  defend  the  fort  which  they  had  taken  after  a  long  and  stout  withstanding, 
the  enemies  comming  still  in,  in  great  numbers,  were  cut  in  pieces.  These  valiant  men  were 
encouraged  to  make  this  defence  out  of  hopes  of  being  soon  assisted  by  those  from  within, 
the  usuall  signe  of  succour  being  already  given  between  them.  But  because  the  Turks,  who 
upon  the  notice  of  our  mens  comming  out,  were  assembled  together  in  great  numbers,  and 
making  use  of  this  occasion,  prepared  to  assault  the  bulwork  Costanzo,  as  they  did  afterwards; 
Count  Tripoli,  who  had  the  keeping  thereof,  was  forc'd  to  stay  Captain  Gregorio  Panteo, 
who  was  appointed  to  go  forth  with  the  relief,  that  he  might  make  use  of  him,  and  of  his 
men,  against  the  enemies  unexpected  assault;  who  not  being  able,  after  a  long  dispute,  to 
mount  the  parapets,  were  forced  to  retreat.  Thus  the  Turks  continued  many  daies  to  annoy 
those  within,  by  severall  waies,  and  to  attempt  the  taking  of  the  City,  though  but  with 
triviall  assaults.  Wherefore  by  reason  of  the  paucity  of  the  defendants,  our  forces  were 
much  lessened,  which  coidd  not  well  discharge  all  the  duties  which  were  to  be  done,  both  by 
day  and  night,  in  severall  parts  of  the  City,  The  parapets  of  the  bulworks  were  already 
very  much  weakened,  and  in  some  places  wholly  cast  down,  by  the  enemies  continuall  shot ; 
so  as  great  diligence  was  used  to  fill  up  those  parapets  with  earth,  and  to  finish  the  in  works, 
where  they  were  imperfect,  and  to  erect  some  cavalliers  for  more  security  upon  the  bulworks. 
But  these  works  proceeded  on  but  slowly ;  for  the  Pioners,  wearied  with  watching,  and  other 
hardships,  grew  not  able  to  perform  their  work ;  and  because  the  enemies  artillery  which 
were  levelled  by  day,  shot  also  by  night,  and  did  much  harm.  Yet  the  souldiers,  especially 
the  Italians,  and  the  gentry  of  the  City,  continued  stedfast  in  their  resolution  to  defend 
themselves  to  the  very  last,  being  a  little  comforted  with  hopes  that  the  Venetian  fleet  would 
soon  come,  and  raise  the  siege.  No  answer  was  therefore  given  to  divers  letters,  which  were 
conveyed  by  the  Turks  into  the  City,  by  arrowes,  wherein  the  Bashaw  Mustafa  writing, 
sometimes  to  the  governours,  sometimes  to  certain  of  the  chief  nobility  of  the  City,  and 
sometimes  to  the  people  in  generall,  exhorted  them  to  yield,  promising,  in  case  they  would 
do  so,  to  use  great  liberality  and  humanity  towards  them ;  and  denouncing  severe  punish- 
ment, if  they  should  doe  otherwise.  But  finding  that  they  could  not  learn  any  thing  of  the 
people's,  nor  of  the  governour's  intention  by  this  means ;  they  made  signs  of  parley  to  those 
of  the  bulwork  of  Constanzo ;  and  having  free  liberty  given  them  to  do  so,  they  in  the  name 
of  the  Bashaw  Mustafa,  said,  "  That  he  wondered  very  much  that  he  had  received  no  answer 
"  to  any  of  his  letters,  as  if  his  forces  were  despised,  which  were  notwithstanding  such,  as  he 
"  might  have  ended  the  war  much  sooner  by  them,  had  he  not  had  regard  to  their  safeties, 
"  which  they  themselves  seemed  to  slight  so  much.    That  therefore  he  had  thought  good  to 


PARUTA. 


"admonish  them,  that  duly  weighing  the  state  of  their  affairs,  which  was  now  reduced  to  the 
"  utmost  of  dangei-,  by  the  death  of  so  many  defendants,  and  for  that  there  was  no  hope  of 
"  reHef  left  them ;  for  he  had  had  certain  intelligence,  that  the  Venetian  fleet  being  opprest 
"  with  much  sicknesse,  and  other  difficulties,  could  not  stir  out  of  their  havens :  it  might 
"  suddeidy  so  fall  out,  that  they  might  in  vain  intreat  those  fair  conditions  which  they  now 
"  refused ;  for  he  could  no  longer  moderate  the  souldiers  rage,  who  had  made  frequent 
"  demands,  that  they  might  bo  permitted  to  plunder  the  City,  in  reward  of  the  labours  and 
"  dangers  which  they  had  undergone.  So  as  if  they  should  delay  surrendring  the  town,  the 
"  mine  thereof  would  be  attributed  rather  to  their  foolish  obstinacy,  than  to  the  cruelty  of 
"  the  enemy."  Having  quickly  resolved  to  give  an  answer  to  these  words,  for  the  truce  was 
to  last  but  for  tw(j  hours,  they  put  an  end  to  the  parley,  telling  them  onely,  "That  the 
"  souldiers  and  citizens  were  firmly  resolved  to  defend  the  City  with  all  their  might,  to  the 
"  very  last  minute,  and  to  keep  loyall  to  their  prince ;  so  that  whatsoever  the  event  should 
"be,  nothing  could  be  more  desired  of  them,  but  better  fortune,  which  they  hoped  they 
"  should  not  fail  of,  since  they  would  not  be  failing  to  themselves,  to  their  honour,  nor  to  their 
"  religion,  which,  together  with  their  safety,  they  had  undertaken  to  defend." 

Thus  having  placed  all  their  hopes  in  their  arms,  the  governours  thought  good  to  feed 
the  souldiers  and  people  with  hopes  of  succour,  which  did  chiefly  increase  in  them  their 
resolution,  and  courage  to  defend  themselves.  Wherefore  they  made  it  be  divulged  by 
a  renegado  who  was  fled  from  the  enemies  camp  to  the  City;  that  he  had  brought  letters 
from  Famagosta,  which  brought  certain  news  of  the  arrival  of  the  Christian  fleet ;  which  that 
it  might  be  the  more  credibly  believed,  the  captains  which  were  upon  the  mountains  with 
the  Islanders,  were  ordered  to  give  the  sign  of  ten  fires,  which  every  one  knew  was  to  give 
notice  to  the  City,  that  the  Christian  navy  was  arrived.  This  wrought  such  impression  in 
some,  as  imagining  that  to  be  true  which  they  did  so  nmch  desire,  they  affirmed  they  saw 
the  Turks  begin  to  remove  their  artillery,  and  their  pavillions.  But  the  enemy  who  feared 
nothing  lesse,  continued  their  batteries,  whereof  nothing  t)f  remarkable  issued  for  some  days, 
save  onely  that  Jacobo  di  Nores,  Count  of  Tripoli,  one  of  the  chief  Barons  of  the  kmgdom, 
who  had  won  the  name  of  being  vigilant  and  valiant,  was  slain  in  an  assault  which  was  given 
to  the  bulw.,rk  Costanzo,  and  his  brother  Francisco  Maria  was  in  his  place  made  governour 

^  MMn.s'ilid'the  Turks  waste  those  within  by  little  and  little,  with  frequent  skirmishes:  but 
they  <h.rst  not  enter  upon  the  bulworks,  for  fear  of  mines;  whereof  they  were  the  more 
cautious  by  reason  of  the  loss  which  they  received  at  the  expugning  of  Zighet.  Moreover, 
Mustafa' thought  he  had  too  few  men  to  make  a  great  efi'orte;  for  the  Jamsaries  were  not 
very  forward  to  be  the  first  that  should  fall  on;  wherefore  he  spun  out  the  time,  till  such  time 
as  having  more  certain  news  of  the  enemies  fleet,  he  might,  (as  he  did  afterwards)  safely 
increase  his  army  by  those  that  remained  in  the  gallies :  who  as  soon  as  they  were  come  to 
the  camp  all  fear  of  the  fleet  being  over  and  the  cawseys  being  now  perfected  and  rendred 
ecm-e  w  lich  led  from  the  trenches  to  the  four  bulworks  of  Podacataro,  Constanzo,  Uavila, 
Mid  '  npoli  •  he  began  to  place  all  the  commanders  and  souldiers  in  their  proper  imployments, 
and  glv  >  I'l  orderl-  assault  at  one  and  the  same  time  with  his  whole  forces  to  all  the  four 
buiworks     h  ch  the  besieged  interpreted  to  be  done  by  the  enemy  as  their  last  essay,  with 

c. 


106 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Wherefore  worthily  outdoing  themselves  and  the  opinion  which  was  held  of  their  forces; 
they  repuls'd  the  Turks  that  day  every  where,  and  slew  very  many  of  them.  Whereat 
Mustafa  being  much  incens'd  and  beginning  almost  to  despair  of  getting  the  City,  as  he 
thought  he  might  easily  have  done,  he  ceased  not  continually  to  solicite  the  souldiers,  that 
they  would  once  more  be  brought  to  give  another  assault;  sometimes  reproaching  them  of 
cowardise,  sometimes  promising  largely  to  reward  their  valour.  "  And  what  is  it,  said  he, 
"  that  can  infuse  courage  into  you,  if  that  now  that  you  do  so  far  exceed  the  enemy,  both  for 
"  number  and  military  discipline,  who  are  but  a  few,  and  those  fresh  souldiers,  and  un- 
"  experienced  in  arms,  you  cannot  so  much  as  abide  their  looks,  whom  you  have  suffered  to 
"  baffle  you  so  ignominiously,  being  strucken  rather  with  a  panick  fear,  then  with  any  danger? 
"  If  the  hopes  of  prey  provided  for  you,  by  the  plunder  of  so  opulent  a  City,  if  the  desire  of 
"  glory,  in  having  by  your  valour  won  so  noble  a  kingdom  to  the  OttamAN  Empire,  be  not 
"able  to  excite  in  you  that  fortitude  and  generosity  which  is  alwaies  wont  to  accompany  those 
"  who  fight  under  the  prosperous  ensigns  of  the  Ottaman  Empire ;  you  must  never  think 
"  hereafter  of  any  military  action :  for  no  commander  will  dare  to  confide  the  honour  of  the 
"  Grand,  and  alwaies  invincible  Signor,  under  his  guidance,  that  grand  Signor,  whose 
"  perpetuall  felicity,  ordain'd  to  him  by  heaven,  you  seem  not  to  know,  by  believing  that  any 
"nation  is  able  long  to  resist  his  forces.  Be  sure,  unlesse  you  will  resist  your  selves,  the 
"  enemy  must  soon  yield  unto  your  Prowess,  and  to  your  Prince's  fortune,  who  having  a  just 
"  regard  to  gallant  actions,  doth  largely  impart  rewards  unto  his  souldiers,  so  as  there  is  no 
"  degree  of  honour,  to  which  each  of  you  may  not  by  his  own  worth  be  brought ;  to  whom 
"alone  all  the  wealth  and  honour  of  the  Ottaman  Empire  is  reserved;  which  are  disposed 
"  of  in  other  dominions  more  according  to  favour,  oft-times  purchast  without  any  merit,  or 
"  according  to  the  vain  name  of  nobility,  than  by  true  and  peculiar  worth :  whereas  there  is 
"  not  any  one  of  you,  who  may  not  hope  for  the  highest  honours  of  the  militia,  to  which  the 
"  way  lies  open,  and  whereunto  you  are  particularly  by  this  occasion  invited."  Which  words 
the  Bashaw  being  willing  to  confirm  by  more  expresse  promises,  he  made  it  to  be  proclaimed 
throughout  the  whole  army,  that  the  first  three  who  should  mount  the  walls  of  the  City, 
should  be  made  Sanjaqs ;  and  in  case  any  Bashaw  should  dye,  he  who  should  first  enter  the 
City  should  succeed  to  that  dignitie.  The  souldiers  being  thus  encouraged,  order  was  given 
for  an  assault  the  next  morning,  wherein  the  Turks,  before  sunrising,  approached  quietly  to 
those  very  bulworks  which  they  had  before  attempted,  hoping  the  more  unexpectedly  they 
should  fall  upon  the  enemy,  the  more  easily  they  should  get  the  victory ;  and  so  it  fell  out. 
For  finding  those  who  were  upon  the  guard  of  the  bulwork  Costanzo,  fast  asleep,  they 
overcame  the  greatest  diflficulties  without  any  dispute,  and  getting  upon  the  parapets,  did  not 
afford  them  time  to  defend  themselves;  nay  being  amazed  between  sleep  and  fear,  they 
<;ould  not  get,  time  enough,  into  their  inward  works.  The  opinion  of  the  coming  of  the 
expected  succour  had  wrought  so  much  with  our  men,  as  they  thought  the  noise  which  was 
made  the  preceding  night  by  the  Turks,  standing  to  their  arms,  was  an  assured  token  of  the 
raising  of  the  siege;  so  as  in  that  respect,  and  because  they  were  almost  quite  spent  with 
watching  and  labour,  they  had  the  more  securely  betaken  themselves  to  their  rest.  The 
Turks  entring  promiscuously  in  this  confusion  with  our  men  into  the  inner-most  works,  it 
caused  such  noise  and  terrour,  as  many  began  to  run  away.  Count  Rocas  was  lodged  a  little 
way  distant  from  the  bulwork,  who  learning  what  had  happened,  more  by  the  noise  and 
tumult,  than  by  any  certain  information,  put  on  his  arms  wherein  he  spent  some  time ;  and 
coming  to  the  place  of  conflict,  found  all  things  in  such  disorder,  as,  though  he  kept  his  own 
men  from  running,  yet  could  he  not  bring  safety  to  what  was  already  almost  in  dispair,  for 


PAIIUTA. 


107 


being  shot  by  a  musket  in  the  head,  all  the  rest,  who  through  hopes  in  him,  had  with  much 
difficulty,  and  upon  great  disadvantage,  disputed  the  businesse  as  yet,  quitted  the  defence  of 
the  walls  and  ranne  every  one  to  their  own  houses,  hoping  to  provide  for  their  wives  safety. 
So  as  though  Pietro  Pisani,  a  counsellor,  and  Bernardino  Polani  came  quickly  thither,  they 
in  vain  used  their  authority  and  example  to  stay  the  people,  who  were  already  in  disorder 
and  much  confusion ;  amongst  which,  whilst  Polani  mixt  himselfe,  and  did  by  force  slay 
some  of  them,  he  together  witli  them  was  cut  in  pieces.    But  Pisani  retreated  with  the  rest 
to  the  Piazza,  whither  people  came  from  all  parts  to  save  themselves,  and  were  not  as  yet 
pursued  by  the  Turks;  for  minding  onely  the  making  of  themselves  masters  of  the  walls, 
after  they  had  driven  the  first  from  the  bulwork  Constanzo,  they  went  presently  to  the  other 
bulworks,  where  the  enemy  were  valiantly  fought  with,  but  especially  by  the  Italian  foot. 
But  in  fine  finding  their  inworks  lost  and  that  they  were  at  the  same  time  fought  with,  both 
before  and  behind,  not  being  able  to  make  any  longer  resistance,  they  quitted  the  walls,  and 
betook  themselves  all  to  make  good  the  Piazza,  which  they  did  for  a  while  against  the 
assailants,  till  the  Bashaw  of  Aleppo  came  in,  who  entring  the  town  by  the  bulwork  Tripoli, 
hasted  first  about  the  walls,  killing  many  that  were  tarried  behind ;  though  thro^ving  down 
their  arms,  they  in  vain  indeavoured  pardon.    And  ha\4ng  routed  some  armed  companies 
upon  the  bulwork  Barljaro,  who  had  been  got  together  by  Jovanni  Faliero  a  noble  Venetian, 
and  one  that  being  but  a  private  merchant  in  the  City,  had  upon  severall  occasions  given 
good  testimony  of  his  valour;  and  meeting  with  nothing  to  withstand  him  any  where  else, 
he  came  to  the  Piazza,  where  finding  so  many  in  arms,  as  they  made  stout  resistance :  he 
presently  made  three  pieces  of  artillery  be  Ijrought  from  off  the  walls,  wherewith  he  dis- 
ordered, and  sorely  indammaged  those  squadrons  which  defended  the  Piazza,  and  forced 
them  to  forsake  it,  many  of  them  withdrawing  themselves  into  the  courts  of  the  palace, 
whither  the  lieutenant,  the  bishop  Contarini,  and  divers  others  of  the  chiefe  of  the  City,  were 
first  come.    And  those  that  could  not  get  in,  being  scattered  up  and  down,  and  not  having 
any  defence,  were  either  slain,  or  taken  prisoners :  but  soon  after,  he  made  sign  of  parley  to 
those  that  were  within  the  court,  and  sent  to  the  lieutenant  a  certain  Cyprian  fryer,  to  treat 
with  him,  who  liaving  yielded  a  little  before,  was  received  upon  his  parole.    This  man  having 
in  the  Bashaw's  name  promis'd  life  unto  them  all,  was  immediately  sent  back  \vith  Tutio 
Costanza,  who  in  the  lieutenant's  name  said  they  would  surrender.    By  whose  order  they 
having  all  forthwith  laid  down  their  arms,  it  fell  miserably  out,  that  at  the  opening  of  the 
gates  the  Turks,  who  were  thronging  round  about,  entred  violently  into  the  court,  and  cruelly 
put  all  those  unarmed  people  to  the  sword :  wherein  the  lieutenant,  the  bishop,  and  all  the 
other  eminent  personages,  ranne  the  same  fortune  as  did  the  souldiers,  and  the  meanest  men. 
After  which,  the  'i'urks  ran  without  any  order  or  discipline  all  over  the  City,  plundering  the 
houses,  destroying  the  churches,  dishonouring  matrons,  violating  virgins,  and  putting  all  to 
the  sword,  without  any  distinction  either  of  sex,  age,  or  condition.    So  as  the  Turks  slew 
that  day  above  20,000  persons;  and  those  whose  lives  were  spared  by  the  cruell  enemy, 
rather  for  their  greater  punishment,  than  out  of  any  charity,  were  tyed  in  chains,  drag'd  over 
the  dead  carkasses  of  their  parents  and  friends,  and  carried  away  prisoners.    Thus  that  City, 
which  for  many  years  had  lived  in  great  pomp  and  splendour,  and  in  great  abundance  of  all 
things,  did  in  one  day  undergo  all  the  extreams  of  calamity ;  affording  by  this  so  horrible 
spectacle  a  new  example  of  variety  of  humane  affairs.    This  sacking  hapened  on  the  ninth 
of  September,  the  fourteenth  day  after  the  Turkish  army  was  incamp'd  before  the  City.  The 
booty  which  was  exported  by  the  enemy  and  sent  to  Constantinople,  to  be  presented  to  the 
grand  Signor,  and  to  the  Bashaws,  was  very  great  and  rich;  yet  did  they  not  go  away 

14—2 


108  EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 

wholly  triumphant,  for  a  ship  which  was  loaded  with  many  of  the  most  precious  things,  and 
with  the  better  sort  of  prisoners,  was  not  got  far  from  the  island,  when  the  ammunition 
falling  on  fire,  it  utterly  perished,  and  all  that  was  within  it. 

The  Siege  of  Famagusta. 

The  city  of  Nicossia  being  taken  and  sacked,  Mustafa,  leaving  four  thousand  foot-soldiers 
for  its  defence,  sent  the  ai'my  towards  Famagosta ;  for  after  the  fall  of  Nicosia  the  Turks 
easily  and  with  no  further  resistance  made  themselves  masters  of  the  whole  of  the  rest  of  the 
island,  because  the  other  places  which  were  weak  and  without  men  to  defend  them  followed 
the  fortunes  of  the  conquerors,  and  surrendered  at  once.  Cerines  made  no  more  delay  or 
difficulty  than  the  rest,  although  the  Commandant,  Giovan-Maria  Mudazzo,  and  Captain 
Alfonso  Palazzo  had  just  before,  following  the  advice  and  prayers  of  the  garrison  of 
Famagosta,  declared  their  intention  of  holding  out  as  long  as  they  could.  The  mountain- 
folk  did  the  same.  There  came  at  once  to  find  Mustafa  and  to  swear  obedience  to  him 
Scipione  Caralfa,  Paolo  Singlitico  and  other  nobles,  accompanied  by  many  Greek  priests  and 
a  great  troop  of  peasants,  so  that  throughout  the  kingdom  all  that  remained  faithful  to  the 
Signory  of  Venice  was  the  one  city  of  Famagosta. 

Mustafa  led  his  army  thitherwards,  and  pitched  his  camp  in  the  village  of  Pomodamo, 
three  miles  from  the  city,  and  every  day  caused  many  Turks  to  ride  to  and  fro  in  sight  of 
those  within,  carrying  on  lances  the  heads  of  divers  notable  persons  killed  in  Nicosia,  to 
terrify  the  soldiers,  and  to  shake  their  determination  to  await  an  attack  and  to  stand  a  siege. 
Next  he  moved  up  a  little  towards  the  city,  making  trenches  with  baskets  full  of  sand, 
because  the  earth  there  was  little  fit  for  the  work.  But  the  garrison  made  vigorous  sallies  to 
skirmish  with  the  enemy,  and  harassed  them  to  that  extent  that  twice  they  drove  them  from 
their  trenches.  Moreover  with  the  guns  of  the  fortress  they  destroyed ,  three  forts  which  the 
Turks  had  raised  with  great  speed  in  suitable  positions,  to  wit,  at  S.  George,  at  Precipole  and 
at  the  Torre  dell'  Oca.  As  it  turned  out,  no  small  hurt  was  caused  thereby  to  the  besieged, 
because  in  a  very  few  days  their  aminunition  was  greatly  diminished,  no  less  than  50,000  lbs. 
of  powder  being  consumed.  But  winter  was  coming  on  which  would  hinder  the  siege, 
already  seen  to  be  a  long  and  difficult  matter,  and  part  of  the  host  was  to  be  employed  to 
man  the  galleys,  on  account  of  the  news  received  of  the  junction  of  the  Christian  fleets,  so 
Mustafa,  who  was  little  anxious  to  try  another  fall  with  Fortune,  in  which  he  might  impair 
the  glory  won  at  Nicossia,  kept  treating  in  various  ways  with  the  inhabitants  to  persuade 
them  to  come  to  some  agreement.  Thus  he  allowed  Giovanni  Sosomeno,  who  had  been  taken 
prisoner  at  Nicossia,  to  enter  the  city,  under  pretence  of  collecting  money  for  his  ransom, 
and  to  urge  them  much  to  surrender.  He  was  to  say  to  the  Governors  and  Captains  that  as 
they  did  not  wish  of  themselves  to  decide  on  giving  up  the  city  to  him,  they  ought,  while  the 
thing  was  still  practicable,  to  write  to  the  Signoiy  of  Venice,  to  show  them  how  matters 
stood,  how  difficult  it  was  for  them  to  withstand  so  huge  a  host,  and  to  be  content  to  use  the 
opportunity,  yielding  what  they  could  in  no  wise  keep,  and  so  to  arrange  with  the  Grand 
Signer  to  preserve  their  dominions.  After  the  same  manner  Mustafa  caused  certain  letters 
to  be  written,  as  though  they  came  from  the  Chiefs  in  Famagosta,  and  to  make  them  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  ambassador  at  Constantinople.  But  the  Chiefs  and  people  of  Famagosta 
were  staunch  in  their  resolve  to  defend  themselves  to  the  end.  They  lent  no  ear  to  these 
arguments,  and  instead  of  begging  the  Senate  to  surrender  the  city,  they  resolved  urgently 
to  demand  aid  for  its  defence;  and  that  the  state  of  things,  and  their  immediate  wants. 


PARUTA. 


109 


might  be  better  understood,  to  despatcli  to  Venice  Messer  Niccolo  Donato,  who  had  been 
sent  on  a  mission  to  the  island,  and  was  still  with  his  two  galleys  in  the  harbour  of  Famagosta; 
with  whom  there  reached  Venice  Monsignor  (iirolamo  Ragazzoni,  Bishop  of  the  city,  a 
man  fully  acquainted  with  the  position,  and  admirably  adapted  for  this  duty. 

The  city  of  Famagosta  is  situated  at  the  East  end  of  the  Island  of  Cyprus  on  a  low  shore 
close  to  the  sea,  whence  it  had  its  Greek  name  Amathus  which  means  hidden  in  the  mud. 
It  stands  almost  in  the  centre  of  a  semicircle  formed  by  two  promontories,  Cai-pasio  and 
Pedaglio,  called  by  men  of  our  day  the  one  Cape  Sant'  Andrea,  the  other  Cape  della  Grecia. 
The  former  runs  out  for  a  distance  of  over  ninety  miles,  and  breaking  the  circle,  makes  an 
end  to  the  island  towards  the  north  in  a  very  sharp  point.  This  tract  was  of  old  called 
Salaminia  from  the  ancient  city  of  Salamina,  built  by  Tencer  after  the  fall  of  Troy,  and 
afterwards  Costanza.  Some  traces  of  this  remain,  and,  perhaps  to  mark  the  former  glory  of 
their  city,  they  are  still  called  by  the  natives  "  Old  Famagosta."  The  city  has  a  harbour, 
lying  between  east  and  north,  formed  by  certain  shoals  and  rocks,  broken  here  and  there  by 
narrow  channels,  which  catch  the  first  force  of  the  waves,  and  guard  from  storms  the  little 
bay  which  lies  between  them  and  the  shore ;  but  the  depth  of  this  is  but  small,  so  that  few 
vessels  of  any  size  can  anchor  in  it.  The  entrance  faces  north,  and  is  closed  with  a  chain 
attached  to  a  spur  of  rock  which  juts  out  some  forty  paces  from  the  fortress;  while  a  small 
castle,  with  four  towers  of  antique  style,  commands  the  harbour.  The  lines  of  the  fortifica- 
tions form  an  imperfect  square,  for  they  run  from  the  seashore  from  west  to  north  in  zigzags, 
and  enclose  a  gradually  widening  space,  so  that  the  sides  are  to  some  extent  unequal :  two  of 
them  face  the  sea,  and  two  the  land :  in  one  of  the  latter  was  a  small  hexagonal  tower  called 
Diainantino,  in  which  was  the  so-called  Limisso  gate.  In  the  other  is  a  bastion  of  great 
size  built  a  few  years  before  the  siege,  with  double  flanks,  a  broad  front  and  orillons,  arranged 
for  a  modern  battery.  Tlie  circuit  of  the  fortress  was  rather  more  than  two  Italian  miles,  the 
whole  enclosed  by  an  excellent  wall  of  squared  stone  {tufo  or  tufa).  On  the  land  side  it  was 
twenty  feet  thick,  with  a  platform  of  twelve  paces,  above  which  rose  a  parapet  over  four  feet 
in  height :  the  ditch  on  every  side  was  fifteen  or  at  least  twelve  paces  broad,  chiefly  cut  out 
of  the  rock,  but  where  this  broke  off,  a  counterscarp  was  built  of  stone.  Set  about  the  walls 
were  many  towers,  but  most  of  them  so  small  that  they  allowed  room  for  small  pieces  of 
artillery  only:  a  few  of  larger  capacity  between  the  Limisso  gate  and  the  Arsenal,  called  from 
their  shape  demi-lunes,  were  in  many  respects  equally  defective,  but  were  considered  stronger 
and  more  useful  because  they  were  vaulted,  and  allowed  means  of  exit  on  either  side.  The 
country  round  the  fortress  is  all  perfectly  fiat,  only  on  the  northwest  and  north  a  few  villages 
are  built  on  ground  which  rises  into  something  like  low  hills,  little  more  than  a  mile  from 
the  city.  There  was  an  impression  that  the  enemy  would  encamp  in  this  direction,  both 
because  the  fort  was  weaker  on  that  side,  and  also  because  there  were  caves,  whence  the 
people  of  Famagosta  used  to  dig  stone  for  their  buildings,  within  which  a  large  number  of 
men  nu'ght  be  safely  and  conveniently  lodged.  But  the  Turks  were  aware  that,  according  to 
their  fashion  of  camping,  the  ground  would  not  suit  them,  because  of  the  rocks  which  lay  all 
about,  and  spread  out  their  whole  force  along  the  shore  on  the  other  side,  where  it  stretches 
for  three  miles  from  the  city  to  the  sea.  This  part  had  been  full  of  beautiful  gardens  of 
oranges,  lemons  and  numy  other  kinds  of  fruitbearing  trees,  but  most  of  them  had  been 
already  cut  down  by  the  inhabitants  themselves,  to  leave  nothing  which  might  be  of  profit 
to  the  enemy:  the  Turks  however  had  the  use  of  the  numy  wells  winch  sfored  for  the  gardens 
abundance  of  exquisitely  clear  and  cold  water,  most  refreshing  to  troops  relaxed  and  overcome 
by  the  intense  heat  of  the  country. 


110 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


The  Turks  had  somewhat  slackened  their  efforts,  and  retired  to  pass  the  winter,  which 
was  unusually  severe,  on  a  site  more  convenient  and  farther  from  the  city.  But  as  soon  as 
the  season  allowed  of  safe  navigation,  and  the  renewal  of  warlike  operations,  an  immense 
quantity  of  men,  ammunition  and  provisions  began  to  pour  into  the  camp,  brought  by 
galleys  and  vessels  of  every  kind.  They  arrived  from  every  quarter,  particularly  from  the 
neighbouring  shores  of  Caramania  and  Syria.  So  great  was  men's  eagerness  to  take  part  in 
the  enterprise  that  report  said  that  after  the  fall  of  Nicosia  more  than  fifty  thousand  Turks 
came  over  to  Cyprus.  Many  of  them  were  neither  enlisted  nor  paid,  but  came  attracted 
purely  by  the  hope  of  booty,  for  the  Pasha  had  set  afloat  a  cunning  rumour  that  the  spoils 
of  Famagosta  would  exceed  those  of  Nicosia.  The  boasting  humour  of  the  Turks  magnified 
the  size  of  the  attacking  force,  and  by  means  of  certain  citizens  who  had  come  out  to  treat  for 
the  ransom  of  prisoners  sent  threatening  messages  to  the  besieged  that  the  Grand  Signor  had 
sent  so  vast  a  host  that  if  every  man  of  them  had  thrown  a  slipper  into  the  ditches  of  the 
fortress  they  would  have  filled  them  up,  and  made  a  platform  reaching  to  the  top  of  the  walls. 
When  the  army  was  thus  reinforced  and  supplied  with  necessaries  some  larger  pieces  of 
artillery  were  brought  from  Nicosia,  and  about  the  middle  of  April  began  to  work  at  the 
trenches,  to  move  up  to  the  city,  and  to  build  various  forts.  These  works  required  incredible 
labour  and  wonderful  industry.  From  the  winter  camp  to  the  city,  a  distance  of  three  miles, 
they  dug  out  the  earth,  and  where  they  came  on  the  rock  pierced  it  with  picks  and  chisels, 
until  they  had  made  roads  so  wide  and  deep  that  not  only  infantry,  but  even  mounted  men, 
could  travel  along  them  under  cover,  as  it  were,  for  scarcely  the  points  of  their  lances  could 
be  seen  above  ground  :  and  between  these  roads,  working  at  night  when  they  were  safe  from 
the  guns  of  the  fortress,  they  cut  many  trenches,  throwing  up  the  earth  in  front  of  them  to 
such  a  height  that  they  could  work  behind  it  during  the  day  without  fear,  and  complete 
their  plan.  The  pioneers  threw  the  earth  they  dug  out  as  far  as  they  could  in  front  of  them, 
so  that  between  the  trench  and  the  mound  there  remained  a  platform  on  which  the  soldiers 
could  stand,  while  the  earth  heaped  up  in  front  of  them  served  as  a  parapet  behind  which 
they  could  in  all  safety  aim  their  musket  shots  at  the  walls,  and  the  ditches  and  shelters 
were  so  many,  and  so  well  arranged,  that  the  whole  army  could  be  drawn  up  within,  and 
though  quite  close  to  the  city,  every  man  would  be  under  cover,  buried  as  it  were,  out  of 
sight  among  these  mounds  of  earth,  and  anyone  standing  on  the  city  walls  would  see  nothing 
of  the  attacking  foi'ce  but  the  tops  of  their  tents. 

On  the  same  plain  the  Turks  built  ten  forts  at  varying  intervals ;  the  face  of  each  was 
fifty  feet  broad,  and  strengthened  with  beams  of  oak,  interlocked  with  remarkable  skill,  and 
so  solid  that,  when  the  space  within  was  filled  with  earth,  trusses,  Syrian  ash,  bales  of  cotton 
and  the  like,  the  forts  could  offer  a  lively  resistance  to  every  kind  of  attack  :  and  even  were 
they  partly  damaged  by  the  guns  of  the  city,  so  large  was  the  force  of  pioneers  that  they 
could  with  great  speed  be  restored  to  their  original  strength.  Thus  the  walls  for  more  than 
five  hundred  paces,  that  is  to  say,  the  whole  distance  from  the  Arsenal  to  the  Limisso  gate, 
were  continually  and  violently  battered  by  shot. 

Such  were  the  forces,  the  preparations  and  the  plans  of  the  enemy.  The  besieged  on 
the  other  hand,  both  soldiers  and  citizens,  excited  by  them  to  greater  industry  and  vigilance, 
and  spurred  on  by  their  own  courage  and  the  greatness  of  the  peril,  left  nothing  undone  to 
strengthen  their  defences.  And  from  the  very  first,  although  their  small  numbers  did  not 
allow  them  to  meet  their  assailants  on  equal  terms,  they  tried  incessantly  by  sallies  and 
skirmishes  to  harass  the  Turks  while  at  work  on  their  trenches,  to  show  their  own  courage 
and  spirit,  and  to  shake  the  confidence  and  boldness  of  the  enemy.    With  anxious  cai-e  they 


PARUTA. 


Ill 


devoted  themselves  to  strengthening  the  parapets,  preparing  shelters,  making  new  platforms 
and  repairing  the  old.  They  threw  all  their  strength  and  skill  into  their  work :  every  hour 
had  its  toil,  every  day  showed  new  improvements,  new  designs.  They  kept  reinforcing  their 
batteries  with  new  guns  cast  on  the  spot,  and  the  whole  was  transported  to  that  part  of  the 
walls  where  they  expected  the  attack.  This  was  the  special  charge  of  Luigi  Martinengo, 
Captain  General  of  the  artillery,  under  whom  were  six  other  chiefs  in  command  of  the  force 
of  Bombardiers:  the  order  throughout  being  perfect.  They  prepared  also  fireworks  to  be 
used  in  various  ways.  The  makers  were  skilled  in  these  devices,  which  did  good  service. 
That  they  might  not  have  to  contend  at  the  same  time  with  the  enemy  and  with  incon- 
veniences within,  they  expelled  from  the  city  all  the  useless  mouths,  perhaps  eight  thousand 
in  all,  who  went  to  the  villages  without  interference  from  the  Turks.  They  next  took  a  census 
of  those  who  remained  within  the  walls  and  found  seven  thousand  ablebodied  men,  viz. 
three  thousand  five  hundred  Italian  infantry,  the  rest  being  Greeks  enrolled  for  service,  some 
from  the  town,  some  from  the  country,  men  who  earned  in  the  siege  an  honourable  name  for 
loyalty  and  courage.  The  hope  of  fame  and  of  ample  reward  was  always  present  to  inspirit 
them  in  their  defence.  Marc' Antonio  Bragadino,  the  Captain  or  Governor  General  of  Fama- 
gosta,  using  great  and  praiseworthy  diligence  in  this  as  in  every  other  matter.  Seeing  the 
danger  increase  as  the  enemy  drew  nearer  to  the  walls,  Bragadino  endeavoured  with  spirited 
speeches  to  establish  the  courage  of  the  besieged,  showing  them  that  the  time  was  come  for 
them  to  make  signal  proof  of  that  true  valour  to  which  for  months  past  he  had  seen  them 
inclined.  No  glory  that  warriors  had  earned  in  our  age  was  greater  than  that  which  was 
reserved  for  them,  in  defending  against  the  might  of  the  Ottoman  Empire  a  fortress  so  far 
from  other  Christian  lands,  and  in  preserving  with  it  a  Hourishing  kingdom  from  enslavement 
by  barbarians. 

Addressing  himself  to  the  Italian  troops,  he  said — •"  Wliy,  my  brave  comrades,  have  you 
come  here  from  a  far  distant  country,  exposing  yourselves  to  certain  hardships  and  great 
danger  in  so  long  a  voyage,  if  not  to  give  fitting  proof  of  your  courage,  and  by  surpassing 
merit  to  earn  the  supreme  honours  of  warfare.    Now  indeed  the  very  chance  which  you 
have  so  eagerly  desired  is  put  before  you.    Your  endurance,  your  diligence,  in  short  all  the 
martial  virtues  have  here  the  widest  and  noblest  field :  for  this  city  is  assailed  and  encom- 
passed by  foes  of  great  repute,  and  the  result  of  this  siege  is  watched  throughout  the  world 
with  the  greatest  anxiety.    But  my  confidence  in  you,  citizens  and  others  who  are  enrolled 
among  our  troops,  is  no  less  great ;  for  you  have  given  clear  proof  not  only  of  loyalty  and 
constancy,  but  of  true  courage,  in  performing  with  the  zeal  and  skill  of  tried  soldiers  all 
your  militai-y  duties.    Your  generous  hearts  will  never  allow  that  in  the  defence  of  what  is 
your  own,  your  wives,  your  children,  your  goods,  others  shall  take  the  lead.    With  noble 
emulation  each  man  will  seek  to  have  a  larger  share  in  the  toil,  to  be  the  first  to  expose 
himself  to  peril.     Do  not  let  the  enemy's  nuinbers  frighten  you  for  a  moment.    They  are 
certainly  less  than  what  we  hear  by  report,  or  than  what  is  indicated  by  a  pompous  array  of 
empty  tents.    Most  of  them,  or  at  least  the  bravest  of  them,  are  exhausted  by  toil,  or  have 
returned  home  to  enjoy  the  riches  acquired  in  the  siege  of  Nicossia.    What  happened  in  that 
city  should  wake  in  you  vigilance  rather  than  alarm,  for  we  know  certainly  that  it  was  not 
the  valour  or  industry  of  the  enemy  which  gave  them  the  victory,  but  the  negligence  of  the 
besieged,  who  appear  to  have  thought  that  walls  alone,  not  the  stout  hearts  of  men,  are  the 
bulwarks  of  cities.    The  hope  of  the  succour  which  we  expect  at  once  might  give  courage 
even  to  cowards,  yet  I  would  not  have  one  of  you  fix  your  thoughts  on  this,  lest  it  should 
detract  from  your  daring  somewhat  of  praise,  for  it  is  ou  yourselves  that  each  man  must 


112 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


found  his  hopes,  believing  that  he  carries  his  fortune  in  his  own  right  hand.  This  is  the 
part  of  men  truly  strong  and  brave.  Inniimerable  are  the  examples  which  show  us  how 
valour  and  firmness  have  overcome  difficulties  which  looked  insuperable.  But  besides  the 
confidence  which  rests  on  mere  human  resolve,  we  have  a  greater,  a  livelier  hope  of  deliver- 
ance and  victory,  in  that  we  are  defending  a  just  and  pious  cause  against  impious  and 
treacherous  foes,  to  whom  God's  providence  has  so  far  allowed  some  measure  of  success,  so 
that  with  a  change  in  the  fortune  of  war  their  fall  may  be  the  greater.  We  have  then  every 
argument,  human  and  divine,  to  persuade  us  to  drive  fear  from  our  breasts,  and  to  hope  for  a 
good  and  prosperous  issue  to  our  efforts." 

Loud  and  cheery  shouts  from  all  present  greeted  these  words :  everyone  wished  to 
show  his  own  stedfastness,  and  to  encourage  the  rest  to  bear  readily  the  toils  and  perils 
before  them.  The  Captains  then,  to  inflame  the  troops  by  example  as  well  as  by  words, 
made  the  best  possible  distribution  of  the  posts,  and  determined  to  have  their  own  quarters 
on  the  ramparts,  just  below  the  platform,  so  as  to  be  ready  at  any  moment  for  a  call  to  arms, 
and  to  share  in  the  daily  work  and  risk.  May  was  nearly  half  passed,  the  preparations  were 
everywhere  complete,  and  the  spirits  of  the  soldiers,  countrymen  and  townsmen  alike,  were 
wonderfully  ready  to  make  or  take  the  attack,  when  one  morning  at  sunrise  they  saw  from 
the  walls  all  the  enemy's  forts  and  trenches  full  of  innumerable  flags  and  lances,  and  heard 
a  roar  of  men  and  of  drums  and  other  instruments.  A  little  later  the  Turks  began  a  furious 
discharge  of  muskets  and  cannon,  which  they  kept  up  throughout  the  day,  hoping  that  their 
fury  would  inspire  their  own  troops  with  courage,  and  ours  with  fear.  From  the  first  the 
plan  of  the  enemy  was  to  break  down  the  city's  defences :  their  shots  were  aimed  at  the 
parapets,  but  the  besieged  with  wonderful  speed  repaired  and  strengthened  them,  using  earth 
wetted  and  stamped  into  boxes  and  casks,  with  excellent  results.  Gradually  however  the 
Turks  took  lower  aim,  and  did  great  damage  to  the  walls.  It  became  necessary  to  carry  into 
the  city  by  night  the  stones  dislodged  during  the  day,  a  work  of  incredible  toil,  but  which 
was  kept  up  until  the  Turks  entered  the  fosse.  For  they  had  already  driven  their  trenches 
up  to  the  counterscarp,  and  while  they  threw  earth  into  the  ditch  in  front  of  them  on  one 
side,  and  on  the  other  from  a  small  platform,  they  pierced  the  wall  of  the  counterscarp,  and 
made  a  safe  entrance  into  the  ditch,  and  right  up  to  the  walls,  keeping  out  of  reach  of  the 
cannon  of  the  demi-lunes,  which  fired  sideways,  and  exposed  only  to  the  slighter  fire  of  the 
platforms.  In  the  city  powder  was  beginning  to  fall  short,  and  had  to  be  used  with  care,  so 
that  the  gunners  were  forbidden  to  fire  without  express  orders  from  their  commanders,  and 
these  were  only  given  when  absolutely  necessary.  The  chief  means  of  harassing  the  enemy 
lay  in  the  fireworks,  which  were  hurled  down  on  them  from  the  walls,  throwing  them  into 
disorder  and  killing  many.  Iron  balls  too  were  used,  full  of  very  fine  powder,  which  burst 
and  killed  many  persons  at  once. 

Yet  all  these  devices  could  not  keep  the  enemy  away  from  the  walls,  which  they  began 
to  undermine  in  several  places,  especially  near  the  Arsenal.  Some  of  these  mines  were 
discovered  by  the  besieged :  the  powder  supplied  their  needs  most  opportunely,  and  what 
was  laid  for  their  ruin  helped  their  defence.  But  the  Turks  had  already  posted  large  bodies 
of  men  in  the  ditch,  where  they  -were  lodged  comfortably  in  their  tents,  secured  from  attack 
by  the  vigilant  watch  of  those  who  manned  the  nearest  trenches,  who  were  so  careful  to 
observe  the  slightest  movement  of  any  of  our  soldiers,  that  not  a  man  could  appear  on  the 
walls  but  he  was  immediately  marked  down  and  killed  by  a  musket  ball.  They  did  not 
neglect  their  mines,  one  of  which  under  the  demi-lune  of  the  Arsenal  did  fatal  damage, 
while  it  showed  signallj^  the  steadiness  of  our  soldiers,  or  rather  their  pitiable  situation. 


PARUTA. 


113 


'I'hey  had  seen  the  mine  dug,  and  the  sacks  of  powder  lodged  in  it,  yet  they  kept  their 
accustomed  guard  over  the  place,  expecting  from  hour  to  hour  to  be  blown  into  the  air,  and 
torn  into  a  thousand  pieces  by  the  explosion ;  and  thus  it  befell  a  company  which  had  only 
just  relieved  the  guard  at  that  point.  The  roar  was  terrible,  so  solid  was  the  wall,  and  so 
gi-eat  the  quantity  of  powder,  and  the  city  was  shaken  as  by  an  earthquake.  The  Turks 
charged  at  once  over  the  ruins  made  by  the  explosion,  and  joined  battle,  which  raged  for 
more  than  five  hours  with  great  fierceness,  fresh  reinforcements  constantly  coming  up  on 
both  sides.  So  great  was  the  eagerness  of  our  soldiers  to  close  with  the  enemy,  and  not  to 
fall  without  giving  some  proof  of  their  courage,  or  taking  some  vengeance  on  the  foe,  that 
every  point  of  danger  was  hotly  disputed.  Everyone  tried  to  be  in  the  midst  of  eveiy 
impcu-tant  engagement,  of  every  attack.  The  very  women,  vying  with  the  men  in  manly 
valour,  kept  coming  up  to  the  w^alls,  and  bringing  necessaries  to  the  soldiers.  In  this 
skirmish  we  lost  over  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  and  among  them  Bernardino  da  Ugubio, 
who  had  performed  many  feats  of  daring,  while  Pietro  Conte,  P]rcole  Malatesta  and  other 
brave  commanders  were  wounded  and  maimed. 

The  besieged  retired  from  the  place  whicli  the  mine  had  breached.  Their  shelters 
were  constructed  with  great  skill,  but  were  too  cramped  to  be  of  much  use,  and  the  soldiers 
were  greatly  straitened  in  their  movements  by  having  to  stand  upon  plank  bridges.  Here 
especial  praise  is  due  to  the  engineer  Mormori,  and  Marco  Crivellatore,  a  Venetian,  Captain 
of  Infantry,  after  whose  plans  were  set  up  two  rows  of  Candiot  casks,  full  of  earth,  one  close 
to  the  other,  and  on  them  two  more  rows  of  sacks  full  of  moistened  earth,  well  stamped 
down :  between  these  were  proper  spaces,  and  the  whole  work  formed  a  kind  of  parapet 
behind  which  the  musketeers  could  fire  in  perfect  security.  It  proved  of  the  greatest  ser\-ice 
to  our  men  :  for  the  cannon  shots  struck  nothing  solid  or  continuous,  and  if  a  sack  were 
carried  away,  this  was  all  the  damage  done,  and  the  vacant  space  could  immediately  and 
easily  be  filled  by  another.  This  expedient,  and  the  singular  courage  of  our  men,  kept  the 
enemy  long  at  bay :  their  assaults  were  frequently  repulsed,  and  they  began  to  despair  of  so 
taking  the  city.  They  betook  themselves  to  new  expedients,  and  began  to  build  forts 
nearer  the  walls,  from  which  they  could  the  easier  destroy  the  shelters  and  platforms, 
and  so  annihilate  our  last  line  of  defence  and  their  last  obstacle.  Meanwhile  they  kept  up 
an  incessant  fin;  from  mortars  (a  kind  of  cannon  of  very  large  calibre,  now  oldfashioned), 
tin-owing  into  the  city  itself  balls  of  enormous  weight,  which  fell  on  the  houses,  destroyed 
the  roofs  and  killed  the  inmates.  They  shot  off  also  a  very  shower  of  arrows,  aiming  high, 
so  that  the  weapons  fell  perpendicularly  on  the.  heads  of  those  who  .stood  within  and  near 
the  walls.  They  kept  sounding  an  alarm,  especially  at  night  time,  as  though  they  were 
coming  to  the  attack,  and  in  short  never  left  to  the  besieged  an  hour's  rest,  with  the  object 
of  weakening  their  bodies  and  crushing  their  spirits  with  labour,  danger  and  sleeplessness. 
Finally,  when  they  saw  that  the  danuige  done  by  the  mines  was  not  enough  to  open  a  safe 
and  easy  way  for  their  attacks,  they  set  to  work  with  spades  and  pickaxes  to  pull  down  the 
walls,  and  to  curtail,  to  the  sorest  inconvenience  of  the  besieged,  the  space,  already  too 
narrow,  on  which  they  could  work. 

When  the  Turks  had  carried  their  works  so  far  that  they  could  easily  cross  the  wall 
at  several  points,  their  commanders  decided  that  they  ought  to  make  one  supreme  effort,  and 
at  the  same  moment  to  attack  the  besieged  at  different  places,  on  the  ground  that  being  few, 
and  engaged  on  different  guards,  they  could  not  long  sustain  the  fury  of  the  assault.  Mustafa 
made  his  preparations  with  the  greatest  care,  and  tried  to  be  present  himself  at  them  all.  He 
went  about  trying  to  encourage  his  soldiers,  addressing  by  name  those  already  distinguished 

15 

c. 


114 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


for  courage,  and  recalling  their  brave  exploits,  and  the  praise  and  booty  which  had  rewarded 
them,  pointed  out  what  hopes  were  theirs  of  still  greater  things.  Here  he  threatened  the 
most  terrible  punishments  for  cowardice :  there  he  promised  the  highest  honours  and  prizes 
for  valour :  he  pictured  to  them  the  booty  and  spoils,  reminded  them  of  the  whole  regiments 
enriched  by  the  sack  of  Nicosia,  and  prayed  and  implored  them  to  bring  no  shame  on  troops 
so  lately  victorious,  to  feel  no  fear  before  the  arms  of  men  to  whom  they  had  always  been 
a  terror.  He  reminded  them  of  their  successes  at  Nicosia,  and  showed  them  that  with  equal 
ease,  though  with  richer  fruit,  they  could  achieve  another  glorious  victory,  and  end  the  war. 
Their  opponents  were  the  same  men,  unwarlike  or  untried :  they  too  were  the  same,  rich  in 
memories  of  old  prowess  which  had  won  them  the  glorious  title  of  conquerors  of  the  earth. 
No  enterprise  on  which  they  had  embarked  but  had  been  crowned  with  success;  from  them 
the  world  had  leai'ned  that  the  fortune  of  war  bows  to  valour  in  arms. 

With  these  and  like  words  the  Pasha  greatly  cheered  the  troops,  and  then  prepared  to 
assist  in  person  at  the  assault.  He  wished  to  see  what  was  doing,  and  to  be  seen  by  his  men : 
to  help  them  with  his  counsel,  and  encourage  them  with  his  presence.  The  attack  was  truly 
terrible.  The  Turks  fought  stoutly,  inflamed  by  the  certain  hope  of  that  day  gaining  the 
city.  Our  men  kept  well  together,  and  held  their  ground  with  desperate  courage.  The  enemy 
might  enter  their  defences,  but  could  not  drive  6ut  the  defenders,  as  fast  as  the  Turks 
approached  they  were  scattered,  killed,  hurled  back :  and  blows  which  fell  on  so  dense  a 
crowd  never  fell  in  vain.  This  third  attack  continued  for  five  hours,  and  was  most  bravely 
met.  But  the  soldiers  who  were  set  to  defend  the  ravelin  at  the  Limisso  gate  were  thrown 
into  disorder  by  the  enemy's  fireworks,  and  were  unable  to  manoeuvre  in  the  small  space 
they  could  command,  so  that  when  at  the  other  points  assailed  by  the  enemy  the  battle  was 
well  nigh  done,  they  were  still  engaged,  and  suffering  very  severe  losses.  They  gave  way  at 
last,  and  allowed  the  Turks  to  scale  the  ravelin,  and  then,  every  other  resource  failing  them, 
the  commanders  took  the  terrible  and  fatal,  though  necessary,  resolve  at  once  to  fire  a  mine 
which  they  had  prepared  against  this  last  dread  emergency.  On  the  ravelin  stood  crowded 
together  soldiers  from  the  enemy's  camp  and  from  the  city,  those  charging,  these  retreating, 
and  in  a  moment  foes  and  friends  wei'e  covered  with  the  ruins,  "  in  one  red  burial  blent." 

The  ravelin  lost,  there  remained  between  besiegers  and  besieged  only  the  breadth  of 
the  second  line  of  defence,  constructed,  as  we  said,  of  casks  and  sacks  full  of  earth.  The 
men  on  either  side  often  talked  together  and,  as  soldiers  use,  flouted  one  another,  the  Turks 
deriding  the  vain  hopes  of  our  men,  and  telling  them  that  the  Christian  fleets  had  by  this 
time  fled  as  far  as  Venice.  Ours,  in  turn,  mocked  the  enemy  who,  more  like  peasants  than 
warriors,  trusted  so  little  in  their  arms  that  they  used  spades  and  shovels.  With  this  raillery 
Avas  mingled  more  serious  discourse,  for  the  Turks,  through  some  slaves,  made  proposals  for 
a  truce.  They  had  before  made  many  attempts  of  the  same  kind  by  letters  addressed 
sometimes  to  the  chiefs,  sometimes  to  the  people  of  the  city,  which  they  sent  in  upon  arrows ; 
but  no  reply  was  given  to  them,  nor  would  the  besieged  ever  agree  to  parley,  and  when  they 
found  the  treacherous  devices  with  which,  under  the  guise  of  good  faith,  they  threatened  our 
people  fail,  they  betook  themselves  again  to  arms,  and  prepared  another  attack  from  the 
ravelin  which  was  now  in  their  hands.  Another  engagement  followed,  in  which  both  sides 
fought  desperately.  But  the  greater  glory  remained  with  the  besieged,  especially  with  their 
commanders.  Baglione  himself,  full  of  daring  and  more  by  example  than  by  words,  urged 
his  soldiers  to  fight,  and  always  among  the  first  he  pressed  on  so  far  that  with  his  own  hands 
he  tore  from  a  Turkish  standard-bearer  a  flag,  taken  in  the  siege  of  Nicosia,  on  which  were 
blazoned  the  arms  of  Venice.    Luigi  Martinengo,  who  was  especially  charged  with  the 


PARUTA. 


115 


defence  of  that  post,  kept  renewing  the  fight  with  fresh  soldiers,  relieved  the  weary,  kept 
the  enemy  at  bay  where  they  were  most  active,  hurled  back  those  who  began  to  give  way, 
and  showed  himself  everywhere  a  wise  and  brave  commander. 

The  Turks,  thus  repulsed,  to  leave  nothing  untried,  devised  yet  a  new  way  to  harass 
our  men,  whose  troubles  and  difficulties  were  already  unbearable.  They  filled  the  whole 
space  between  the  gate  and  the  ravelin  with  firewood  and  fascines,  and  set  the  stuff  on  fire, 
throwing  also  into  the  midst  various  compounds  to  increase  the  blaze.  Our  soldiers  were 
sorely  tormented  with  the  heat,  and  with  the  stench  of  a  certain  wood  grown  in  the  island, 
called  by  the  peasants  tezza,  which  gives  out  a  strong  and  most  unpleasant  odour.  This  fire 
lasted  for  many  days,  until  the  defenders,  who  had  tried  in  every  way  to  extinguish  it,  could 
hardly  remain  on  the  spot.  Yet,  in  spite  of  all,  these  brave  fellows  persisted  in  the  defence. 
So  keen  was  their  daring,  and  so  determined  their  resolve  to  hold  out  to  the  end  that  even 
old  men  and  women  defied  the  natural  weakness  of  age  and  sex,  and  kept  their  posts  on  the 
walls,  performing  all  the  duties  of  soldiers.  But  things  had  come  to  such  a  pass  that  toils 
endured  and  perils  braved  were  all  in  vain.  The  strength  of  the  enemy  outside  kept 
increasing,  new  reinforcements  of  men  and  munitions  came  up  daily,  while  within  men, 
munitions  and  victuals  were  daily  failing.  A  large  inimber  of  the  bravest  soldiers  had  died 
at  their  posts;  the  wounded  lay  almost  abandoned  for  want  of  doctors  and  drugs.  The  few 
who  were  still  sound  were  worn  out  by  fatigue  and  hardship;  they  were  eating  the  flesh  of 
asses,  horses,  dogs,  and  such  like  nauseous  food :  wine  and  viiiegar  had  failed  entirely,  and 
they  had  water  only  to  drink,  so  that  they  were  reduced  to  such  a  pitch  of  weakness  that  it 
was  a  brave  spirit  rather  than  strength  of  body  which  kept  them  alive. 

The  citizens  were  now  fully  aware  that  the  place  could  not  possibly  hold  out  much 
longer,  and  resolved  to  beg  the  civil  and  military  chiefs  to  provide,  before  the  end  came,  for 
their  safety. 

Matteo  (xolfi  was  their  spokesman.  He  dwelt  on  the  loyalty  and  constancy  of  the 
inhabitants,  o\\  the  dangers  and  hardships  which  so  far  they  had  borne  with  signal  patience, 
and  in  the  name  of  the  whole  city  implored  the  magistrates  that,  now  that  they  saw  the 
desperate  state  of  affairs,  they  would  not  allow  the  total  ruin  of  their  country  to  be  a  miserable 
memorial  to  mark  the  loyalty  of  the  people  of  Fanuigusta.  Its  salvation  should  be  the  reward 
of  their  deserts.  To  the  double  glory  of  the  defenders  it  should  be  made  manifest  that  their 
generous  spirits,  wliicii  no  feai-  of  tlu-  enemy  could  tame,  had  stooped  to  the  love  of  friends, 
and  to  the  wish  to  secure  to  tliem,  not  indeed  the  lot  they  could  have  wished,  but  at  least  all 
that  fortune  woukl  grant.  He  urged  that,  if  there  were  but  a  gleam  of  hope,  the  readiness 
and  bravery  which  had  been  .shown  hitherto  would  not  even  yet  fail.  If  they  could  with 
tluMr  blood  ransom  their  fatherland  from  the  heavy  and  cruel  yoke  of  these  barbarian 
unbelievers,  and  preserve  it  under  the  just  and  mild  government  of  Venice,  not  a  man  would 
shrink.  What  inspired  their  request  was  certainly  not  the  fear  of  death,  a  matter  lightly 
esteemed  of  men  who  had  lost  so  many  relations  and  friends,  all  indeed  that  was  dear  to 
them,  and  to  whom  life  could  no  longer  offer  any  pleasure:  rather  was  it  the  anxious 
prescience  that  they  might  remain  alive  to  see  still  heavier  and  longer  troubles,  their  country 
enslaved,  tlunnselves  and  their  children  in  bonds,  and  their  everlasting  salvation  imperilled. 
They  asked  them  in  all  humility,  in  all  affection,  in  the  name  of  their  most  loyal  city,  that 
the  authorities  would  ccmsent  to  treat  with  the  enemy,  a  course  the  Turks  themselves  were 
daily  proposing,  and  under  honourable  conditions  endeavour  to  preserve  what  might  yet 
perhaps  be  left  of  so  great  and  noble  a  kingdom. 

Having  lu>av.l  the  pray(>r  of  the  pcple,  the  magistrates  and  principal  commanders 

15—2 


116 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


debated  among  themselves  what  should  be  done.  Opinions  were  divided.  One  of  them 
stoutly  insisted  that  "  they  ought  to  die  with  their  arms  in  their  hands,  to  make  one  great 
sally  by  night,  to  fall  on  the  Turks  unawares  and,  dying,  to  avenge  their  own  death  by  the 
blood  of  the  foe.  Death  in  any  case,  so  slippery  was  the  enemy's  faith,  would  be  equally 
certain,  but  not  equally  glorious.  No  argument  would  persuade  him  that  the  Turks  would 
keep  the  faith  they  plighted.  To  some  understanding  they  were  driven  by  need,  not  by  their 
will.  Yet  it  might  befall  that  in  making  one  they  might  in  a  measure  tarnish  or  impair  the 
fame  and  glory  won  by  such  heroic  toil." 

On  the  other  side  there  were  those  who  said  that  it  was  unbefitting  officers  who  had 
been  appointed  to  guai-d  the  city,  and  to  govern  its  inhabitants  for  their  safety  and  welfare, 
to  show  themselves  more  ruthless  than  their  very  enemies.  It  was  perfectly  clear  that  the 
Turkish  commanders  were  moved  at  this  juncture  to  propose  a  truce  solely  by  a  desire  to 
save  the  city  from  rapine,  and  the  citizens  from  slaughter,  fearing  that  if  they  took  it  by 
violence,  they  would  be  impotent  to  restrain  the  fury  of  their  troops.  Again,  it  was  the 
duty  of  brave  men  not  to  allow  themselves  to  be  forced  to  acts  of  cowardice,  or  failure  of 
duty,  by  the  fear  of  death ;  but  to  wish  uselessly  to  throw  away  their  lives  was  to  show  mad 
obstinacy  rather  than  true  valour.  What  they  had  done  in  the  defence  of  the  fortress  was  so 
notable,  so  plain,  that  none  but  those  who  envied  them  would  dare  to  reflect  on  their  courage. 
Where  glory  is  greatest,  its  spur  is  most  sharply  felt :  but  virtue  has  this  privilege,  to  be  its 
own  reward.  The  soldiers  had  satisfied  every  call  of  duty,  for  up  to  the  very  last  they  had 
preserved  to  their  Prince  his  stronghold.  Now  what  could  their  chiefs  do  more  for  them 
than  to  save  for  other  emergencies  men,  every  one  of  whom  his  suffering  and  experience  had 
made  a  brave  and  capable  leader.  They  must  not  in  this  case  fear  so  much  for  the  observance 
of  the  truce,  for  they  had  often  seen,  in  the  capture  of  Rhodes,  and  in  various  engagements 
in  Hungary,  that  the  Turks,  barbarians  though  they  were,  were  used  to  honour  even  in  their 
enemies  valour  in  war. 

These  arguments  prevailed  at  last,  and  after  long  debate  it  was  resolved  to  capitulate 
upon  honourable  conditions.  On  the  first  of  August,  after  much  parleying,  in  which  an 
Italian  standard-bearer,  a  prisoner  in  the  Turkish  camp,  was  the  intermediary,  it  was  decided 
that,  after  we  had  first  sent  our  hostages,  two  leading  officers  from  the  camp  should  enter  the 
city  to  treat  about  the  details  of  the  truce,  and  of  the  surrender.  Meanwhile  hostilities  were 
to  be  suspended  on  both  sides.  Sundry  white  flags  were  hoisted  both  within  and  without 
the  city  in  sign  of  truce,  and  on  the  following  day  two  Kiaya  (a  kind  of  master  of  the  house- 
hold among  the  Turks),  the  one  of  Mustafa  Pasha,  the  other  of  the  Agha  of  the  Janissaries, 
entered  the  city  on  horseback,  and  with  them  six  Janissaries  only  on  foot,  all  splendidly 
armed  and  clothed.  From  our  side  there  went  out  Ercole  Martinengo,  and  Matteo  Colti,  a 
citizen  of  Famagusta,  attended  by  four  soldiers.  Immediately  outside  the  city  they  were 
met  by  a  son  of  Mustafa,  with  a  large  escort  of  soldiers  mounted  and  on  foot,  who  conducted 
them  into  his  father's  presence.  Mustafa  Pasha  welcomed  them  with,  ceremonious  speeches, 
presented  to  them  two  robes  of  gold  brocade,  and  sent  them  to  lodge  in  the  pavilion  of  the 
Agha  of  the  Janissaries.  But  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  these  men,  who  had  borne  so  many 
hardships,  and  despaired,  as  it  were,  of  safety,  and  who  should  now  have  been  consoled  by 
seeing  the  end  of  so  great  troubles,  showed  in  their  looks  and  words  only  the  deepest  sadness, 
as  though  their  minds  pictured  to  them  calamities  yet  to  come. 

The  officers  who  came  to  discuss  the  conditions  showed  themselves  most  ready  to  concede 
all  our  proposals.  These  were,  shortly,  that  the  soldiers  should  be  transported  safely  on 
Turkish  vessels  to  the  island  of  Candia,  with  permission  to  carry  with  them  their  arms,  and 


PARUTA. 


117 


all  their  property;  five  pieces  of  artillery  and  three  horses  belonging  to  the  three  chief 
commanders  were  specially  named.  That  all  the  inhabitants  should  in  like  manner  be  free 
to  move  with  their  families  and  property  whither  they  would,  but  those  who  remained 
should  be  safe  in  their  persons,  their  property  and  their  honour  from  the  insolence  of  the 
troops.  Thus  in  a  single  day  the  conditions  of  surrender  were  discussed,  arranged  and 
ratified.  The  Turks  appeared  to  wish  to  carry  them  out  quickly  and  strictly,  and  sent  at 
once  into  the  harbour  about  forty  vessels,  upon  which  the  sick  and  wounded  were  first 
embarked,  while  the  able-bodied  soldiers  kept  their  posts  on  the  second  line  of  defence,  and 
allowed  the  Turks  to  make  no  forward  movement.  But  as  soon  as  our  men  got  beyond  the 
trenches,  and  saw,  and  were  seen  by,  the  enemy's  host,  it  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the 
wonder  begotten  by  causes  altogether  different  in  one  and  the  other  army.  Our  men  were 
staggered  at  the  prodigious  number  of  the  force  they  saw  in  the  Turkish  camp.  For  over 
three  miles  from  the  city  it  stretched  over  a  vast  circuit,  and  was  everj^where  so  full  of  troops 
that  the  turbans,  which  on  every  side  showed  white  above  the  trenches,  covered  the  ground 
like  snow-flakes.  The  Turks,  on  the  other  hand,  w^hen  they  saw  the  defending  force  so 
small  ill  iiunibors,  the  emaciated  bodies  and  pale  faces  of  our  soldiers,  who  seemed  as  though 
they  could  hai-dly  stand,  much  less  offer  so  long  and  gallant  a  resistance  to  a  foe,  marvelled 
at  their  courage,  and  felt  some  touch  of  shame.  They  let  natural  pity,  and  the  generous 
workings  of  true  cou)-age,  have  their  way ;  they  Vx-gan  to  offer  them  refreshments,  to  speak 
courteously,  to  praise  their  steadfastness,  and  to  encourage  them  to  hope  for  the  best. 

Meanwhile  the  Greeks  and  Albanians  were  ready  to  embark  with  their  families,  and 
other  detachments  of  soldiers  were  already  on  board  other  vessels,  so  that  on  the  fourth  of 
August  the  city  was  left  free  to  the  Turks.  As  soon  as  they  entered  they  l)egan  to  use  all 
kinds  of  violence  towards  the  citizens.  Bragadino  informed  Mustafa  of  this,  and  complained, 
and  prayed  that  he  would  show  that  he  observed  the  conditions,  and  respected  his  plighted 
faith,  by  putting  some  clieck  on  the  insolence  of  his  soldiery.  He  begged  that  more  ships 
might  be  sent  to  take  the  rest  of  the  people,  and  promised  that  he  would  then  come  himself 
to  bring  him  the  keys  of  the  city.  This  message  was  entrusted  to  Nestore  Martinengo,  a 
y(nith  of  great  spirit,  who  from  the  beginning  of  the  war  had  served  in  Famagusta  under  the 
banner  of  his  uncle  (Jirolamo  Martinengo,  and  had  been  employed  on  various  duties,  alwaj-s 
earning  high  praise  for  his  intelligence  and  courage.  He  went  to  the  Pasha,  and  obtained 
forthwith  an  order  to  the  soldiers  who  had  entered  the  city  to  abstain  from  all  violence,  and 
a  pi-omise  that  two  other  vessels  should  be  sent  at  once  into  the  harbour  to  embark  our 
soldiers.  He  was  desired  to  tell  liragadino  that  Mustafa  would  be  glad  to  see  him:  he 
wished  to  know  in  person  and  face  to  face  a  num  of  whose  great  worth  he  had  had  such 
proof,  and  to  whose  valour  he  would  everywhere  warmly  testify. 

Without  fui-ther  delay,  on  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  leaving  Tiepolo  in  the  city,  all 
the  other  principal  officers,  to  wit,  Bragadino,  Baglione,  Martinengo  and  Antonio  Quirini, 
a  noble  Venetian,  accompanied  by  other  captains  and  a  few  Greek  gentlemen,  went  out  on 
horseback,  attended  by  foi-ty  nuisketeers  on  foot.  The  General  Bragadino  rode  in  front  of 
the  rest  under  a  red  umbrella,  dressed  in  purple  with  the  ordinary  robes  of  his  office,  and 
followed  by  the  others  named.  When  they  arrived  at  the  pavilion  of  the  Pasha  they  were 
received  with  great  ceremony,  and,  their  arms  being  laid  aside,  they  were  introduced  into 
the  presence  of  Mustafa.  He  conversed  with  them  for  some  time  on  various  matters,  dis- 
sembling his  iinnost  thouglits.  But  at  last,  trying  to  find  some  pretext  for  giving  effect  to 
the  savagery  which  his  fierce  spirit  had  conceived,  he  required  some  guarantee  that  the 
vessels  which  he  ii-nt  tlicni  would  be  sent  back.    Bragadino  replied  that  he  was  not  bound 


118 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


to  this  under  the  capitulation,  nor  had  he  officers  whom  he  could  leave  behind  whom  Mustafa 
would  accept  as  hostages.  Mustafa  pointed  to  Quirini,  and  added  that  he  must  remain  in 
the  camp.  The  person  of  this  youth  declared  his  courage  and  noble  birth.  This,  and  the 
fact  that  he  was  the  son  of  Niccolo  Quirini,  who  had  been  in  charge  of  the  fortifications  of 
Nicosia,  and  had  given  his  family  name  to  one  of  its  bastions,  made  him  conspicuous  among 
his  companions,  and  better  known  to  Mustafa.  Bragadino  firmly  refused  of  his  own  free 
will  to  give  him  up.  The  Pasha  could  no  longer  control  his  passion,  and  burst  into  a  torrent 
of  abuse,  fiercely  accusing  our  men  of  having  put  to  death  certain  Musalmans,  prisoners  in 
their  hands,  contrary  to  the  usages  of  war,  and  the  dictates  of  humanity.  His  talk  added 
fuel  to  his  rage,  and  he  ordered  them  all  to  be  bound.  They  were  led  out  of  the  pavilion : 
he  set  free  the  hostages  who  were  still  in  his  camp,  and  caused  Baglione,  Martinengo,  Quirini 
and  the  rest  to  be  hacked  in  pieces  by  his  soldiers — a  pitiful  spectacle,  and  a  fate  all  un- 
worthy of  those  brave  men,  who  might  have  hoped  to  receive  from  soldiers,  enemies  though 
they  were,  rewards,  not  punishment,  for  valour  shown  in  war.  Bragadino  was  reserved  for 
greater  torments.  He  was  obliged  to  witness  this  cruelty,  and  many  times  to  endure  the 
pains  of  death  before  he  was  released  from  life.  For  they  made  him  stretch  out  his  neck, 
but,  unwilling  to  kill  him  on  the  spot,  merely  cut  off  his  ears. 

Those  who  were  first  to  embark  fared  no  better  than  the  rest.  They  were  chained,  and 
condemned  to  suffer  in  the  harshest  servitude  long  and  severe  hardships.  To  some  fortune 
was  more  kind.  These  from  sundry  chances  were  the  last  to  remain  in  the  city,  and, 
becoming  the  prizes  of  individual  soldiers,  were  quickly  and  easily  released  by  their  captors 
for  a  small  ransom,  which  the  Turks  feared  to  lose,  for  Mustafa  had  strictly  forbidden  the 
holding  of  private  prisoners,  as  he  wished  to  glorify  his  triumphant  return  to  Constantinople 
by  the  greatest  possible  number  of  slaves.  Among  these  Tiepolo  only  was  of  too  exalted 
a  position  to  win  his  safety.  He  was  made  a  prisoner,  and  condemned  by  the  Pasha  to  the 
disgrace  of  death  by  hanging  at  the  yardarm  of  a  galley. 

But  it  is  a  tearful  story  we  have  to  tell  of  Bragadino,  what  manifold  forms  of  martyrdom 
these  cruellest,  vilest  of  men  caused  him  to  suffer.  After  insults  and  wild  mockery  he  was 
led  into  the  square  of  Famagusta,  and  there  bound  to  the  stones  of  the  pillory  and  flayed 
alive,  while  Mustafa  stood  to  the  end  on  a  terrace  of  the  palace  to  feast  his  eyes  and  bestial 
heart  on  the  weird  and  cruel  sight.  Incredible  was  the  courage  which  this  bravest  of  heroes 
showed  in  all  his  terrible  torments :  a  courage  which  ought  to  preserve  and  grace  his 
memory  throughout  the  ages.  But  the  fury  of  Mustafa's  anger  was  not  yet  exhausted,  and 
he  ordered  that  the  skin  should  be  filled  with  straw,  and  set  on  a  cow.  In  bitter  mockery 
the  i-ed  umbrella  under  which  the  living  Bragadino  had  ridden  to  the  camp  was  held  over  it, 
it  was  carried  through  the  city,  and  finally,  on  his  departure,  it  was  hung  on  the  yard  of 
a  galley,  that  he  might  parade  his  infamous  trophy  before  the  inhabitants  of  the  coast-towns 
which  he  passed.  The  reason  which  moved  Mustafa  to  this  fiendish  cruelty  is  not  clear. 
Some  said  that  as  the  soldiers  had  missed  the  booty  promised  to  them  from  the  sack  of  the 
city,  he  wished  by  the  punishment  of  a  few  to  avenge  the  deaths  of  the  many  men  he  had 
lost  in  the  siege,  and  give  some  kind  of  satisfaction  to  his  army.  Others  again,  that  irritated 
by  the  length  and  obstinacy  of  the  defence,  and  by  the  loss  of  certain  friends  very  dear  to 
him,  he  had  already  sworn  to  take  some  terrible  vengeance.  But  there  were  yet  some  who 
believed  that  the  spirit  of  Mustafa,  a  man  so  given  to  anger  that,  once  moved,  he  was  wont 
to  grow  furious  and  actually  mad,  was  excited  to  frenzy  and  scorn  on  seeing  Bragadino 
and  his  companions  come  to  his  pavilion  with  so  large  an  armed  escort,  and  so  richly  clothed, 
as  though  they  were  rather  victors  than  vanquished.    This  seems  but  a  trifling  excuse  for  so 


PARUTA.  LUSIGNAN. 


119 


savage  a  crime,  but  the  time  which  he  allowed  to  pass  between  the  first  sentence  and  the 
later  and  more  cruel  tortures  lends  it  some  probability.  It  was  mere  madness  which  stirred 
him  to  rage  even  against  the  dead.  He  entered  the  Episcopal  Church  of  S.  Niccolo,  caused 
the  graves  to  be  opened  and  the  bones  scattered.  He  destroyed  the  altars  and  the  images 
of  the  saints,  and  committed  other  bestial  and  cruel  acts  for  which  he  was  much  blamed  even 
by  hrs  own  people. 

The  city  thus  acquired,  order  was  taken  at  once  carefully  to  clear  the  ditches  of  the 
ruins  of  the  walls,  to  raze  all  the  forts,  and  fill  all  the  trenches  outside,  and  to  repair  all  that 
had  been  destroyed  within.  Thus  the  fortress  was  soon  restored  to  its  original  condition, 
and  made  even  more  secure  and  defensible  than  it  had  been  before. 

Mustafa  Pasha  put  the  Bey  of  Rhodes  in  charge  of  the  city,  and  on  the  twenty-fourth 
of  September  left  Cyprus,  returning  victorious  and  triumphant  to  Constantinople,  where  he 
was  received  with  high  honours  and  universal  joy.  Yet  the  victory  had  cost  the  Turks  dear, 
for  they  had  lost,  so  report  said,  more  than  fifty  thousand  men,  and  among  them  many 
commanders  of  high  rank,  and  their  best  warriors. 


LUSIGNAN. 

Fr.  Etienne  de  Lusignan's  description  of  Nicosia  and  Famagusta  is  here  translated  from  his  Oiovo- 
graffia,  Bologna,  1573,  pp.  11  and  14 — 16.  It  should  be  compared  with  the  French  version,  4to,  Paris, 
1580,  Description  de  toute  Vile  de  Cypre...compoHee  ijvemerement  en  Ittdien,  et  imprimee  d  Bologne  la 
Grasse,  et  maintenant  augmentee  et  traduite  en  Fran^'oig. 

Letra,  an  ancient  city,  but  it  is  not  known  who  first  founded  it:  it  was  afterwards  restored 
by  Leucico  or  Leuco,  son  of  the  first  Ptolemy,  king  of  Egypt,  who  called  it  Leucoton.  This  is 
Nicosia,  which  is  an  ancient  city,  but  it  is  not  exactly  known  who  first  built  it,  and  when. 
It  is  evident  that  it  is  ancient,  and  S.  Jerome  and  Platina  and  others  call  it  Letra  or  Leucoton, 
naming  a  bishop  S.  TriffiUus — Triffillus  of  Letra  in  Cyprus,  Leucoton.  The  Latins  now  call  it 
Nicosia,  but  the  Greeks  Leucosia  :  and  some  say  that  Leuco  and  Sia  his  wife  built  it,  and  in 
olden  days  traces  of  it  were  visible.  It  was  a  royal  citj^  in  the  time  of  the  nine  contemporarj^ 
kings,  and  it  had  a  castle  which  was  in  the  upper  square  near  the  river,  where  one  finds  now 
a  Greek  church  which  is  called  Castegliotissa.  This  castle  was  destroyed  by  the  townsfolk, 
at  the  time  of  the  engagement  with  the  knights  Templar,  whom  the  former  would  not  have 
to  reign  in  Cyprus;  and  this  was  about  1194.  And  later  in  the  time  of  the  Lusignan  kings 
it  was  made  an  archiepiscopal  and  royal  I'esidence,  and  the  capital  of  the  whole  island,  for 
the  site  on  which  it  stands  is  in  the  middle  of  the  island,  and  the  middle  of  the  plain ;  the  air 
is  excellent,  the  water  delicate,  the  spot  pleasantly  full  of  gardens  and  fruits.  Immediately 
outside  it  it  has  two  springs,  one  called  Piadia  [IlT^ya^ia]  and  the  other  Sweet  Water,  and 
this  one  passes  through  the  city,  and  supplies  several  fountains  in  the  palaces,  the  court  and 
the  s(iuare  and  other  places,  and  this  water  is  light  and  is  given  just  as  it  is  to  sick  people  to 
drink  as  much  as  they  will,  and  it  does  no  harm.  And  for  these  reasons  the  city  was  in  the 
days  of  the  Lusignan  kings  much  adorned  with  nobles,  palaces  and  churches,  Latin,  Greek, 
Armenian,  Coptic,  Maronite,  Indian,  Nestorian,  Jacobite,  and  those  of  the  Iberi  or  Georgians, 


120 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


of  which  churches  we  shall  speak.  The  monasteries  of  monks  and  nuns  of  S.  Benedict,  and 
S.  Bernard,  of  S.  Griuliano  (Crosachieri,  Croisiers,  Porte-croix,  who  carry  always  a  little 
silver  cross  in  their  hand,  and  are  dressed  in  blue),  of  the  Certosa,  and  the  four  mendicant 
Orders,  the  church  of  the  knights  of  the  Temple,  and  of  the  knights  of  S.  John  and  many 
others.  Of  the  Greeks  too  very  many  convents  of  monks  and  nuns  of  S.  Basil ;  so  that  the 
churches  in  this  city  amounted  to  250  and  perhaps  300. 

This  city  was  great,  in  circumference  three  leagues  or  nine  miles.  It  is  true  it  was  not 
quite  full,  but  it  had  many  gardens  and  large  ones.  But  in  1567  the  Signory  of  Venice 
wishing  to  fortify  it  reduced  it  to  one  league  or  three  miles,  and  left  three  gates  as  it  had 
before,  and  levelled  with  the  ground  the  two  thirds  of  the  city  all  round,  leaving  the  third 
part  in  the  middle.  Thus  were  destroyed  very  many  houses  and  palaces  and  eighty  churches 
of  all  kinds,  and  they  reduced  the  city  to  the  shape  you  will  see  on  the  opposite  page. 

This  city  had  a  citadel  which  was  built  by  king  Jacques  I.,  and  in  those  days  when 
there  was  no  artillery  it  was  strong  and  well  supplied;  and  within  there  was  nothing  but 
the  Royal  Court  and  the  Monastery  of  S.  Dominic,  and  the  water  flowed  round  it  in  the 
fosses.  When  the  Venetians  took  the  island  they  destroyed  this  citadel  and  the  palace  and 
the  two  drawbridges,  and  left  only  the  walls,  part  of  which  they  again  pulled  down  in 
building  the  new  fortifications. 

And  the  palace,  which  was  partly  restored  by  M.  Gabriel  Cornaro,  was  again  ruined. 
However  one  may  still  see  some  traces  of  that  citadel.  In  the  same  way  they  destroyed 
that  royal  monastery,  to  which  were  attached  two  cloisters  full  of  oranges  and  paved  with 
fine  marbles,  and  the  church  adorned  with  the  grand  tombs  of  the  Royal  House,  and  other 
princes  and  lords,  and  on  its  walls  and  floor  with  many  fine,  broad  and  large  marbles.  These 
Kings  were  buried  there,  Ughetto,  Ugo,  Pietrino,  Giacomo,  Giano,  with  their  wives  and  sons 
and  daughters :  Princes  of  Galilee,  of  Antioch :  Louis,  son  of  the  king  of  France,  Seneschals, 
Constables,  Admirals  and  Chamberlains  of  Jerusalem  and  Cyprus:  Counts,  Barons  and  Lords 
of  Thabaria,  Thoron,  Saetto,  Cesarea,  Baruti,  Tripoli,  Zaffo,  di  Ruchas,  and  others.  Then 
sixteen  Archbishops,  Bishops  and  Patriarchs.  Then  the  dormitories,  refectory,  hospice,  paved 
with  marble :  it  had  too  the  other  offices  necessary  to  such  a  monastery,  for  in  the  time  of  the 
kings  it  held  eighty  monks.  Then  it  had  the  chamber  of  the  king  on  one  side,  and  that  of 
the  queen  on  the  other,  which  they  visited  often.  And  there  died  king  John  and  his  wife 
Helena.  Joined  to  it,  or  rather  enclosed  in  it,  was  the  Patriarchal  residence,  which  the 
Patriarchs  of  Jerusalem  who  were  of  this  Order  built ;  but  it  is  now  many  years  since  this 
was  destroyed,  and  by  a  Patriarch.    This  is  all  which  was  inside  the  citadel. 

In  the  same  city  they  pulled  down  also  another  Latin  monastery,  which  was  first 
tenanted  by  the  monks  of  S.  Bernard,  afterwards  by  the  Zoccolanti ;  so  I  need  not  stay  to 
describe  it,  how  fine  it  was  and  how  solid,  when  one  thinks  to  what  Order  it  first  belonged. 
They  destroyed  also  another  convent  of  the  nuns  of  S.  Thodoro  of  the  same  Order;  and  two 
belonging  to  the  Greeks,  one  of  monks  built  by  queen  Helena,  and  the  other  of  nuns,  the 
first  was  called  Manchana,  the  second  Palluriotissa.  They  pulled  down  too  other  fine  Latin 
churches  and  the  convent  of  S.  Anna,  which  was  first  tenanted  by  the  nuns  of  S.  Benedict, 
and  then  abandoned.  In  all  eighty  churches,  of  all  sorts  and  Orders.  And  they  made  the 
city  round,  as  in  the  plan  below,  with  eleven  bastions,  all  made  of  mere  earth :  even  when  the 
Turks  reached  it  they  were  not  completely  furnished  with  walls,  nor  were  the  fosses  made 
(Fr.  V.  p.  32  a).  The  torrent  used  to  pass  through  the  middle  of  the  city,  entering  it  at  one 
point,  and  leaving  it  at  three  (Fr.  v.  p.  144),  and  now  in  fortifying  it  in  1567  they  cut  off  the 
stream  outside  (p.  56  a) . 


LUSIGNAN. 


121 


If  this  city  had  been  furnished  with  revetements,  the  walls  and  the  bastions  with  stone, 
and  the  fosses  properly  arranged,  it  would  most  certainly  have  been  an  impregnable  fortress. 
Because  it  was  already  provided  with  cannon — there  were  250  large  and  small — the  air  too 
being  good,  the  water  good,  and  the  supply  of  grain  ample  (as  it  was  then,  and  is  still),  if  it 
had  had  a  sufficient  garrison,  and  its  Governors  and  Commanders  had  been  experienced  and 
watchful,  the  Turks  would  not  have  got  it  so  quickly,  or  at  least  they  would  have  had  wounds 
and  swordthrusts  in  plenty.  We  may  say  then  in  conclusion  that  it  was  the  secret  judgment 
of  God  to  purge  certain  sins  on  one  side  and  the  other. 

In  this  city  lived  all  the  nobility  of  Cyprus,  Barons,  Knights  and  Feudatories,  nearly  all 
of  whom  died  in  this  affair,  with  the  townsfolk  to  the  number  of  twenty  thousand :  all  men 
devoted  to  the  service  of  God  most  High,  and  of  their  sovereign.  The  remnant  of  the  souls 
that  were  left  were  all  made  slaves. 

Without  the  city,  from  the  Lower  Gate  to  the  Gate  of  S.  Dominic,  all  the  land  was  full 
of  gardens  which  stretched  away  for  a  league,  so  abundant  was  the  water,  which  they  drew 
from  wells  with  certain  great  wheels,  as  at  Famagosta. 

The  walls  of  the  ancient  city  were  built  in  the  days  of  Constantine  the  Great  by  the 
Dukes  who  ruled  here.  And  in  pulling  them  down  to  build  the  new  ones  they  found  in  many 
places  copper  coins  of  the  said  Constantine,  and  of  S.  Helena  his  mother,  and  many  in  one 
spot.  The  city  had  formerly  many  relics  of  different  saints,  and  of  the  Holy  Cross  given  by 
S.  Helena,  and  a  coin  of  the  thirty  for  whicli  Jesus  Christ  was  sold,  and  the  whole  btidy  of 
S.  John  of  Montfort,  (me  of  those  three  hundred  Barons  of  France  and  Germany  who  all 
lived  holy  lives. 

Nicosia  is  12  leagues  distant  from  Famagosta,  8  from  Salines,  18  from  Limisso,  33  from 
Paffo,  and  from  Cerines  5. 

Ar.senoe.  This  is  the  city  of  Famagosta  of  to-day.  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  began  its 
construction  in  jnemory  of  his  sister  who  b(jre  that  name.  And  not  only  this,  but  he  built  or 
restored  other  three  cities,  and  called  all  four  Ar-senoe :  one  is  the  village  of  Afdimou,  the 
second  is  Famagosta,  the  third  is  the  village  Lefca,  the  fourth  the  village  Arzos.  Thus  then 
Famagosta  got  its  name.  In  the  time  of  the  Romans  some  say  it  was  called  in  (ireek 
Amochusta,  which  means  in  Latin  "  hidden  in  the  sand,"  because  outside  there  is  nothing  but 
sand,  but  the  word  got  corrupted  into  Famagosta.  It  grew  by  the  destruction  of  Salamis. 
Famagosta  had  a  fine  closed  port  into  which  in  the  time  of  Ptolemy  I.,  king  of  Egypt,  the 
said  Ft(jlemy,  who  wanted  to  bring  aid  to  the  war  of  Salamis  with  Demetrius  Antigonus, 
king  of  Macedonia,  entered  with  many  ships.  The  harbour  was  then  large,  and  Demetrius 
was  outside  besieging  its  mouth  with  a  few  ships,  where  he  defeated  Ptolemy,  and  captured 
on  shore  Menelaus  his  brother  and  Leuco  his  son,  with  12,000  men.  Between  the  harbour 
and  the  cape  della  Grea  was  formerly  a  port  called  Leucola,  which  was  destroyed  by  the  sea, 
but  there  is  still  some  small  shelter  there,  where  vessels  go  for  rest,  and  in  this  very  year  the 
Turk's  Heet  went  there.  This  harbour  is  near  the  vineyards  of  the  people  of  Famagosta, 
almost  at  the  end. 

Later  th(;  city  was  fortified  by  the  Lusignan  kings,  and  then  by  the  Genoese,  who  held 
it  for  ninety  years.  Then  the  bastard  king,  and  lastly  the  Venetians,  added  to  its  buildings. 
It  is  founded  on  the  live  rock,  and  cannot  be  undermined.  Its  walls  are  massive,  built  of 
live  stone,  and  so  broad  that  two  carts  can  travel  on  them.  At  the  top  they  are  scarped  and 
within  the  earthwork  is  broad  enough  for  four  carts;  but  it  is  not  so  high  as  the  walls,  so  as 
to  leave  parapets.    Inside  it  has  a  tall  cavalier,  and  three  bastions  of  earth.    Also  a  walled 


122 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


bastion  full  of  cannon  above  and  below,  to  command  the  ditches  on  both  sides.  It  has  too 
several  round  towers  in  its  circuit,  and  within  a  broad  road  for  cavalry  right  round  the  city. 
Its  fosses  are  quarried  out  with  the  hammer,  and  are  high,  deep  and  broad :  in  the  middle  is 
a  smaller  fosse.  The  walls  of  the  fosse  are  as  high,  or  higher  than  the  cornice  of  the  walls, 
and  the  earth  outside  is  scarped  so  that  one  scarcely  sees  outside  two  hrazza  of  wall :  nor  can 
one  see  the  city,  that  is  the  houses,  except  the  Latin  cathedral  and  a  little  of  the  Grreek, 
because  they  are  high.  These  buildings,  as  we  have  heard,  they  have  in  this  present  uproar 
made  into  towers  full  of  earth,  and  so  with  other  churches  and  houses.  It  has  two  gates,  one 
on  the  shore,  and  the  other  opening  on  the  interior  of  the  island ;  this  last  has  two  draw- 
bridges and  both  are  well  armed  and  garrisoned.  The  sea  gate  opens  on  to  the  middle  of 
the  harbour,  which  is  now  small.  The  ditches  of  the  city  are  dry.  In  the  days  of  the  kings 
it  had  also  an  arsenal.  Now  the  port  is  choked,  because  the  Signory  takes  no  care  for  it,  and 
is  closed  with  a  chain.  The  city  has  a  strong  castle,  with  ditches  filled  by  the  sea.  It  is 
high :  just  outside  it  is  the  shore,  and  it  has  a  tower  or  bastion  exactly  at  the  mouth  of  the 
harbour,  and  inside  this  they  draw  the  chain. 

The  water  is  brackish  except  in  three  or  four  wells,  which  never  fail.  They  have  also 
plenty  of  cisterns,  made  generally  of  cement,  which  they  renew  every  three  years,  and  water 
which  runs  through  the  city,  drawn  by  oxen  from  wells  into  a  tank,  and  thence  let  into  the 
city  every  morning  and  evening,  supplying  several  fountains.  The  beasts  turn  these  wheels 
incessantly.  The  air  of  the  city  is  not  too  good,  on  account  of  (the  many  marshes  of) 
Salamis.  It  is  a  little  more  than  a  mile  in  circuit.  The  city  is  a  fair  one,  with  a  fine  square 
and  adorned  with  Latin  and  Greek  churches.  There  are  monasteries  too  of  the  four 
mendicant  Orders,  but  poor  and  very  shabby.  The  country  outside  is  all  sand,  but  towards 
the  south  it  has  vineyards  and  beautiful  gardens,  with  all  kinds  of  fruit.  And  every  six  or 
eight  days  they  water  them  by  means  of  beasts  which  turn  great  wheels  and  draw  from  the 
wells  all  the  water  they  want.  They  use  these  wheels  all  over  the  island  wherever  they 
want  to  water  gardens  or  cotton,  both  at  Nicosia  and  in  the  villages,  because  the  plain  is  bare 
of  trees  by  reason  of  the  great  heat.  And  unless  they  watered,  as  I  have  said,  everything 
would  be  burnt  up  and  dry  except  the  olive  and  carob  trees  which  do  not  care  for  water. 

After  the  destruction  of  Salamis  the  G-reeks  retired  to  this  city,  and  fixed  here  their 
Archbishopric,  which  lasted  until  Pope  Alexander  set  it  in  Nicosia.  The  city  is  in  the  plain 
near  the  sea  facing  south,  a  hundred  miles  from  the  mainland.  It  is  12  leagues  from  Nicosia, 
50  miles  from  Salines  by  sea  and  8  leagues  by  land,  30  miles  from  Cape  della  Grea.  Here 
rests  the  body  of  S.  Epiphanios,  and  there  is  preserved  one  of  the  waterpots  in  which  was 
the  water  turned  by  our  Lord  into  wine  at  the  marriage,  with  other  relics.  And  Fra  Pietro 
Thomaso,  Patriarch  of  Constantinople,  was  buried  in  the  Carmini  amid  many  miracles :  he 
was  a  brother  of  that  Order. 

CALEPIO. 

Fra  Angelo  Calepio,  of  Cyprus,  a  Doctor  in  Theology  of  the  Order  of  Preachers,  Vicar  General  of  the 
Province  of  Terra  Santa,  is  known  to  us  only  from  the  two  narratives  in  which  he  describes  the  siege  and 
capture  of  Nicosia  and  Famagusta.  Of  the  first  of  these  disasters  he  was  an  eye-witness,  being  in  1570 
Superior  of  the  Dominican  Convent  in  Nicosia.  He  will  tell  us  how  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  a  Dervish, 
sold  to  the  captain  of  a  galley,  and  carried  to  Constantinople :  ransomed,  and  again  imprisoned  by  Kilij 
Ali  as  a  Papal  spy.  During  his  second  imprisonment  he  collected  from  his  fellow-captives  all  that  they 
could  tell  him  about  the  fall  of  Famagusta  (borrowing  almost  in  its  entirety  the  narrative  of  N.  Martinengo, 


LUSIGNAN.  CALEPIO. 


123 


which  was  printed  or  translated  at  least  six  times  in  1572),  and  at  last,  towards  the  end  of  1572,  meeting 
at  Bologna  Jacques  de  Lusignan,  a  brother  monk,  known  in  religion  as  Frere  Etienne  de  Lusignan, 
yielded  to  his  wishes  and  added  to  the  Cliorografia,  or  short  general  history,  of  his  noble  and  learned 
friend  the  account  here  translated  of  the  two  sieges. 

Etienne  (or  Jacques)  de  Lusignan  was  one  of  the  nine  children  of  Jason,  who  was  son  of  Philippe, 
son  of  Chiarion,  son  of  Philippe,  son  of  Henri,  Prince  de  Galilee,  son  of  Jacques  I.,  King  of  Jerusalem, 
Cyprus  and  Armenia,  and  Heloise  de  Brunswick,  his  Queen.  One  of  his  brothers  was  killed  in  the  siege 
of  Famagusta,  another  was  a  Basilian  monk,  one  of  his  sisters  a  nun. 

Calepio  himself  possibly  belonged  to  a  family  reckoned  among  the  oldest  and  noblest  of  Bergamo,  and 
certain  peculiarities  of  dialect  may  be  thought  to  betray  his  Lombard  origin.  But  his  friend  and  editor, 
who  probably  spoke  French  and  Romaic,  freely  admits  his  own  ignorance  of  Italian,  and  deplores  the 
many  errors  which  result  from  it.  His  printers  have  been  indeed  unkind.  Stops  and  capital  letters  have 
been  sprinkled  over  his  pages  as  with  a  pepper-box.  The  spelling  is  remarkable,  tlie  text  shows  no 
paragraphs,  so  that  the  work  is  difficult  to  understand  and  translate.  Again  it  is  unlikely  that  Fra  Angelo 
would  know  much  about  fortification.  He  was  not  present  at  the  siege  of  Famagusta,  and  probably  the 
topography  of  that  fortress  was  not  so  well  known  to  him  as  that  of  Nicosia. 

More  than  ordinary  care  has  been  taken  in  grappling  with  these  difficulties,  and  in  giving  Calepio's 
narrative  as  fully  and  exactly  as  possible  to  the  English  reader.  I  have  prefixed  to  it  Fra  Steflano's 
description  of  Nicosia  and  Famagusta. 

M.  de  Grammont  (cited  by  V.  Adm.  Jurien  de  la  Graviere,  La  Guerre  de  CJiypre,  i.  65  and  ii.  13)  lias 
recovered  some  particulars  concerning  Uluj  Ali.  He  was  born  about  1508  on  the  coast  of  Calabria,  was 
captured  from  a  fishing  boat,  and  made  a  galley  slave,  then  became  a  renegade  and  a  corsair,  and  from 
1568  to  1571  was  Beylerbey  of  .\lgiers.  He  distinguislied  himself  at  Lepanto,  where  he  won  the  surname 
of  Kilij,  and  the  rank  of  Qaptan  Pasha.  In  1574  he  took  from  the  Spaniards  the  port  and  town  of  Tunis, 
and  died  June  27,  1587.  He  is  said  to  have  urged  on  the  Sultan  the  advantage  of  re-opening  the  ancient 
canal  between  the  Nile  and  Suez.  (.SVc  G.  Leti,  La  Vie  de  Philippe  II.,  Roi  d'Espagne,  tr.  de  I'ltalien,  8vo, 
Amsterdam,  1734,  iv.  88.) 

Our  original  occupies  pp.  11,  14—16,  and  91—123  of  tlie  CJiorograffixi  et  breve  Historia  universale 

dell'  iHola  de  Cipro  .jter  il  R.  P.  Lettore  Fr.  Steffano  Lusignano  di  Cipro  delV  Ordine  de'  Pre- 

dicatori,  small  4to,  Bologna,  1573. 

A  curious  account  of  the  siege  of  Nicosia,  written  in  o-n'xo'  jtoXitikoi  by  a  contemporary  noiriTdpit,  was 
published  (AtXriov  vi.  pp.  405—432,  Athens,  1906)  under  the  title  Op^vos  rf/s  Kinfrnv  by  M.  Simos  Menardos. 
The  MS.,  a  bad  copy  of  about  1700,  was  found  at  Phasoulla,  in  the  District  of  Limasol. 


LETTKR  of  THK  monk  AFORESAID  [FRA  S.  LuSIGNANO]  TO  HIS  READERS. 

With  great  desire  had  I  longed  to  have  within  reach  the  tale  of  the  unhappy  downfall 
of  the  cities  of  Nicosia  and  Famago.sta,  with  all  the  deeds  of  daring,  and  all  the  notable  feats, 
which  there  befell,  so  that  my  work  might  be  complete,  and  the  reader  might  have  a  good 
and  fnll  view  of  the  whole  history  of  Cyprus.  It  pleased  God  to  realise  and  fulfil  this  eager 
longing  of  mine,  insomuch  as  His  grace,  and  the  liberality  of  that  sainted,  true  and  perfect 
shepherd  of  souls,  Pope  Pius  V.,  of  happy  memory,  whose  fame  may  God  keep  alive,  freed 
from  the  cruel  hands  of  the  Turks  the  Reverend  Vicar  General  of  Terra  Santa,  the  most 
learned  Master  Angelo  of  Cyprus,  of  the  family  of  the  Calepii,  a  monk  of  the  order  of 
S.  Dominic.  This  man  truly  merits  a  place  among  the  illustrious  persons  mentioned  above, 
for  that  in  all  the  misery  of  Nicosia,  holding  out  that  standard  of  Christians,  the  Cross,  he 
laboured  on,  exhorting  one,  cheering  another.  I  cannot  tell  all  his  blessed  toils :  how  he 
comforted  the  wounded,  helped  them  and  carried  them  into  shelter;  buried  the  dead, 
shrinking  not  from  the  blood  which  dyed  his  hands  and  clothes,  nor  staying  to  tend  his  own 

16—2 


124 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


wounds.  How  he  gave  all  liis  labour  and  thought  to  aid  others ;  and,  even  when  made  a 
prisoner,  how  he  ceased  not  to  console  and  help  his  fellow-captives  with  his  words.  At  last 
he  was  bound  and  taken  to  Constantinople,  then  freed;  and  feeling  his  freedom  to  be  a 
particular  favour  of  his  Lord,  after  thanks  duly  given,  to  prove  his  gratitude  he  went  hither 
and  thither  among  the  free  Christians  and  merchants,  praying  them  and  exhorting  them  with 
tears,  so  that  thus  urged  they  did  many  worthy  deeds,  and  gave  large  alms.  With  such 
help  he  set  free  so  many  pure  and  youthful  souls,  who  had  been  defiled  by  the  vile  and 
devilish  law  of  Mohammad,  and  with  toils  and  pains  brought  them  back  into  the  bosom  of 
the  Holy  Roman  Church,  and,  by  these  most  blessed  deeds  what  did  he  gain  ?  What  indeed 
but  that  which  S.  Urban  promised  to  the  deacon  Lawrence,  "  there  await  thee  yet  greater 
toils  for  the  faith  of  Christ."  And  now  he  donned  the  habit  of  S.  Dominic,  to  which  order 
Pope  Pius  himself  belonged,  and  being  falsely  accused  of  being  a  papal  spy,  the  heathen  in 
their  rage  seized  him  quickly,  bound  or  chained  him  in  the  bagno  or  prison  of  the  arch- 
tyrant,  meaning  him  to  die.  But  the  Divine  Majesty,  whose  secret  counsels  dispose  all  things 
with  infinite  wisdom,  freed  him  from  these  torments,  and  even  altogether  from  the  hands  of 
his  treacherous  foes,  and  brought  him  back  to  Italy.  Here  with  unresting  zeal  he  began  his 
work  anew,  aiding  and  freeing  poor  timid  souls,  and  especially  them  of  his  own  family,  as 
saith  S.  Paul,  "  If  any  provide  not  for  his  own,  and  specially  for  them  of  his  own  house,  he 
hath  denied  the  faith  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel"  (1  Tim.  v.  8). 

To  the  truth  of  all  that  I  have  said  above  I  received  in  Venice  ample  testimony,  from 
many  of  our  own  people,  and  from  strangers.  Yet  I  would  not  lightly  pledge  my  faith,  and 
give  my  story  to  the  day,  until  I  had  obtained  the  fullest  information,  and  specially  until  I 
had  seen  the  very  letters  of  the  most  illustrious  Marquess  Griacomo  Malatesta,  addressed  to 
His  Holiness,  and  to  other  most  illustrious  Cardinals,  which  say  even  more  than  I  have  set 
down  here,  and  when  Father  Angelo  came  with  the  Marquess  from  Constantinople  to  Italy, 
knowing  that  he  had  been  present  at  the  capture  of  Nicosia,  and  was  a  person  of  judgment 
and  learning,  truthful  and  fair,  I  begged  and  prayed  his  Reverence  of  his  kindness  to  give 
me  a  brief  account  of  both  events,  namely  the  downfall  of  Nicosia  and  Famagosta,  to  satisfy 
my  own  wish  and  that  of  my  kind  readers.  Let  who  ■will  peruse  the  following  history,  set 
down  faithfully  just  as  I  had  it  in  the  convent  of  S.  Dominic,  in  the  city  of  Bologna,  on  the 
fourth  day  of  December,  1572. 

To  my  very  dear  friend,  the  Reverend  Father  Fra  Stephano  Lusignano,  of  Cyprus, 

a  Reader  in  the  Order  of  Preachers. 
If  ancient  writers,  historians  and  poets  alike,  as  soon  as  they  turned  their  glance  to  the 
resources  of  Cyprus,  spared  no  pains  to  make  their  praises  equal  its  great  worth,  it  seems 
indeed  meet  and  reasonable  that  you,  a  noble  and  worthy  scion  of  the  isle,  should  endeavour, 
with  all  the  charm  of  history,  to  remind  the  world  of  its  beauty  and  dignity.  For  in  it  the 
illustrious  and  royal  House  of  Lusignan  flourished  gloriously  for  many  long  years,  as  sovereign 
lords  of  the  realm.  So  that  one  might  almost  say  that  it  would  be  an  injustice  to  your  own 
stock  did  you  not  give  your  labours  to  the  world.  This  thought  and  your  own  earnest  request 
have  induced  me  to  send  you  all  the  true  story  of  the  war  and  the  conquest  of  the  kingdom, 
in  which  I  have  not  hesitated  to  follow  the  simplest  and  barest  truth,  rather  than  an  ornate 
style,  or  any  other  human  consideration.  Accept  it  then  as  it  is,  for  very  heartily  I  offer 
it,  and  myself  with  it. 

Your  affectionate  brother 

Fra  Angelo  Calepio,  of  Cyprus. 

Bologna,  November  X,  MDLXXII. 


CALEPIO. 


125 


A  true  and  most  exact  Narrative 
of  the  Events  of  the  Conquest  and  Defence  of  the  Kingdom  of  Cyprus : 
Composed  by  the  Reverend  Father,  Fra  Angelo  Calepio,  of  Cyprus, 
a  Doctor  in  Theology  of  the  Order  of  Preachers,  Vicar  General  of  the  Province  of  Terra  Santa, 
at  the  instance  of  the  Reverend  Father,  Fra  Stephano  Lusignano, 
a  Reader  in  the  same  Order. 

The  author  to  his  dear  and  kind  readers. 

I  wish  to  set  before  your  eyes  with  exactness  and  brevity  the  reason  which  moved  the 
fierce  and  barbarous  Turkish  people  to  the  conquest  of  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  and  their  way 
of  conducting  an  enterprise  which  they  consider  most  successful,  and  greatly  to  the  credit  of 
their  skill  in  arms,  but  disgraceful  to  us,  and  to  our  faith,  and  herein  I  feel  it  a  duty  to  put 
away  all  passion ;  to  discard  tedious  prefaces,  and  superfluous  graces  of  style,  and  to  relate 
with  the  most  perfect  fidelity  what  really  occurred,  so  that  everyone  may  rapidly  reach  the 
substantial  facts,  and  then  recognise  and  pass  judgment  on  our  mistakes,  and  the  emptiness 
of  our  enemy's  boasting. 

Avarice,  lust  of  fame,  difference  of  religion,  diabolic  suggestion.  Divine  permission,  an 
unbounded  appetite  for  new  territory  to  be  added  to  the  Ottoman  dominions,  these  were  the 
remote  causes  of  the  conspiracy  against  Cyprus :  the  nearer  cause  was  the  wish  of  Selim, 
Emperor  of  the  Turks,  to  build  a  mosque  and  school.  This  we  saw  in  Adrianople  this  July, 
and  found  it  far  more  magnificent  than  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Suleiman,  his  father,  which  is 
set  at  the  summit  of  one  of  the  hills  of  Constantinople,  and  surpasses  all  the  other  mosques 
and  buildings,  wth  its  four  minarets,  and  rich  and  beautiful  architecture,  crowned  by  the 
gateway  removed  from  Zeghet.  But  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Selim  will  be  grander  far,  and 
will  have  six  minarets.  A  second  reason  was  the  acquisition  of  an  income  for  this  mosque, 
because,  according  to  their  law,  Selim  could  not  endow  the  building  he  proposed  to  erect 
from  the  revenues  of  the  Empire,  or  from  his  Treasury.  A  third  reason,  that  their  Mufti, 
whom  they  reverence  as  their  Pope  or  Chancellor,  persuaded  the  Emperor  that  he  ought  not 
to  build  a  mosque  before  he  had  accomplished  some  warlike  enterprise  against  the  Christians, 
to  the  extension  of  the  Faith  and  the  Empire,  as  his  ancestors  had  done ;  reminding  him  of 
the  famous  Sultans  Mehmed  the  Second,  the  conqueror  of  Constantinople,  Bayazid,  his  son, 
and  his  own  father  Suleiman.  Thus  was  he  to  acquire  an  income  for  his  mosque.  The  Mufti 
urged  Selim  to  the  conquest  of  Cyprus,  to  make  sure  the  sea,  now  ravaged  by  western  pirates, 
who  lay  securely  in  its  ports,  and  threatened  the  safety  of  pilgrims  to  Mecca,  and  of  Turkish 
merchants  who  traded  with  Syria  and  Egypt.  He  knew  that  Selim  had  long  cherished  a 
wish  to  rule  over  the  island,  as  being  out  of  the  reach  of  the  Christian  Powers :  perhaps  too, 
from  his  fondness  for  its  excellent  wines,  and  the  beautiful  falcons  which  are  taken  there. 
Another  most  powerful  incentive  was  the  persistent  advice  of  a  miscreant,  Gian  Miches,  who 
was  most  devoted  to  him,  and  had  given  him  precise  news,  received  from  his  Jewish  brethren, 
that  on  September  the  13,  1569,  a  fire  in  the  arsenal  of  Venice  had  destroyed  its  stores  and 
powder;  adding  information  concerning  the  very  great  scarcity  which  reigned  in  that  city. 

At  last  the  Sultan  disclosed  his  desire  to  his  Pashas.  He  was  opposed  with  some  skill 
by  Mehmed  Pasha,  who  favoured  the  Christians,  and  thought  this  was  not  the  time  to  break 
faith  with  the  Venetians,  whose  friendship  had  always  been  of  the  greatest  value  to  his  nation; 
for  it  was  through  their  not  moving  to  help  other  Christians  attacked  by  the  Turks  that  these 
had  made  great  conquests,  and  from  what  I  heard  at  Constantinople  from  persons  worthy  of 
belief  (whom  1  must  not  name,  for  they  are  still  in  the  hands  of  the  infidels,  and  I  should 


126 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


bring  their  lives  into  peril),  this  Pasha,  both  from  the  favour  he  bore  to  the  Venetians,  and 
his  eagerness  to  get  the  usual  bakhshish,  sent  secret  intelligence  to  the  Bailo,  hinting  that 
the  matter  would  be  forwarded  by  a  present,  and  as  the  Bailo  made  no  sign,  Mehmed  came 
over  at  last  to  the  opinion  that  Cyprus  should  be  annexed,  to  condemn  and  punish,  as  he 
said,  his  ingratitude :  for  he  hoped  that  the  present  Bailo  would  do  as  Bragadino  had  done. 
To  him  also  Mehmed  had  sent  to  say  that  two  Cypriots  had  arrived  with  letters,  which 
expressed  the  desire  of  many  peasants  of  the  parici  class  to  be  ruled  by  the  Grand  Turk, 
pleading  that  they  were  sore  burdened :  upon  which  Bragadino,  with  magnificent  gifts,  won 
over  the  Pasha,  who  sent  back  to  him  these  two  messengers  and  their  letters,  without 
presenting  them  to  the  Sultan.    They  were  never  seen  again. 

Before  despatching  the  Chawush  to  Venice,  the  Pasha  sent  to  the  Bailo  to  say  that  the 
Sultan  being  a  new  Sovereign  had  conceived,  as  new  princes  often  have  strange  fancies,  a 
desire  to  possess  that  rock  called  Cyprus ;  and  as  it  was  a  place  of  no  consequence  it  would 
be  well  that  they  should  offer  it  to  his  Majesty,  who  would  always  be  their  devoted  friend. 
He  begged  the  Bailo  to  write  to  Venice  that  this  fancy  of  the  Sultan's  ought  certainly  to  be 
gratified.  It  was  now,  and  not  before  (for  all  that  they  may  say  in  Constantinople),  that  the 
Bailo  was  satisfied  that  an  expedition  was  being  armed  against  the  Venetians :  this  was 
greatly  to  our  detriment,  for  had  he  believed  it  earlier,  and  given  us  warning,  an  easier  and 
quicker  remedy  might  have  been  found.  For  even  in  the  year  before  the  war  seventy 
Turkish  galleys  were  taking  soundings  in  the  roadsteads  of  Famagosta,  Saline  and  Limisso, 
and  soldiers  were  already  assembling  in  Caramania.  Mehmed  Pasha,  who  took  the  ex- 
pedition into  his  special  charge,  was  collecting  troops  in  the  Archipelago,  and  providing 
stores  and  horses.  One  hundred  and  sixty  galleys  of  different  sizes  were  fitted  out,  sixty 
boats  with  low  freeboard  (fuste),  eight  lighters,  six  vessels,  one  galleon,  forty  horseboats, 
thirty  of  the  kind  called  caramussali,  three  mortar  boats  (palandre),  forty  frigates — three 
hundred  and  forty-eight  in  all,  although  the  fleet  was  said  to  be  of  four  hundred  sail — but 
two  hundred  and  twenty  were  manned  with  rowers.  On  January  13  the  Turks  detained  two 
Venetian  vessels,  the  "Bonalda"  and  "Balba."  The  Sultan  went  in  person  to  the  Topkhane,  or 
gun-foundry,  and  to  the  arsenal,  and  ordered  the  channels  to  be  blocked,  and  all  Venetian 
ships  to  be  impounded. 

On  February  11  Cubat  Chawush  was  despatched  as  ambassador  to  Venice.  He  carried 
letters,  and,  accompanied  by  Luigi  Bon  Rizzo,  Secretary  to  the  Bailo,  arrived  at  Venice  at 
the  beginning  of  April.  The  Signory  gave  him  a  most  spirited  answer,  and  dismissed  him, 
as  was  meet.  For  his  master  was  a  perjured  usurper,  who  threatened  Christian  lands ;  which 
placed  all  their  trust  in  the  true  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords, 
the  Tamer  of  hosts:  and  in  the  holiness  and  zeal  of  Pope  Pius  V.,  the  enemy  of  heretics 
and  infidels,  the  lover  of  peace,  the  stay  of  Christendom.  Veiiice  entered  keenly  into  the 
war  thus  unjustly  sprung  upon  her,  and  despatched  with  all  speed  Signor  Hieronimo 
Martinengo  with  three  thousand  men;  but  the  general  died  off  Corfu,  and  less  than  that 
number  arrived  in  Cyprus.  They  were  intended  to  garrison  Famagosta,  and  carried  with 
them  the  body  of  Martinengo.  The  whole  capital  went  forth  to  receive  it,  and  with  bitter 
wailings  bore  it  to  the  church  of  S.  Sophia.  They  waited  a  little  to  rest  the  foot  soldiers, 
and  then  marched  to  Famagosta,  carrying  with  them  in  a  coffin  their  general's  remains. 

Very  little  before  this  the  Grovernment  of  the  island  received  letters  from  the  Bailo  at 
Constantinople,  and  also  from  the  Signory  of  Venice.  Their  Excellencies  announced  that  war 
was  declared,  offered  comfort  to  all,  exhorted  all  to  be  brave  and  loyal,  and  assured  them 
that  every  effort  would  be  made  for  their  defence,  for  the  Signory  was  determined  sooner  to 


CALEPIO. 


127 


lose  Venice  itself  than  Cyprus.  They  were  bidden  to  retire,  all  of  them,  to  the  forts  and  to 
the  mountains,  determined  as  soon  as  the  enemy  arrived  to  fall  upon  them,  and  make  sure  of 
victory  and  plunder.  Signor  Estor  Baglione  would  be  the  general  of  the  army,  and  the  Count 
de  Rochas  general  of  the  cavalry. 

These  letters  gave  great  joy  to  all,  and  confidence  in  the  goodness  of  their  rulers,  the 
lavish  promises  and  inviolable  faith  of  Venice.  For  they  hoped  the  Signory  would  choose 
and  send  with  all  speed  the  best  possible  Lieutenant,  a  man  fit  to  rule  the  island  in  so  terrible 
an  emergency,  seeing  that  the  present  Lieutenant  had  completed  his  term  of  office,  and  that 
all  Venice  was  well  aware  of  his  incompetence.  They  hoped  too  that  a  Proveditore  would 
be  sent  them  with  the  highest  qualifications  for  so  important  a  trust ;  for  the  Signory  had 
received  news  of  the  death  of  Lorenzo  Bembo,  an  event  deplorable  in  itself,  and  the  cause 
of  the  loss  of  Cyprus. 

Yet  again  they  hoped  for  a  fully  efficient  force  of  valiant  Italian  soldiers,  with  fitting 
officers,  for  the  foe  was  very  strong,  the  island  far  from  Venice  and  surrounded  by  Turkish 
lands,  and  the  capital  was  so  placed  in  its  midst  tliat  once  the  enemy  was  camped  round  it, 
no  help  could  reach  it,  and  they  founded  these  hopes  upon  the  liberal  offers  made  by  the 
Signory,  on  their  vigilance  and  affectionate  advice ;  remembering  that  when  they  first  began 
to  fortify  the  city,  upon  the  smallest  sign  of  suspicion  the  Signory  had  sent  them  an  ample 
garrison.  Now  that  they  were  really  entering  upon  the  war,  and  declaring  themselves  the 
open  enemies  of  so  potent  a  sovereign,  as  the  citj'  had  eleven  bastions,  which  were  so  many 
forts,  they  held  it  indispensable  that  Venice  should  send,  if  not  ten  thousand  troops,  at  least 
five  hundred  soldiers  for  each  bastion,  especially  as  they  knew  that  the  lower  and  peasant 
classes  in  Cyprus  were  rude  folk  and  unskilled  in  war. 

While  they  waited  the  fulfilment  of  these  hopes,  they  devoted  themselves  with  extra- 
ordinary diligence  to  the  completion  of  the  fortifications,  which  in  some  parts  were  still 
without  a  curtain.  They  began  then  with  processions  in  which  everyone  joined,  Latins  and 
Greeks,  bishops  and  monks,  the  officials,  nobles,  and  persons  of  every  class  and  nation. 
Throughout  Lent  Signor  Estor  Baglione,  with  all  his  officers  and  soldiers,  after  processions 
made  and  masses  sung,  went  out  together  to  work,  carrying  the  earth  dug  out  of  the  new 
ditches  to  fill  up  the  old,  so  that  the  enemy  might  not  find  trenches  ready  made  to  their 
hand.  Before  the  enemy  landed  the  fortress  was  nearly  complete,  though  the  garrison  had 
not  time  to  make  certain  traverses,  which  were  necessary  to  mask  the  guns  of  the  fort,  such 
as  the  Turks,  on  their  side,  were  able  to  make  afterwards  on  the  hill  of  S.  Marina. 

At  this  juncture  Signor  Estor  Baglione  summoned  the  parliament  or  council,  and  pro- 
posed to  the  Government,  first  by  word  of  mouth,  and  then  in  writing,  that  it  were  not  less 
advantageous  than  necessary  to  march  down  to  the  seacoast,  and  there  to  make  a  stand 
against  the  foe,  to  test  their  own  strength,  and  to  harass  him  as  much  as  possible.  Many 
times  he  offered  the  same  advice,  and  beat  up  the  ordinary  cavalry  and  a  few  extra  horses 
for  his  company,  which  he  wished  to  equip  with  several  arquebusses  apiece,  after  the  fashion 
of  "  feraroli,"  so  that  at  least  the  enemy  should  not  find  landing  an  easy  and  comfortable 
affair.  The'  nobles,  and  indeed  all  the  people,  thought  the  plan  excellent.  They  m-ote 
a  most  spirited  letter,  which  their  agents  presented  to  the  Signory,  setting  forth  their  relation 
to  the  Republic,  together  with  the  very  strong  reasons  for  turning  to  account  their  enthusiasm 
and  material  forces  in  a  march  to  the  seacoast,  there  to  try  every  means  to  prevent  the 
enemy's  landing,  or  at  least  to  throw  his  troops  into  disorder.  How  very  reasonable  this 
scheme  was  will  be  evident  when  it  is  remembered  that  with  the  horses  in  Cyprus,  counting 
also  mules,  which  are  admirably  suited  for  arquebusiers,  a  force  of  five  or  six  thousand 


128 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


cavalry  could  easily  be  raised,  while  from  the  Frankish  inhabitants  they  could  array  twenty- 
four  or  twenty-five  thousand  infantry,  all  of  whom,  upon  the  enemy's  approach,  would  be 
seen  massed  upon  the  hills  round  the  Salines,  and  make  the  Turks  afraid  to  land,  lest  they 
should  be  compelled  at  once  to  join  battle  in  the  plain,  as  before  Barbarossa  when  he 
attempted  to  seize  the  island.  For  myself,  and  all  of  us  who  were  made  slaves  by  the  Turks, 
heard  that  they  were  fully  persuaded  that  Cyprus  had  a  strong  and  efficient  force  of  cavalry, 
and  a  sufficient  number  of  brave  and  stalwart  soldiers  not  only  to  garrison  the  fortresses,  but 
to  meet  and  withstand  them  in  the  open  field,  and  that  there  really  were  plenty  of  soldiers, 
both  horse  and  foot,  all  Venice  knows,  for  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  Giacomo  Gisi  the 
Signory  had  disbanded  many  stradiots  and  five  hundred  arquebusiers,  who  were  formerly 
enrolled  and  paid  for  the  defence  of  the  island. 

The  Lieutenant,  the  Coadjutor  and  his  brothers  took  the  opposite  view,  holding  that  the 
enemy  would  certainly  force  a  landing,  and  that  it  would  be  inexpedient  thus  to  risk  the 
few  available  soldiers  and  horsemen,  and  to  weaken  the  defence  of  the  fortresses,  to  which 
they  would  have  to  retreat  in  a  march  of  eight  and  a  half  leagues.  They  further  professed  to 
rely  on  the  opinion  and  counsel  given  before  a  meeting  of  the  Signory  by  the  right  noble 
Sf orza  Pallavicino.  Would  to  God  this  counsel  had  not  prevailed !  for  Signor  Estor  Baglione, 
in  no  little  wrath  (it  was  said)  left  finally  with  his  detachment  for  the  defence  of  Famagusta, 
as  the  Lieutenant  would  not  allow  him  to  carry  out  his  own  plans,  framed  upon  the  principles 
of  the  art  of  war,  for  the  protection  of  the  kingdom.  Hence  it  was  that  to  our  capital  city 
there  came  no  reinforcements,  no  new  Lieutenant,  no  Proveditore,  officers  of  whom  we  had 
supreme  need :  no  colonels  or  captains,  and  even  the  one  commander  left  to  Nicosia  we  lost 
by  the  fine  management  of  the  Lieutenant  Nicola  Dandolo,  the  root  and  reason  (as  everyone 
says)  of  the  ruin  of  the  realm.    Would  to  God  we  had  lost  him  too ! 

Meanwhile  the  most  Reverend  Contarini,  Bishop  of  Paffo,  raised  at  his  own  cost  one 
hundred  soldiers,  Gioan  Bragadino  three  hundred,  the  Count  of  Tripoli  three  hundred,  Gioan 
Filippo  of  Milan  six  horsemen  and  twelve  foot  soldiers,  all  the  feudatories  and  pensioners  as 
many  as,  and  more  than,  they  were  bound  to  furnish ;  and  many  others  who  were  under  no 
obligation  oifered  either  horses  or  foot  soldiers.    Many  of  the  Cypriot  nobles  were  created 


captains  with  two  hundred  infantry  apiece  : 

Signor  Hector  Podocatoro     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  200 

„     Tutio  Constanzo         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  200 

„     Livio  Podocatoro       ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  220 

„     Thomaso  Sinclitico     ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  200 

„     Jason  de  Nores         ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  200 

„     Francesco  Maria  de  Nores      ...  ...  ...  ...  200 

„     Ugo  Flatro,  who  afterwards  took,  as  Lieutenant  to  the 
Proveditor,  the  company  of  gentlemen,  his  own  company 
being  given  to  Signor  Gioan  Filippo  of  Milan  ...  ...  220 

„     Gioan  Flatro  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  200 

„     Giofredo  Cornaro       ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  200 

J,     Scipio  CarafPa,  who  was  sent  to  the  mountains  to  collect 

recruits:  his  company  was  given  to  Signor  Mautio  Zimblet  200 
„     Pietro  Paolo  Sinclitico  was  sent  also  to  get  recruits  from 
the  mountains;  his  company  was  offered  to  Gioan 
Faglier,  who  refused  it,  and  it  was  given  to  Signor 
Orssato  Gistiniano  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  200 


CALEPIO. 


129 


All  these  companies  were  raised  in  Nicosia ;  but  the  Government,  fearing  their  numbers 
insufficient,  made  a  levy,  and  among  trained  and  untrained  citizens  enrolled  a  thousand  more 
recruits.  'J'hey  had  neither  muskets  nor  swords  to  give  them,  no  arquebuses,  no  defensive 
armour.  Nine  hundred  field  pieces  were  either  sent  to  the  villagers  in  the  hills,  or  posted  at 
the  beginning  of  the  siege  on  the  walls:  but  they  remained  unserviceable  because  the 
soldiers  had  never  been  trained  to  use  them.  In  the  armoury  were  only  a  thousand  and 
forty  arquebuses,  which  anycme  took  who  could.  Many  of  the  soldiers  were  brave  enough, 
but  many  had  so  little  training  that  they  could  not  fire  their  muskets  without  burning  their 
beards.  Most  of  them  were  artizans,  without  means,  who  received  no  pay,  nor  while  under 
arms  were  able  to  earn  anything.  They  were  pining  with  hunger,  and  loud  in  murmurs  and 
curses.    Of  men  like  these  two  thousand  six  hundred  were  told  off  to  garrison  the  city. 

'J^he  councillors  and  nobles  were  divided  into  two  bands  under  two  excellent  captains. 
One  was  Febo  Zappe,  a  noble,  to  whom  was  assigned  the  charge  of  the  Podochatoro  bastion, 
which  he  defended  stoutly  until  killed  by  a  cannon  shot.  His  company  was  then  given  to 
his  brother  Signor  Artius  Zappa,  who  held  his  post  against  all  comers,  and  was  the  last  man 
killed  in  the  last  assault.  I  saw  his  body  furrowed  with  every  sort  of  wound,  but  to  his  last 
breath  he  guarded  his  honour  and  his  country.  Seven  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  with  him, 
and  seven  hundred  and  fifty  in  the  other  company  of  gentlemen  citizens  and  their  servants, 
with  which  Ugo  Flatro  manned  the  Constanzo  bastion.  Thus  these  two  companies  mustered 
fifteen  hundred  men. 

The  captains  of  the  Cenddc,  Italians  and  Cypriots,  with  seven  hundred 

and  fifty  men. 

Captain  Gabriel  de  Bergamo 

„  Battista 

„  Annibal  Zangravi 

„  Gioan  Angelo 

„  Giacomo  Zacharia,  a  Cypriot  noble 

„  Zuan  Muscorno,  a  Cypriot  noble 

„  Urban  de'  Vitaldi 

Captains  of  the  ordinary  militia  of  the  towns  of  Cyprus,  recalled  to  Nicosia 

with  their  companies. 


Cieco  da  Perosa             of  the 

militia  of  Chitria  ... 

300 

Gioan  Andrea  da  Spello 

Nisu 

300 

Batista  delli  Preti 

i> 

Lacatamia 

300 

Zaneto  Dandolo 

M 

Lapithos 

300 

Antonio  Georgio 

>J 

Salines  ... 

300 

Thomaso  de  Grazu 

yf 

Afdimu  ... 

300 

Annibal  Albanese 

M 

Crusocho 

300 

Giuliano  da  Venetia 

}> 

Peristerona 

300 

Borgogno  de  Abruzo 

» 

Limisso  ... 

300 

Paolo  Vicentino 

>» 

Lefca 

300 

Hieronimo  da  Sascil 

j> 

Paffo   

300 

The  other  captains  of  the  militia  of  the  towns  in  the  island,  with  their  companies,  went 
to  Famagosta,  according  to  the  orders  given  when  they  were  embodied. 

17 


130 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Italian  captains  and  their  companies. 

Colonel  Ronchon,  Commanding 
Colonel  Palazo  da  Fano 
Count  Albert  Scotto 
Captain  Nicolo  Paleotti 

„       Paolo  del  Guasto 

„       Francesco  de  Laura 

„       Lazaro  Coluban 

„       Pompeio  Coluban 

„       Giovan  de  I'Oglio 

„       Carlo  Ragunasco 

„  Antonio  di  Berettin 
Cavalier  Magrino,  Engineer 
Captain  Camillo  da  Gadi 

„       Micbael  Griti 

„       Gioan  Battista  de  San  Coluban 

„       Battista  da  Fan 

„       Carlo  de  Arimini 

The  soldiers  of  all  these  officers  numbered  together  thirteen  hundred.  Some  of  the 
captains  were  the  successors  of  others. 

Captains  with  pay,  but  without  companies. 

Captain  Giulian  Guastaldo 

„  Leonardo  da  Borgo 

„  March'  Antonio  Dascello 

„  Giacomo  Grazzo 

„  Celio  da  Lodi 

„  Gioan  Battista  Calluro 

„  Francesco  Pattella 

„  Fabri  di  Imola 

Captains  of  the  Stradiots  with  their  companies. 

Commanding,  Rondachi 
Captain  Nicolo  Kirieleison 

„  Lamberti 

„       Pietro  Mauresi 

„       Filippo  Laschari,  a  Cypriot  noble 

„       Dimitri  Laschari,  a  Cypriot  noble 

„       Gioanne  di  Elmi 
Cavalier  Dimitri  Paleologo,  a  Cypriot  noble 
Captain  Andrea  Cortese 

„  Catella 

„       Thomaso  Blasi 

„       Gioanne  Ligocesi 

„       Dimitri  Paleologo 


CALEPIO. 


131 


The  other  ordinary  captains  of  the  Stradiots,  with  one  hundred  horses,  went  to  Famagosta. 
Meanwhile  some  of  our  Cypriots  went  off  with  their  vessels  and  scoured  the  seas  of  Caramania 
and  Syria  in  pirate  fashion,  taking  some  prizes.  But  rumours  of  war  reached  them  from 
Syria  and  other  Turkish  lands,  and  they  made  for  home,  bringing  over  some  of  our  monks 
and  priests,  who  advised  us  of  the  immense  preparations  which  the  Turks  were  making  for 
the  war  against  Cyprus.  At  the  end  of  March  the  Pasha  sent  forth  from  Constantinople 
Murad  Rais,  with  twenty-five  galleys  bound  for  Rhodes,  to  cut  off  help  designed  for  Cyprus. 
On  April  17  Piali  Pasha  left  Constantinople  with  eight  galleys  and  thirty  galliots.  When 
Cubat  Chawush  returned  from  Venice  bearing  a  more  spirited  reply  than  had  been  anticipated, 
twelve  chawushes  were  at  once  sent  to  isolate  the  Bailo  of  Venice  and  his  staff,  a  chawush 
and  some  janissaries  being  left^  on  guard  to  prevent  news  of  any  kind  reaching  him,  and  to 
cut  him  off  from  all  intercourse,  consultation  and  conversation.  Then  with  all  possible 
diligence  they  hastened  the  despatch  of  the  rest  of  the  fleet,  and  on  March  16,  1570,  Ali  Pasha 
sailed  with  thirty-six  galleys,  twelve  flats,  four  Turkish  vessels  and  two  Venetian,  the  galleon 
of  Mehmed  Pasha,  eight  lighters,  forty  horseboats  and  many  caramussali,  full  of  men, 
provisions,  guns,  amTnunition  and  other  necessary  stores,  for  the  conquest  of  Cyprus.  General 
Mustafa  Pasha  commanded  the  whole  force.  Piali  Pasha  had  left  before,  and  at  Tenos, 
a  little  island  belonging  to  the  Venetians,  slew  many  Christians:  on  March  28  he  took 
Negropont,  and  loaded  with  provisions  loft  for  Rhodes.  He  caught  up  the  rest  of  the 
fleet  on  the  way;  with  great  rejoicing  they  united  their  forces,  and  arrived  June  1  at 
Rhodes. 

From  Rhodes  they  went  to  Finica,  whither  the  army  had  been  sent  overland,  this  being 
a  port  of  Anatolia,  near  Cyprus  and  convenient  for  crossing  thither.  About  June  20  they 
sent  six  galliots  to  Cyprus  to  get  news :  they  reached  a  village  called  Lara,  near  Alexandretta, 
and  while  their  crews  were  chasing  some  herdsmen  twenty-nine  of  our  Stradiot  horse  fell 
upon  them,  and  drove  them  on  board,  killing  a  good  many  Turks.  Not  one  Christian  fell, 
only  the  horse  of  the  lieutenant  of  these  Stradiots,  who,  hoping  to  get  some  reward  for  his 
gallant  exploit,  came  to  Nicosia  with  a  number  of  prisoners  and  many  heads.  The  magnifi- 
cent Dandolo  showed  his  liberality  by  refusing  him  even  an  advance  of  pay  to  buy  another 
horse  for  the  service  of  S.  Mark. 

Meanwhile  the  right  reverend  bishop  Contarini  made  an  oration  ni  the  vulgar  tongue 
in  S  Sophia,  urging  every  man  to  be  loyal  and  strenuous  in  the  struggle;  holding  out  to 
them  the  warm  and  grateful  affection  which  the  Republic  bore  to  Cyprus,  with  such  warm 
and  graceful  eloquence  and  strong  persuasiveness  that  all  were  moved  to  tears  of  enthusiasm, 
and  each  man  resolved  to  die  in  defence  of  his  plighted  word,  his  country  and  his  km.  ^^  hen 
he  came  down  from  the  pulpit  he  was  embraced  affectionately  by  the  high  officials,  the 
counts  barons  and  knights,  and  warmly  thanked.  Then  Count  Giacomo,  in  the  name  of  all 
the  Cypriots,  addressed  the  bishop  and  the  officials.-"  All  Venice  knows,  and  everyone  can 
see  our  loyalty  devotion  and  obedience  to  the  Republic,  a  fidehty  of  so  long  standing. 
Everyone  shall  know  again  at  this  crisis,  in  these  perils  which  beset  us,  by  our  brilliant 
deeds,  by  our  very  blood,  how  loyal  we  are;  how  we  would  rather  die  by  the  edge  of  the 

sword  than  change  our  masters."  ,  ■  i.    «  •  i  f 

They  were  active  in  carrying  provisions  into  the  fortresses,  and  the  high  officials  went 
to  Aschia,  to  meet  the  general  commanding  at  Famagosta,  and  to  arrange  abont  gram,  cattle 
and  other  matters  necessary  for  such  an  undertaking.  For  all  they  could  do  an  immense 
quantity  of  wheat  and  barley  remained  outside,  while  they  took  possession  of  the  larger  part 
of  our  cattle,  both  small  and  great. 

17 — 2 


132 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


The  Parici  were  all  hopeful  because  letters  arrived  from  Venice  allowing  the  lords  to 
release  them  from  their  servitude ;  but  no  liberty  did  they  get,  except  such  as  Mustafa  gave 
them.  All  the  gentlemen  of  the  realm  kept  saying  publicly  that  they  had  given  their 
consent  to  the  liberation  of  their  parici :  if  their  good  intentions  were  defeated  by  the  cruelty 
of  the  government  I  cannot  say. 

The  expedition  left  Finica  on  June  27  and  arrived  at  Baft'o  July  1 ;  the  next  day  the 
news  reached  Nicosia,  Limisso  and  Acrotiri  were  sacked  and  burned,  the  enemy's  ravages 
extending  inland  to  the  village  of  Polimidia.  The  captain  of  the  Stradiots  and  Vincenzo 
Malipiero,  vice-captain  of  BafEo,  met  and  charged  them  with  cavalry,  broke  their  ranks,  put 
them  completely  to  flight,  and  so  drove  them  back  with  great  slaughter  to  the  sea.  They 
took  two  Turks  alive,  and  made  up  two  loads  of  heads,  which  the  Stradiots  who  were  sent  to 
meet  them  carried  afterwards  on  the  points  of  their  lances  to  Nicosia.  The  two  prisoners, 
with  their  hands  bound  behind  them,  were  forced  to  march  before  the  horse  of  the  vice- 
captain  of  Balfo.  The  sight  gave  courage  to  the  citizens,  who  came  out  to  the  villages,  and 
down  to  the  sea-shore,  or  went  shouting  about  the  walls  of  Nicosia,  "  Success  to  S.  Mark  by 
land  and  by  sea."  The  next  day  the  Turks  arrived  at  Salines.  Our  general  of  cavalry  went 
to  confer  with  Estor  Baglione  at  a  village  between  Salines  and  Famagosta.  On  the  third,  in 
perfect  comfort  and  without  the  slightest  opposition,  the  enemy  landed  his  cavalry,  infantry, 
artillery,  ammunition  and  stores,  and  laid  out  and  fortified  his  camp.  Mustafa  sent  Piali  to 
the  gulf  of  Aiazza  with  a  hundred  galleys,  twenty  horseboats  and  some  lighters  to  bring  over 
the  rest  of  the  horses,  janissaries  and  Sipahis ;  while  Ali  Pasha  was  despatched  with  the  rest 
of  the  fleet  to  the  same  end  to  the  gulf  of  Sataha,  Mustafa  being  afraid  to  leave  Salines  until 
he  had  mustered  his  whole  force.  The  officers  returned  on  July  21  with  the  desired  rein- 
forcements. In  the  meanwhile  Mustafa  had  sent  Nicodemus,  a  blind  Greek  monk,  a  Corfiote, 
with  letters  exhorting  and  threatening  all  men  to  submit  to  his  sovereign,  promising  them  all 
the  liberties  they  now  enjoyed,  and  greater  still. 

Our  general  of  cavalry  had  already  retired  with  his  whole  force  to  Nicosia,  and  remained 
there  until  the  day  of  the  massacre.  The  enemy  meanwhile  made  various  raids,  and  reached 
Lefcara,  guided  by  a  Greek  priest  of  the  village.  The  inhabitants,  who  had  neither  walls  nor 
ditches,  arms  offensive  or  defensive,  were  obliged  to  promise  allegiance.  The  government 
was  promptly  informed,  and  Captain  Meaduca  Dimitri  Lascari,  with  his  company  of  light 
horse,  was  sent  with  orders  to  give  the  village  to  fire  and  flame,  and  kill  old  and  young. 
This  bold  officer,  when  he  had  reduced  the  Lefkarites  to  obedience,  was  anxious  for  another 
chance  of  meeting  the  enemy.  He  gave  chase  to  a  large  detachment,  and  drove  them  into 
a  narrow  gorge  between  two  mountains.  Here  his  horse  was  killed,  and  leaping  up  behind 
his  brother,  an  ensign,  he  retreated  to  Nicosia. 

On  the  24th  the  Turks  left  for  Nicosia,  having  first  sent  five  hundred  horsemen  to  Fama- 
gosta to  prevent  any  assistance  reaching  that  city,  but  Signer  Estor  Baglione  met  and  routed 
them  at  San  Sergio.  On  the  25th  part  of  the  enemy's  army  arrived,  with  a  vanguard  of 
cavalry;  as  soon  as  they  were  in  sight  Colonel  Palazzo  was  ready  with  advice  to  go  out 
and  check  this  first  detachment  before  the  main  army  came  up ;  he  wanted  to  make  a  sally 
in  force  with  all  the  mounted  Stradiots,  feudatories  and  pensioners,  and  a  great  part  of  the 
Italian  and  Greek  infantry,  and  although  the  chief  officials  and  the  Coadjutor  knew  that  he 
was  a  soldier  of  great  experience,  they  did  not  accept  his  counsel  nor  approve  his  reasons. 
The  next  day  the  rest  of  the  enemy's  forces  arrived,  and  some  horsemen  rode  boldly  up  to 
the  walls,  and  pitched  their  camp  on  the  hill  of  Mantia.  Among  these,  and  on  the  same  spot, 
the  General  had  his  quarters,  and  contrary  to  the  notions  of  our  people  found  abundant 


CALEPIO. 


133 


water.  Another  part  of  the  army  encamped  near  S.  Dimitri,  close  to  the  spring :  the  other 
tents  were  five  Itahan  miles  away,  in  the  two  villages  called  Aglangia  and  Athalassa,  because 
water  was  handy.  On  S.  Anne's  day,  the  enemy,  finding  they  occupied  their  ground  without 
resistance,  sent  out  a  few  horsemen  to  provoke  us  to  a  skirmish.  Our  own  people  as  well  as 
the  Italians  and  Greeks,  who  were  eager  for  the  fray,  earnestly  begged  that  they  might  go 
out  and  charge  them;  but  this  was  forbidden  by  the  Lieutenant,  who  allowed,  however, 
a  few  horsemen,  under  Signor  Cesare  Piovane,  Lieutenant  to  the  Coadjutor.  They  were  too 
few  to  achieve  any  remarkable  success,  but  they  tried  to  draw  the  enemy  within  range  of 
our  artillery.  They  did  the  same  on  the  next  two  days ;  on  one  of  these  Andrea  Cortese, 
a  captain  of  Stradiots,  was  captured,  and  brought  before  the  Pasha,  Avho  (it  is  said)  had  him 
beheaded. 

On  Sunday,  the  30th,  they  hastily  ran  up  a  redoubt  on  the  hill  of  S.  Marina,  about  a 
hundred  and  forty  paces  from  the  fortress,  mounted  their  guns,  and  began  to  fire  upon  us. 
They  met  with  little  or  no  interruption  during  the  building  of  this  work;  our  men  were 
trying  from  the  curtain  between  the  Podochatoro  and  Caraffa  bastions,  and  from  the  face  of 
the  CarafFa,  with  guns  of  fifty  pounds  to  dislodge  them,  but  the  Turks  worked  by  night  and 
with  a  will,  and  finished  it  quickly :  for  they  looked  forward  to  battering  the  platforms  of 
some  of  the  bastions,  as  well  as  the  curtain,  and  the  houses,  which  last  the  architect  of  the 
fortress,  trusting  to  his  traverses  (and  for  other  reasons  which  some  persons  thought  dis- 
honest), would  not  pull  down.  They  built  another  fort  at  St  George,  on  an  inconsiderable 
hill;  from  this  too  they  proposed  to  open  fire  on  our  houses:  and  a  third  over  against  the 
bastions  Costanzo  and  Podochatoro,  on  a  hill  called  Margarita.  The  fourth  fort  they  set  half 
way  up  the  hill  Mandia,  but  the  fire  from  this  was  of  little  importance.  They  dug  deep 
trenches  close  together,  going  below  the  ditches  round  the  walls  of  the  old  city,  and  some 
eight  paces  from  the  ruins  of  that  city  they  built  four  other  forts  opposite  the  bastions 
Podochatoro,  Costanzo,  Davilla  and  Tripoli.  These  were  strengthened  with  deep  ditches, 
demilunes,  and  deep  square  reduits  where  they  set  outposts,  which  were  safe  from  attack 
whether  by  our  guns,  horse  or  foot  soldiers.  For  four  days  together  from  morning  to  evening 
tliey  kept  up  the  briskest  possible  fire  from  sixty  pounders,  resting  only  for  three  or  four 
hours  during  the  great  heat  of  the  day  ;  but  they  found  this  of  no  avail,  for  the  balls  buried 
themselves  in  the  earthworks,  without  damaging  our  walls.  Then  they  abandoned  this  form 
of  attack,  and  took  to  spades  and  picks,  and  in  a  very  short  time  ran  their  trenches  under 
our  counterscarp,  yet  we  never  tried  to  dislodge  them.  They  worked  on  undisturbed,  and 
nuide  an  immense  ditch,  throwing  up  the  soil  towards  us :  in  this  was  posted  a  large  body  of 
musketeers,  who  were  always  on  the  watch,  and  with  great  address  aimed  at  anyone  of  our 
men  who  appeared  upon  the  walls  to  fire  the  morning  or  evening  gun,  a  custom  we  still  kept 
up.  So  they  brought  up  their  roads  and  ditches  right  into  our  ditch,  which  was  twenty 
paces  broad.  Not  to  leave  their  horses  idle  they  made  them  fetch  faggots  from  a  distance 
and  with  these  and  the  earth  dug  out  they  made  such  excellent  traverses  that  they  soon 
overtopped  our  reduits,  which  became  useless  for  offence. 

We  were  most  anxious  to  harass  them  ^vit\\  our  cavalry  to  stop  their  horses  from  bringing 
up  faggots,  but  were  not  allowed  to  do  so :  even  when  some  of  the  most  daring  of  them 
came  close  up  to  our  ditch  to  cut  away  the  bridges  and  fronts  of  the  bastions,  and  to  bore 
into  the  walls,  the  Lieutenant  would  not  allow  our  men  to  fire  on  them  if  they  were  one  or 
two,  but  only  when  they  were  ten  or  more,  saying  that  he  could  not  justify  it  to  S.  Mark. 
So  that  the  enemy  had  all  the  convenience  for  damaging  our  walls  and  bastions  which  they 
themselves  could  desire,  whilst  I  and  very  many  others  have  heard  mth  our  own  ears  the 


134 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


haughty  commands  and  threats  addressed  to  our  gunners  and  their  chief  about  wasting 
powder,  which  was  doled  out  with  the  utmost  niggardhness,  as  though  to  avoid  injuring  men 
who  with  such  furious  and  incessant  firing  were  trying  to  take  our  lives.  Even  what  they 
had  the  Lieutenant  wanted  to  hoard,  so  that  very  many  people  began  to  think  he  was  a 
traitor.  More  than  once  Signer  Pisani  asked  the  Vice-Proveditor  why  he  did  not  let  our 
men  do  what  was  necessary  for  the  defence,  and  they  almost  came  to  blows  when  he  was 
told,  "  Illustrious  Sir,  we  ought  to  clear  the  ditch,  and  drive  out  the  enemy,  so  that  they  may 
not  with  spades  and  picks  undermine  our  ramparts,  and  lay  them  low."  Signor  Dandolo 
answered  that  our  bastions  were  so  many  mountains. 

Soldiers  climbed  down  by  night  through  the  loop-holes  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy's 
works :  sometimes  the  Turks  were  forced  to  run,  sometimes  our  men.  In  a  few  days  the 
Turks  had  made  great  tunnels,  blowing  up  the  earth  to  fill  in  our  ditch,  and  making  shelters 
in  them  with  scaffolding.  Our  soldiers  and  the  citizens  learned  this,  and  fearing  the  damage 
they  would  do  us  begged  earnestly  that  they  might  be  allowed  to  make  one  grand  sally  in 
force  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  mining,  and  to  destroy  his  traverses.  But  their  request  was 
refused,  because  the  whole  number  of  Italians  was  very  small,  and  many  of  these  had  died 
already  of  a  malady  then  prevalent,  and  from  bad  management,  and  the  natives  were  un- 
trained. Colonel  Palazzo  was  trying  to  make  a  cavalier  of  great  beams  and  stakes  to 
command  the  enemy's  forts :  it  was  hollow  below,  so  that  we  could  use  the  embrasures  of  the 
bastion,  and  earth  was  heaped  up  above,  on  which  he  meant  to  plant  cannon.  But  I  think 
it  was  never  used,  and  a  gentleman  who  was  one  of  the  first  to  mount  on  it  was  struck  by 
a  ball  fired  from  S.  Marina.  Our  men  sought  some  means  of  using  their  arquebuses,  and  one 
of  them  took  two  long  stout  beams,  and  bored  holes  in  them :  these  they  set  on  the  crest  of 
the  parapet,  but  the  enemy  noticed  them  at  once,  and,  to  the  disappointment  of  the  contrivers, 
destroyed  them  with  cannon  shots.  An  attempt  was  made  to  make  a  mine  at  the  angle  of 
the  bastion,  but  the  earth  was  loose,  because  the  enemy  was  working  under  it,  and  this  too 
failed. 

At  the  beginning  of  August,  seeing  what  confusion  reigned,  it  was  resolved  to  send  for 
help  to  Famagosta,  to  get  Signor  Estor  Baglione  and  some  gunners.  Letters  in  cypher  were 
given  to  messengers,  who  were  captured  by  the  Turks  and  paraded  before  us,  that  we  might 
abandon  all  hope  of  assistance.  That  brave  officer  Captain  Gioan  Battista  San  Coluban  was 
instantly  despatched  on  the  same  errand :  the  enemy  gave  him  chase,  and  secured  his  hat 
and  dagger,  which  they  exhibited  to  us  under  the  walls;  they  also  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
Count  Giacomo  de  Nores,  general  of  the  artillery,  and  one  to  the  citizens,  exhorting  them  to 
surrender.  Captain  San  Coluban  arrived  at  Famagosta,  the  Council  assembled,  and  the 
letter  was  read.  It  contained  three  requests :  the  first  asked  for  Signor  Estor  Baglione,  the 
next  for  a  reinforcement  of  Italian  soldiers,  the  third  for  gunners.  Signor  Estor  Baglione 
announced  his  readiness  to  go,  and  in  this  and  the  next  meeting  of  the  Council  it  was  resolved 
that  he  should  be  allowed  to  do  so :  secondly,  that  they  would  not  send  soldiers,  and  so 
weaken  the  garrison ;  thirdly,  that  any  gunner  who  chose  might  go.  But  when  Signor  Estor 
pressed  for  a  sufficient  escort  they  would  grant  him  no  more  than  the  hundred  soldiers  of  his 
own  guard.  He  was  so  anxious  to  help  the  city  of  Nicosia  that,  thinking  a  hundred  men 
insufficient  to  force  the  enemy's  outposts,  he  determined  to  go  accompanied  only  by  Captain 
San  Coluban  and  a  guide.  The  captain,  however,  insisting  on  the  dangers  which  he  himself 
had  seen  and  proved  persuaded  him  to  stay.  San  Coluban  then  left  Famagosta  with  Lonardo 
di  Verona,  a  gunner,  and  one  other  man,  and  after  great  perils,  and  whole  days  passed 
without  food  or  drink,  while  they  tried  to  escape  capture  by  the  three  bands  who  guarded 


CALEPIO. 


135 


the  city  on  every  side,  they  arrived  at  Nicosia  on  S.  Laurence's  day.  Messengers  were  sent 
also  to  the  hills,  to  ask  for  help,  but  they  were  taken  and  paraded  under  our  walls. 

There  was  no  chance  now  of  assistance  from  without,  and  they  began  forthwith  to  make 
reduits ;  Colonel  Palazzo  directed  the  construction  of  those  in  the  Podochatoro  and  Costanzo 
bastions,  closing  with  them  the  passage  into  the  bastion.  But  Signer  Sosomenino  at  the 
Tripoli  and  Davila  bastions  constructed  a  simple  reduit,  leaving  no  room  for  an  enemy :  and 
probably  if  the  same  plan  had  been  followed  in  the  Podochatoro  the  Turks  in  their  last 
attack  would  not  have  held  their  ground. 

On  August  12  the  two  gunners  reconnoitred  the  enemy's  forts,  and  conceived  great 
hopes  of  dismantling  them :  they  talked  with  their  chief  and  with  the  general  of  artillerj'', 
and  asked  for  two  cannons  of  a  hundred  pounds,  they  fired  one  shot  and  struck  the  mouth  of 
one  of  the  enemy's  guns,  destroying  the  embrasure,  and  with  the  splinters  killing  many 
Turks.  The  Lieutenant  was  informed,  but  in  spite  of  all  they  could  say,  he  would  not 
consent  to  a  further  expenditure  of  powder :  he  agreed  however  to  do  all  he  could. 

The  next  day  Monsignor  Contarini,  in  concert  with  Signor  Pisani,  Marco  Polani  and 
others,  held  an  animated  conference,  and  with  strong  and  almost  angry  reasonings  engaged 
the  Lieutenant  to  work  out  some  careful  plan  for  our  defence  and  the  enemy's  discomfiture. 
With  the  utmo.st  possible  secrecy  they  decided  to  make  a  sally  with  a  thousand  infantry, 
Greeks  and  Italians,  and  all  the  Stradiot  horse.  The  gentry  and  feudatories  wished  to  join 
them,  but  the  Government  would  not  consent.  On  the  I'ith  Caia  Cenlibi  was  despatched  with 
six  galliots  to  collect  news.  He  reached  Candia  and  then  took  a  boat  with  a  few  Christians^ 
who  .said  that  the  Christian  fleets  had  assembled :  this  news  he  brought  back  to  Cyprus.  The 
Pashas  meanwhile  sent  out  vessels  to  scour  the  seas  as  far  as  Baffo,  while  our  people  on  the 
mountains  by  beacons  and  bonfires  signalled,  as  the  Government  had  bid  them  do,  the  number 
of  the  ships  they  saw.  We  were  thus  often  led  to  hope  that  the  vessels  might  be  those  of 
our  fleet. 

On  the  15th  without  noise  or  bustle  the  Stradiot  cavalry  was  set  in  array,  and  at  midday 
at  the  usual  resting  hour  mustered,  lance  in  hand,  in  the  bed  of  the  stream  which  passed 
through  Nico.sia :  they  opened  the  gate  which  leads  to  Famagosta,  and  sent  out  the  infantry, 
not  indeed  all  which  it  had  been  determined  to  send,  but  a  good  part,  under  Captain  Cesare 
Piovene  di  Vicenza,  Lieutenant  of  the  Coadjutor,  who  had  drilled  his  men  on  horseback  but 
now  chose  to  go  out  on  foot.  With  him  were  Count  Alberto  Scotto,  Nicolo  Gradinico,  Zanetto 
Dandolo,  Giorgio  Pandeo,  and  Cav.  Magrino,  the  engineer.  They  all  marched  stoutly  forth, 
and  finding  the  Turks  asleep,  as  their  habit  was  at  midday,  made  themselves  easily  masters 
of  the  finst  two  forts.  The  Turks  fled  like  so  many  stags  to  the  hill  of  S.  Marina,  fearing 
some  greater  disaster.  The  noise  reached  the  tents,  the  greatest  confusion  prevailed,  some 
of  the  enemy  took  to  flight,  leaving  everything  behind  them,  and  but  for  their  haste  they 
would  have  spiked  their  guns.  Our  men  burst  into  their  camp,  caught  up  bows,  arrows, 
scimitars  and  other  booty,  and  even  their  cooking  pots  full  and  hot.  Afterwards  some  of 
our  renegades  told  us  that  if  the  Christians  had  followed  up  the  attack  with  more  infantry, 
and  with  our  cavalry,  and  had  turned  the  Turkish  guns  against  their  masters,  we  should  very 
likely  have  remained  victors.  But,  as  the  best  and  worst  of  our  ill  luck  would  have  it,  the 
Lieutenant  and  Vice-Proveditor  forbade  the  cavalry  to  go  out,  as  well  as  the  rest  of  the 
infantry,  all  of  whom  were  eager  for  the  fray ;  and  this,  as  some  said,  because  he  had 
foi-bidden  the  gentlemen  to  go  out,  and  seeing  among  the  horsemen  Falier  and  certain  other 
gentlemen  with  their  vizors  lowered,  he  threw  everything  into  confusion.  Others  laid  the 
blame  on  the  Lieutenant  of  the  Coadjutor  who  wanted  all  the  honour  for  himself,  and  rather 


136 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


than  the  Commander  of  the  Stradiots  should  get  it,  ordered  the  cavalry  to  remain  within  the 
walls.  Whether  the  confusion  was  due  to  this  cause  or  that,  they  know ;  to  us  it  is  plain 
that  the  cavalry  did  not  leave  the  city,  and  that,  for  all  that  our  men  could  gaily  shout, 
"  Forward,  Forward :  let  the  cavalry  come  up,  for  the  day  is  ours,"  those  poor  soldiers  thus 
abandoned  began  to  despair  of  cavalry  support :  that  the  enemy  saw  this,  and  the  few  of 
their  men  who  had  taken  to  flight  returned  with  a  very  large  body  of  horse  and  foot. 

Our  troops  thus  compelled  to  forego  the  advantage  they  had  gained,  retreated  very 
slowly.  Captain  Cesare  Piovene,  Count  Scotto  and  others  were  killed,  and  altogether  we 
lost  a  hundred  men,  dead  or  prisoners :  among  the  last  was  the  lieutenant  of  Captain  Lazaro. 
The  rest  entered  the  city  with  many  fine  things,  valuable  daggers  of  Turkish  make,  scimitars 
and  arquebuses  richly  inlaid,  tulipanti  and  the  like.  The  story  went  that  Cav.  Mangrino,  as 
he  came  back  into  the  fortress,  said,  "  I  have  never  gone  out  to  attempt  some  deed  of  daring 
without  meeting  something  which  looked  like  treason  (tradimento),"  but  I  think  he  meant 
"  an  objection  (impedimento),"  because  I  hear  that  the  Lieutenant's  reply  was  this,  "  Sir 
Knight,  you  are  still  young  and  do  not  know  everything." 

We  never  made  another  sally,  so  that  the  enemy  came  boldly  up  to  destroy  our  works. 
The  brother  of  Count  Griacomo  Ottavio,  who  was  on  duty  in  the  Tripoli  bastion,  chose  to  go 
up  to  an  embrasure  to  watch  the  enemy's  movements,  but  he  had  scarcely  shown  himself 
when  he  was  struck  by  a  bullet  and  killed.  About  August  18  Piali  Pasha  went  to  Rhodes, 
sent  to  Candia  for  news,  and  then  set  out  on  his  return  to  Cyprus. 

The  Turks  worked  on  diligently  till  they  had  made  a  sufficiently  convenient  way  to 
reach  our  bastions ;  they  often  mounted  on  them ;  and  planted  a  flag.  Four  or  six  days  later 
they  began  to  make  their  attack.  The  assailing  parties  carried  with  them  good  sized  bags 
full  of  powder,  which  they  threw  upon  our  soldiers,  doing  great  injury.  Anyone  who  took 
them  up  to  throw  them  back  was  burned,  and  there  was  no  way  of  dealing  with  them  but 
to  hook  them  on  the  point  of  a  pike  and  push  them  over  among  the  enemy.  Throughout 
the  siege,  which  lasted  forty-five  days,  they  kept  up  a  lively  cannonade,  trying  to  destroy 
our  houses.  Morning  and  evening  they  fired  guns  of  every  kind,  and  very  often  mortars 
and  predere :  on  Sundays  particularly  they  aimed  at  the  churches.  They  used  even  greater 
efforts  to  batter  the  platforms  of  the  bastions,  and  although  they  did  some  damage  to  our 
men  and  works  it  was  not  so  great  as  they  thought.  Many  of  our  people  died  daily,  and 
murmurs  were  not  lacking  about  victuals  and  powder. 

For  the  next  few  days  the  usual  cannonade  was  kept  up  morning  and  evening,  as  well 
as  volley  firing,  while  they  assailed  the  Podochatoro,  Constanzo,  Davila  and  Tripoli  bastions, 
sometimes  two  at  a  time,  sometimes  all  four  at  once,  but  they  were  always  valiantly  repulsed. 
Our  soldiers  used  balls,  tubes  and  other  fireworks,  the  enemy  attacking  us  with  arquebuses, 
arrows  and  bags  of  powder.  One  day  they  made  an  unusually  brisk  assault,  and  after  volleys 
and  cannon  shots  met  us  hand  to  hand.  Count  Griacomo  went  outside  the  palisade  in  the 
middle  of  the  platform  to  encourage  his  men,  and  was  struck  on  the  brow  by  an  arrow,  and 
died  of  the  wound.  We  thought  their  arrows  were  poisoned.  The  hospitals  were  now  full 
of  wounded,  and  only  four  hundred  Italian  soldiers  were  left  sound.  The  doctors  were  too 
few  for  the  work,  and  in  truth  I  saw  but  little  charity  where  I  ought  to  have  found  it,  not 
only  towards  the  wounded,  but  the  whole,  and  so  to  stir  the  hearts  of  the  rich  and  great,  out 
of  our  poor  stock  I  loaded  one  mule  with  wine,  another  with  biscuit  and  yet  another  with 
beans  and  olives,  and  presented  them  to  our  chiefs  in  the  presence  of  many  nobles,  and  of  the 
bishop  of  Baffo,  to  be  given  to  those  who  were  risking  their  lives  for  ours.  But  I  found  few 
to  imitate  me :  there  were  men  who  did  their  duty,  but  it  was  hard  to  extract  wine  from 


CALEPIO. 


137 


those  who  had  any.  Wood  was  scarce,  though  everyone  had  enough  to  bake  his  bread ;  but 
they  used  the  rafters  of  our  convent,  which  was  already  in  ruins,  on  the  fortifications,  and  to 
that  end  our  Fathers  gave  them  wilhngly  enough,  as  well  as  beams  for  the  cavalier,  and  for 
the  eleven  or  twelve  stockades,  built  on  the  bastions  and  in  other  places,  so  many  thousand 
solid  rafters,  and  sixteen  hundred  more  to  make  carriages  for  the  guns.  A  little  grain  was 
all  that  was  given  to  those  wretched  artisans,  who  had  no  means  of  living,  and  who  were 
always  on  guard,  and  at  the  mercy  of  the  enemy.  A  few  of  the  plebeian  soldiers  murmured 
against  certain  nobles  who  went  to  sleep  in  their  own  houses,  and  their  commanders  ordered 
these  all  to  come  to  their  quarters,  either  on  the  bastions  or  in  the  shelters  below.  The  chiefs 
only  slept  in  their  houses,  and  every  day,  morning  and  evening,  their  food  was  brought  up 
by  their  servants. 

In  the  next  assault  Captain  Berettino  died.  And  again  on  the  next  day,  in  another 
attack,  Signor  FeV)bo  Zappe,  Captain  of  one  half  of  the  gentlemen,  was  killed  on  the 
ramparts  by  a  cannon  ball.  The  enemy  had  now  destroyed  the  angles  of  the  bastions  and 
the  parapets,  and  completed  a  convenient  approach ;  they  drove  a  donkey  up  it,  and  kept 
crying  in  mockery,  "  don't  hurt  the  poor  ass,  it  can  do  you  no  harm ! "  Then  they  shouted, 
"  surrender,  for  you  are  in  a  bad  way,"  and  shot  in  a  letter  tied  to  an  arrow,  saying  the  same 
thing. 

Beset  by  so  many  and  great  dangers  the  inhabitants  not  only  kept  up  continual  pro- 
cessions, but  also  made  a  vow  to  the  Divine  Majesty  to  build  a  church  called  8.  Maria  della 
Vittoria,  if,  through  the  merits  of  Christ's  most  tender  Mother,  our  Intercessor,  we  drove 
back  the  foe :  and  they  called  me  and  gave  me  the  charge  of  collecting  the  alms  of  all,  and 
in  three  days  I  found  moi-e  than  two  thousand  ducats,  and  hoped  to  find  the  rest,  but  certain 
Greeks  shocked  me  greatly,  who  (to  put  the  seal  on  their  iniquities,  and  invite  Heaven  the 
sooner  to  visit  them  with  the  just  punishment  of  their  schism)  would  give  me  no  alms  because 
the  church  would  be  of  the  Latin  rite.  There  were  not  wanting  rich  men  also  who  gave 
little  or  nothing  when  they  might  have  given  their  hundreds. 

About  August  30  Piali  l^asha  returned  from  Rhodes  with  news  of  the  position  of  our 
fleet,  and  feeling  certain  that  it  was  not  likely  to  come  so  very  soon  so  reported  to  Mustafa 
Pasha,  who  ordered  the  immediate  supply  of  everything  necessary  for  the  capture  of  the  city. 
'J'he  Turks  now  came  to  reciuest  one  hour's  truce,  which  was  granted  to  them.  Their  parley 
was  about  many  things,  but  the  gist  of  it  all  was  to  exhort  us  to  surrender.  Our  chiefs 
replied  with  spirit,  provoking  them  to  attack  us  again,  and  one  rash  fool  even  began  to  fire 
upon  them.  On  the  next  day  followed  a  furious  cannonade,  and  volleys  of  musketry  more 
continuous  than  before,  but  when  they  came  to  the  charge  they  were  repulsed  with  small 
loss  on  either  side.  All  our  .soldiers  murmured  that  they  were  not  given  sufficient  powder 
and  balls :  the  gunners  especially,  who  sent  their  commander  to  get  a  further  supply.  He 
came  to  the  gate  leading  to  Famagosta,  and  there  in  the  presence  of  Bishop  Contarini  and 
other  nobles  the  Proveditor  was  wroth  with  him,  and  with  threats  and  angry  words  told  this 
chief  gunner  that  he  ought  not  to  use  cannon  of  great  calibre,  but  smerigli  (three  or  four 
pounders)  and  the  like,  adding  that  this  was  the  intention  and  ad^^ce  of  Signor  Julio 
Savorgnano.  The  gunner  answered  that  so  great  a  man  never  held  such  an  opinion,  that 
pieces  of  this  kind  should  be  used  in  repulsing  an  attack :  however,  they  must  have  patience. 

Mustafa  Pasha  sent  off  two  chawushes  with  all  speed  with  letters,  one  to  Piali,  the  other 
to  Ali  Pasha,  exhorting  them  that  being  now  certain  of  the  delay  of  the  Christian  fieet  they 
were  cpiite  sure  of  taking  Nicosia;  nothing  was  wanting  but  a  strong  force,  because  such 
easy  approaches  had  been  constructed,  with  strong  traverses  on  every  side  that  horsemen 

18 


138 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


could  safely  mount  them;  they  must  come  then  with  all  their  troops,  and  the  city  would 
certainly  fall  to  the  Turks. 

On  the  7th  or  8th  of  September  the  said  naval  commanders  marched  their  men  towards 
Nicosia,  a  thing  they  had  hitherto  been  unwilling  to  do  from  fear  of  the  Christian  fleet. 
Some  Turks  told  us  that  they  sent  twenty-five  thousand,  others  said  that  a  hundred  men  were 
selected  from  each  galley.  I  should  indeed  be  much  surprised,  if  Mustafa  had  a  hundred 
thousand  men,  that  in  the  twelve  or  fifteen  assaults  made  after  this  he  could  not  subdue  us. 
On  Saturday,  September  9,  at  dawn  the  enemy  prepared  for  a  general  assault  on  the  Podo- 
chatoro,  Constanzo,  Davila  and  Tripoli  bastions.  The  conquest  of  the  Podochatoro  was 
entrusted  to  the  Rumelians  (that  is,  Grreeks)  and  Caramanians,  with  their  Pasha  Caraman. 
Muzafi^er  Pasha  and  his  troops  undertook  the  attack  on  the  Constanzo,  the  General  Mustafa 
and  Ali  Pasha  those  on  the  Davila  and  that  called  after  the  Count  of  Tripoli.  All  these  at 
the  same  moment  led  a  most  spirited  attack,  with  a  very  great  crowd  of  soldiers.  The  largest 
force  was  directed  at  the  Podochatoro  as  being  the  most  damaged  and  made  easiest  of  entry. 
They  came  on  with  such  fury,  such  shouts  and  noise,  that  many  of  the  country  folk,  who 
were  on  the  front  of  the  bastion  outside  the  shelter,  and  could  not  reach  their  arms,  fled ; 
the  rest  fought  on  smartly  for  a  while,  but  the  enemy's  numbers  kept  increasing,  our  men 
were  cut  in  pieces,  and  the  little  fosses  of  the  shelter  were  choked  with  corpses. 

Now  the  bell  rang  out  "  to  arms,"  everyone  fell  into  the  ranks,  and  leaping  down  from 
the  approaches  and  over  the  walls  of  the  shelter  kept  up  a  brisk  fight  and  drove  back  the 
foe.  The  Turks  however  outnumbered  us,  and  began  to  carry  the  shelter,  but  they  had  to 
face  the  mailed  breasts  of  many  Italians,  nobles  and  citizens,  and  for  two  hours  made  no  way. 
The  Coadjutor  came  with  Signor  Pisani  and  others  of  the  chiefs.  For  a  while  they  wei-e 
kept  at  bay,  but  our  soldiers  fell  apace.  I  say  this  for  I  was  on  the  spot,  sent  by  the  Bishop 
of  Baffo,  the  Proveditore  and  Signor  Pisani  to  encourage  the  combatants.  The  Coadjutor 
fell  killed  by  a  musket  ball :  Messer  Bernardo  Bollani  fell,  and  lay  awhile  under  the  corpses, 
but  was  picked  up  and  went  down  to  the  gate.  Nicolo  Sinclitico  Avithdrew  at  last  with 
a  wound  on  the  face,  likewise  his  brother  Grieronimo.  Thomas  Visconti,  their  brother,  died  : 
Colonel  Palazzo  died  on  the  spot,  the  Governor  Roncone  died  in  his  house ;  and  (to  be  brief) 
after  two  hours'  continuous  fighting  nearly  all  were  left  dead.  Signor  Pisani,  who  fought 
like  a  valiant  commander,  received  a  mortal  wound  from  a  musket ;  we  helped  to  carry  him 
off,  together  with  Signor  Artius  Zappe,  Captain  of  the  nobles,  who  was  furrowed  with  wounds 
as  he  stood,  firm  as  a  tower,  to  drive  back  the  foe ;  he  stayed  awhile  under  the  gate  to  recruit 
his  strength,  and  then  returned  boldly  to  the  fight,  and  died  like  a  brave  soldier,  after  taking 
the  life  of  many  an  opponent.  Signor  Pisani  was  carried  to  his  house  by  his  eldest  son  and 
a  servant,  and  there  died. 

The  Lieutenant  left  his  usual  post  at  the  Famagosta  Gate,  sent  as  a  reinforcement  the 
three  hundred  soldiers  from  Lefca,  and  then  retired  to  the  Palace.  In  such  a  strait  it  was 
his  duty  to  go  and  encourage  his  troops.  The  Bishop  of  Baffo,  who  had  on  a  corslet,  made 
me  put  on  him  armpieces  and  a  helmet,  and  went  to  join  his  men.  The  gunner  of  the  Caraffa 
bastion  came  down  from  his  post  to  the  gate  where  the  chiefs  were  assembled,  and  spake 
boldly  to  them  in  these  words — "  Ye  dogs,  enemies  of  God,  of  yourselves  and  the  realm,  do  ye 
not  see  that  the  enemy  is  gaining  ground  ?  Why  have  we  not  powder  that  we  may  drive 
them  out  ?  As  long  as  I  had  powder  to  batter  their  flanks  they  made  no  way.  The  devil 
take  you :  have  we  eaten  the  powder,  have  we  swallowed  the  balls  ?  Your  saving  for  S.  Mark 
will,  I  can  see,  lose  us  the  day."  The  chiefs  then  asked  eagerly  for  me,  and  sent  me  to  Signor 
Almorone  to  bid  him  be  on  the  alert,  and  if  the  enemy  proved  the  victors  to  set  fire  to  the 


CALEPIO. 


139 


great  towers,  or  at  least  to  the  ammunition,  and  with  all  possible  speed  to  send  a  cartload  of 
powder  to  the  Caraffa  bastion.  It  was  for  the  general  good,  and  though  I  was  stained  with 
my  own  blood,  and  that  of  our  Christian  brethren,  I  went  with  due  haste.  On  the  road  near 
the  houses  of  Gianuchio  Muscorno  we  saw  twenty-five  janissaries,  and  the  Vice-Captain  of 
the  gunners  and  I  called  to  some  Italians  and  Greeks  who  would  not  come  with  us.  The 
enemy  crowded  in,  and  much  blood  was  spilt  in  that  quarter.  The  powder  was  sent,  but  did 
not  come  in  time.  Gioan  Filippo  da  Milano  went  on  horseback  (for  he  was  gouty)  to  the 
Podochatoro  bastion  to  encourage  the  soldiers :  he  was  struck  by  a  musket  ball  and  killed. 
Fighting  still  continued  on  this  bastion,  and  the  others  were  still  defended.  All  our  brave 
fellows  died.  Our  Stradiot  horse,  if  it  had  been  ready  at  the  moment,  might  certainly  have 
charged  and  broken  the  enemy,  but  from  the  first  they  were  dismounted  and  set  on  guard 
duty  in  the  bastions.  By  this  one  can  understand  how  sensible  was  the  advice  of  Sosomenino 
and  others,  who  wanted  to  keep  these  Stradiots,  and  the  five  hundred  horsemen  of  the 
pensioners  and  feudatories,  who  were  not  trained  as  infantry,  mounted  and  ready,  so  that 
when  the  enemy  forced  their  way  in,  this  cavalry  should  drive  them  out.  They  might  have 
been  drawn  up  in  the  road  between  the  city  wall  and  the  houses,  for  this  was  wide  enough 
perhaps  for  twenty  troopers  abreast.  But  Colonel  Palazzo  did  not  approve  of  this,  and  it 
was  not  done. 

No  other  help  came,  we  could  do  nothing  jnore,  and  to  our  sorrow  the  Turks  were  able  to 
force  their  way  in.    On  one  side  they  rushed  wildly  into  the  city,  on  another  they  went  to 
attack  the  men  who  were  defending  the  Constanzo  bastion,  which  they  entered  from  the 
town  :  our  soldiers  were  surrounded  and  cut  in  pieces.    Many  of  the  citizens  defended  them- 
selves bravely :  many  of  the  Cernidti,  and  most  of  the  other  villagers,  seeing  the  multitude 
of  the  enemy  and  the  number  of  the  dead,  in  cowardly  wise  ran  away :  no  prayers  of  ours, 
no  orders  from  their  commanders  had  power  to  make  them  stop  and  face  the  foe.  What 
seemed  so  strange  to  me  was  that  numbers  of  these  rascals  climbed  down  through  the  em- 
brasures to  get  out  of  the  city,  and  in  their  haste  to  escape  fell  into  the  snare.    There  was 
fighting  in  the  streets  and  the  squares,  but  with  no  kind  of  order.   A  stout  defence  was  made 
in  the  quarter  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  in  front  of  the  Cathedral  Church  of  the  Greeks,  and 
in  the  two  narrow  streets  near  tlu;  Greek  bishop's  house ;  and  here  were  killed  very  many 
(ireek  monks  and  priests,  and  also,  it  is  said,  two  bishops.    We  went  to  find  Signer  Tutio 
Constanzo  to  act  as  our  leader  and  guide,  and  being  now  assembled  in  some  number  we 
moved  towards  the  s(iuare  :  here  we  met  a  crowd  of  villagers  running  away,  who  disheartened 
our  e-scort.    The  Reverend  Provincial  of  the  Carmini  and  I  took  a  great  cross  and  exhorted 
them  as  earnestly  as  possible,  now  addressing  the  infantry,  now  the  horsemen.    But  though 
we  spent  two  whole  hours  in  haranguing  them,  and  putting  before  them  all  the  troubles 
which  followed,  we  did  little  good;  and  this  for  two  reasons,  one  because  the  Pasha,  seeing 
the  tremendous  slaughter,  bid  them  surrender  and  thus  save  their  lives :  many  fools  among 
us  believed  him,  and  threw  down  their  arms,  stripping  themselves  even  of  what  they  wanted 
for  their  defence.    The  second,  because  some  fiend  or  other  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  the 
Italians  and  (Greeks  to  burst  open  the  Bemba  gate,  and  fly  towards  the  mountains  and 
Cerines    As  soon  as  it  was  open  many  rushed  out,  but  many  were  killed  by  the  Turkish 
cavalry"  others  were  made  prisoners,  and  few  escaped.    Gioan  Fillipo  Lusignano  fled  to  the 
hills  with  M.  Flatro  di  Flatri,  Zanetto  de  Nores,  Hector  his  son,  and  Alfonso  Bragadmo. 
Meanwhile  a  few  brave  men  with  great  swords  defended  the  Pisani  square  and  that  of  the 
Palace     I  think  the  fight  must  have  lasted  some  seven  or  eight  hours.    Before  this  Andrea 
J  Wo"  a  Patrician  of  Venice,  sought  out  the  Lieutenant,  and  finding  him  in  front  of  the 


140 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Palace  said,  "  Have  you  gone  so  far  as  this,  to  give  our  city  into  the  enemy's  hand  ?  Here, 
I  say,  we  have  the  traitor ! "  He  put  his  hand  to  his  sword  to  slay  him,  but  Dandolo  cried 
out  "  kill,  kill,"  and  his  halberdiers  killed  Pesaro  before  his  blow  fell.  And  now  they  opened 
the  Famagosta  gate,  the  Turkish  cavalry  entered,  the  city  was  filled  with  foes,  and  everyone 
rushed  to  plunder.  Paolo  del  Guasto  turned  the  cannon  on  the  bastion  near  San  Luca,  and 
stood  on  the  defensive. 

The  Lieutenant  called  the  assistant  of  the  Chancery  into  the  office  of  the  Grand 
Chancellor,  and  made  him  write  to  bid  the  Turks  stay  their  swords,  for  he  would  surrender 
the  city  upon  condition  that  the  persons  and  property  of  the  inhabitants  remained  in  safety, 
the  Sultan  binding  himself  to  allow  all  the  Christians  still  in  his  hands  to  go  to  their  homes. 
This  was  thought  somewhat  hard  by  the  enemy,  but  as  soon  as  our  soldiers  were  disarmed 
they  set  themselves  with  more  savagery  and  rapacity  than  ever  to  take  prisoners  and  sack 
houses,  killing  everyone  whom  they  found  with  arms.  The  palace  had  still  some  brave 
defenders,  who  with  their  great  swords  avenged  themselves  on  the  enemy,  who  now  thronged 
its  upper  rooms.  They  made  the  Turks  jump  down  from  the  windows,  and  enjoyed  for  a 
while  the  vengeance  they  wreaked  and  the  clearance  they  made ;  but  they  were  few  and 
were  killed  at  last,  and  the  enemies  remained  masters  of  the  building.  Then,  the  story  runs, 
a  drunken  Greek  hoisted  over  the  palace  the  Turkish  standard,  pulling  down  that  of  S.  Mark. 
The  Lieutenant  was  taken,  his  head  cut  olf  and  sent  to  the  Commandant  at  Cerines,  who 
forthwith  surrendered  quietly,  without  risking  an  engagement.  Yet  the  Turks  would  have 
had  a  hard  task,  on  account  of  the  mountains  between  Cerines  and  Nicosia,  which  are  almost 
impassable  to  artillery.  Mustafa  then  sent  the  head  to  Famagosta,  where  the  Commandant 
replied  that  he  desired  to  see  the  Pasha  under  his  walls,  and  with  spirited  retorts  and  brave 
deeds  to  prove  to  him  his  valour. 

Bishop  Contarini  was  taken  in  the  palace  by  a  talisman  or  Turkish  Monk,  who  accepted 
his  promises  and  meant  to  save  his  life,  but  in  hopes  of  richer  prey  left  him  and  went  within 
to  the  coffers  and  storerooms :  thus  abandoned  there  came  upon  him  a  janissary  who  struck 
him  on  the  head  with  a  scimitar.  I  sought  for  him  many  times,  and  was  told  that  he  died 
on  a  little  island  called  Stinco,  near  Rhodes. 

And  now  indeed  that  terrible  roar  of  artillery  and  musketry  ceased  to  thunder  in  our 
ears ;  but  the  change  was  a  sad  and  mournful  one,  for  on  every  side  we  heard  nothing  but 
the  ceaseless  wailing  of  poor  women  parted  from  their  husbands,  the  shrieks  of  children  torn 
from  their  mothers'  arms,  the  sighs  of  the  wretched  fathers  which  mounted  to  the  very 
heavens,  the  cries  of  maidens  and  lads  who  saw  themselves  separated  from  their  parents,  one 
driven  this  way,  another  that,  in  irremediable  division.  All  had  their  hands  bound  behind 
them,  they  were  pushed  and  hurried  with  blows  from  sticks  and  sword  hilts,  many  had  an 
arm  lopped  off,  or  a  skull  cleft  open.  Any  man  or  woman  who  resisted  was  killed.  The 
victors  kept  cutting  off  the  heads  of  old  women ;  many  of  them  as  they  marched  along  to 
prove  their  swords  split  open  the  heads  of  men  who  had  already  surrendered.  Did  a  prisoner 
try  to  escape,  he  was  caught  up  and  his  legs  cut  off,  and  as  long  as  any  life  was  left  in  him 
every  janissary  who  passed  had  a  cut  at  him. 

Among  the  slain  were  Lodovico  Podochatoro,  and  Lucretia  Calepia,  my  mother,  whose 
head  they  cut  off  on  her  serving  maid's  lap.  They  tore  infants  in  swaddling  clothes  from 
their  mothers'  breasts,  dashed  some  down  on  the  ground,  others  by  the  feet  against  a  wall : 
of  whom  I  could  baptise  only  one.  To  be  brief,  this  sack  lasted  three  days.  Churches  were 
desecrated,  altars  stripped,  sacred  pictures  burnt,  tombs  torn  open,  and  those  who  took  refuge 
in  the  churches  slain.    One  piece  of  savagery  I  saw,  that  wherever  the  Turks  met  swine  they 


CALEPIO. 


141 


drove  them  off  with  darts  and  swordcuts,  so  that  we  saw  a  human  body  along  with  that  of  a 
pig.  As  they  themselves  owned,  they  enriched  themselves  to  such  an  extent  that  never  since 
the  sack  of  Constantinople  had  they  won  so  vast  a  treasure,  as  well  of  things  sacred,  as  those 
of  common  use. 

Pietro  Paolo  Sinclitico,  Captain  of  the  hill  troops,  Scipion  Caraffa,  Gioane  Sinclitico 
came  in  at  once  from  the  mountains  to  surrender,  and  Mustafa  clothed  them  from  top  to  toe 
in  brocade.  The  Countess  of  Tripoli,  without  stirring  from  her  house  or  seeing  the  Pasha, 
gave  herself  up  with  all  her  family.  She  set  before  her  door  her  coaches  and  carts,  and  part 
of  her  three  hundred  soldiers,  telling  the  besiegers  that  they  were  Mustafa's  prisoners.  He 
accepted  her  lavish  promises  and  rich  gifts,  but  kept  after  all  little  or  no  faith  with  her,  and 
her  household  met  perhaps  the  hardest  fate  of  all.  He  sent  Hector  Podochatoro  her  brother 
from  his  tent  to  Nicosia  to  be  tended  by  doctors,  and  had  his  head  cut  oif  on  the  road.  The 
rest  of  these  prisoners,  with  the  Countess'  treasures,  were  put  on  a  lighter,  nor  is  it  known 
where  they  are :  some  say  they  were  drowned.  The  naval  commanders,  with  the  men  whom 
they  brought  up  from  the  galleys,  returned  quickly  from  Nicosia  to  Salines,  fearing  the 
arrival  of  our  fleet.  They  had  news  from  their  spies  that  it  was  refitting  in  Candia.  Thence 
we  may  take  it  to  be  certain  that  if  our  ships  had  moved  the  Turks  would  not  have  sent  up 
the  twenty-five  thousand  men  from  the  galleys,  and  Nicosia  would  not  have  been  taken.  And 
this  fear  lay  yet  upon  the  mind  of  Mustafa  Pasha,  for  as  soon  as  he  had  taken  the  city  he 
began  with  all  speed  to  repair  the  breaches  with  sacks  and  boxes,  and  to  prepare  it  to  resist 
an  attack,  filling  up  the  ditches,  bringing  the  guns  within  the  walls,  and  destroying  the  forts. 
They  collected  forthwith  the  accursed  carcases  of  the  Turks,  burning  them  and  their  souls  in 
hell,  and  left  for  the  nonce  the  Christian  corpses,  which  later  they  caused  to  be  carried  by 
slaves  and  thrown  into  certain  houses,  when  they  were  set  on  fire  and  burned.  They  began 
to  clear  out  S.  Sophia,  the  Latin  Cathedral,  and  arrange  it  after  their  own  fashion,  removing 
the  choir,  destroying  the  altars  and  so  forth.  On  the  following  Friday,  September  15,  the 
day  called  Junm,  which  they  keep  as  a  Sunday,  the  Pasha  went  with  his  suite  to  worship 
God,  as  their  wont  is  on  that  day,  and  to  thank  Him  for  so  great  a  victory. 

1  was  anxious  to  return  into  the  city  to  see  what  had  been  done  there,  and  said  to  those 
who  took  me  that  I  had  much  money  buried  underground,  and  as  I  was  led  in  I  saw  how 
the  bastions  were  repaired :  I  saw  too  many  pieces  of  artillery,  struck  on  the  muzzle  by  our 
shots  and  disabled.  The  houses  and  palaces  were  occupied  ;  grain,  beans,  wool,  cotton,  hams, 
bacon  scattered  over  the  ground,  and  many  other  things  strewn  about  the  streets :  what  they 
could  not  carry  away  or  eat  they  trod  underfoot,  and  in  the  cellars  they  burst  open  the  casks 
of  wine  and  oil.  There  was  nothing  sacred  or  profane  which  was  not  overturned,  as  they 
sought  out  and  hoped  to  find  some  treasure.  The  city  stank  fearfully  from  the  bodies  of  men 
and  swine  which  had  been  exposed  for  nearly  five  days  to  the  burmng  sun.  To  me  mdeed 
it  was  a  spectacle  more  terrible  and  mournful  than  that  of  the  day  of  the  attack,  to  look  on 
human  corpses,  swollen,  some  without  arms,  others  without  a  head,  others  agam  disem- 
bowelled, noseless,  brained  or  full  of  wounds.  They  made  us  carry  here  and  carry  there  the 
thinjjs  which  they  had  stolen  in  the  attacks,  and  although  the  papa,  or  Turkish  priest  who 
took  me  saved  me  from  four  or  Hve  blows  aimed  at  me  by  some  janissaries  whom  we  met  on 
the  way  while  I  was  a  prisoner  and  bound,  still  on  reaching  the  tents  I  was  sharply 
threatened  by  his  companions,  who  stripped  me  to  the  shirt  and  even  took  from  me  a  rosary 
worth  a  couple  of  sous,  leaving  me  with  a  shirt,  a  pair  of  cotton  drawers  and  socks,  and  a  hat 
which  Bishop  Contarini  left  to  me  when  he  donned  his  helmet.  \Mien  evening  came  they 
bound  me  like  a  culprit  ready  for  execution,  and  1  made  sure  of  a  martyr's  fate,  and  com- 


1-12 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


mended  myself  to  my  Chi'istian  fellow-captives,  to  encourage  them  to  endure  firm  and  brave 
in  the  faith.  Then  they  took  to  binding  certain  Italians,  and  so  went  on  fastening  all  the 
men  in  a  line,  and  made  us  sit  down. 

The  day  after  the  capture  of  the  city  was  held  a  general  bazar  or  auction  of  the  spoil. 
First  were  sold  the  good  looking  youths  and  pretty  girls,  the  buyers  taking  no  thought  or 
count  of  their  noble  birth,  but  only  of  the  beauty  of  their  faces.  The  rest  of  the  men  were 
sold  at  extremely  low  prices,  though  something  more  was  paid  for  those  who  were  fit  for 
work  in  the  galleys.  In  the  same  day  they  made  a  division  of  the  spoil,  and  I  wondered 
much  to  see  them  sell  some  most  precious  gem  for  a  very  small  sum.  A  thing  worth  a 
hundred  sequins  they  gave  for  four :  they  knew  as  little  about  pearls  and  precious  stones  as 
pigs  do :  anyone  who  had  some  little  knowledge  bought  valuable  objects  for  next  to  nothing, 
and  made  a  fortune.  Then  they  began  to  outrage  children  and  women,  and  such  as  were 
firm  in  their  resistance  they  tortured  and  killed. 

When  Nicosia  was  invested  the  inhabitants  were  registered,  and  their  number  found  to 
be  six  thousand  five  hundred  souls :  of  these  few  were  of  any  use  as  combatants.  Once  there 
were  thirteen  hundred  Italians,  but  at  a  pinch  these  were  only  four  hundred,  for  very  many 
died  before  the  siege,  and  the  rest  in  the  attacks.  Cypriot  nobles  and  burghers  with  their 
servants  numbered  fifteen  hundred,  foot  soldiers  raised  in  the  city  two  thousand  six  hundred, 
those  of  Giacomo  Zaccharia  and  Muscorno,  who  were  villagers,  seven  hundred  and  fifty. 
There  were  the  Stradiots,  and  the  other  cavalry  of  the  feudatories  and  pensioners,  and  five 
hundred  more  regular  cavalry,  but  they  were  not  used.  Though  the  city  had  had  ammu- 
nition and  victuals  for  a  two  years'  siege  it  was  badly  administered,  and  the  disorders,  and 
the  obstinacy  of  its  commander  reduced  it  to  so  disgraceful  an  end.  The  enemy  on  the 
other  hand  was  working  with  a  hundred  thousand  men,  including  the  ten  thousand  cavalry, 
but  not  the  twenty-five  thousand  men  who  were  brought  up  from  the  galleys  for  the  last 
attack.  Some  however  said  there  were  only  four  thousand  horses,  with  many  mares,  and 
a  great  number  of  mules,  saddled  and  equipped  as  horses,  which  served  in  action  as  well  as 
the  best  horses;  these  they  brought  across  on  horseboats,  lighters  and  palmidre,  two  to  each 
galley,  the  rest  on  ships  and  larger  vessels.  It  was  said  too  that  the  janissaries  were  only  six 
thousand,  and  the  sipahis  only  four  thousand.  If  this  cruel  disparity  of  numbers,  the  fewness 
of  our  trained  soldiers  and  our  bad  leadership  should  account  for  our  easy  defeat,  let  any 
soldier  of  skill  and  experience  decide ;  and  let  such  consider  too  how  those  who  retired  to 
Famagosta,  where  they  had  most  prudent  leaders  and  the  best  handling,  in  the  company  of 
the  brave  Italian  soldiers  behaved  (as  everyone  says,  and  especially  Count  Nestor  Martinengo 
in  his  report  made  to  the  Signory  of  Venice)  like  brave  warriors,  often  risking  their  lives  not 
only  in  sorties  and  sallies,  but  also  in  attack. 

I  know  very  well  that  for  the  shortcomings  and  sins  of  the  people  God  sends  such 
scourges,  as  saith  the  prophet  Amos  (eh.  ix.  8),  "  Behold,  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  God  are  upon 
the  sinful  kingdom,  and  I  will  destroy  it  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth."  I  know  also  how 
the  sins  of  Princes  are  a  cause  of  the  ruin  of  kingdoms;  as  saith  Isaiah  (ch.  xxiv.  1,  5), 
"Behold,  the  Lord  maketh  the  earth  empty  and  maketh  it  waste  .  .  .  because  they  have 
transgressed  the  laws,  changed  the  ordinance,  broken  the  everlasting  covenant."  And 
Ecclesiasticus  (ch.  x.  8),  "Because  of  unrighteous  dealings,  injuries  and  riches  got  by  deceit, 
the  kingdom  is  translated  from  one  people  to  another." 

But  as  all  the  world  can  see  the  justice,  piety,  and  zeal  in  defending  our  holy  faith  of 
my  august  masters,  the  care  with  which  they  strive  to  make  their  dependencies  obedient  to 
Holy  Church,  the  affection  and  courtesy  they  show  to  their  vassals  and  subjects,  their  war 


CALEPIO. 


143 


against  sin  and  hatred  thereof  may  well  excuse  and  defend  them.  I  will  dare  however  to 
say  in  defence  of  the  just  judgment  of  Grod,  and  His  irreprehensible  Providence,  which  willed 
such  ruin  and  destruction,  that  satisfaction  might  be  made  to  His  justice,  provoked  by  the 
disorders,  disobedience  and  rebellion  of  this  His  realm,  that  God  does  as  do  temporal  lords, 
sending  armies  against  those  who  rise  in  gainsaying  and  revolt.  As  indeed  it  is  clear  that 
when  there  rose  in  rebellion  against  the  Church  of  Rome,  which  is  the  Head  of  Christ's 
kingdom,  the  Patriarchal  Church  of  Alexandria,  the  Church  of  Antioch,  the  holy  Church  of 
Jerusalem,  and  that  of  Constantinople,  with  all  their  members,  speedily  enough  God  sent  as 
a  scourge  these  infidel  ministers  of  the  Divine  justice,  who  enslaved  them  all,  changed  their 
ceremonies  into  execrable  superstitions,  the  churches  into  mosques,  the  Gospel  into  the  Qoran, 
destroyed  their  sway,  laid  low  their  dignity,  profaned  the  sacraments,  and  left  their  faith 
entombed,  so  it  behoved  God  to  do  to  this  kingdom,  where  there  were  sundry  sects  of  old 
heretics,  and  Greeks  too  who  swore  fealty  to  the  Holy  Roman  Church,  as  is  evident  in  the 
Church  of  Alexandria.  Yet  when  the  most  Reverend  Archbishop  Filippo  Moccionico  returned 
from  the  Council  of  Trent,  and  like  a  most  watchful  shepherd,  with  all  diplomacy  and 
modesty,  urged  them  to  accept  the  sacred  Oecumenical  Council  of  Trent,  with  no  little 
warmth  they  refused  to  yield,  and  proved  how  deadlj"-  was  the  venom  of  disobedience  hidden 
deep  in  their  hearts.  Everyone  can  see  the  hatred  they  bore  to  the  dogmas  of  the  Latin 
Church,  and  knows  that  they  held  it  to  be  heretical.  Hence  they  would  not  allow  any  Latin 
to  celebrate  upon  their  altars,  but  held  their  priests  to  be  profane  persons,  and  when  the 
Chiefs  of  the  State  desired  to  hear  mass  in  their  churches,  they  made  portable  altars.  And 
through  all  the  time  up  to  the  siege  what  did  not  the  poor  Archbishop  suffer !  How  he  kept 
exhorting  the  Greeks,  Armenians,  Copts  and  Maronites,  Jacobites  and  Nestorians !  and  yet 
many  times  these  Greeks  laid  snares  for  him.  Witness  the  arras  which  they  carried  under 
their  cloaks  to  extirpate  the  Latins!  They  would  never  accept  the  Council  nor  its  decrees, 
nor  the  eighth  Council  of  Florence.  Nay,  the  Greek  bishop  Loara  said  to  me  openly,  when 
I  was  sent  by  the  said  Archbishop  to  enlighten  him  and  exhort  him  to  obey  our  Holj'^  Church, 
and  fulfil  his  oath — "  My  son  (he  said)  there  are  bounds  set  between  us  Greeks  and  you 
Latins,  and  the  cures  are  divided  between  us  and  the  flocks,  so  that  on  me  lies  the  care  of 
my  (xreeks,  and  on  your  Archbishop  of  the  Latins.  The  eighth  and  ninth  Councils  were  held 
concerning  matters  in  question  among  you  Latins,  but  they  have  nothing  to  do  with  us." 
Did  not  the  Archbishop  give  him  a  citation  to  appear  at  Rome  ?  But  he  came  to  Venice, 
and  did  not  go  on  to  Rome,  the  Signory  sending  him  back  boasting  of  the  rich  present  it  had 
given  him.  Did  not  God  clearly  visit  him  with  His  vengeance,  and  the  punishment  of  his 
rebellion  ?  For  as  .soon  as  he  returned  to  Venice  he  died  suddenly,  that  this  schism  might 
not  spread,  although  he  said  that  he  acted  herein  out  of  respect  for  the  people.  But  God 
applied  the  better  remedy.  It  is  a  just  thing  that  the  same  crime  should  suffer  the  same 
punishment.  Yet  the  crime  was  a  happy  one,  for  it  brought  to  the  birth  that  great  and 
much  desired,  most  necessary  and  most  useful  fruit,  the  signing  of  the  Holy  League.  And 
when  the  dragon  of  the  sea  put  on  so  great  presumption,  on  October  7  of  the  next  year  he 
was  taken  with  the  hook  of  God's  right  hand. 

The  goodness  of  God  failed  not  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers  manners  to  foretell  this 
destruction  of  Cyprus.  It  was  scourged  for  many  years  with  such  swarms  of  locusts  that 
they  ate  even  the  stems  of  trees.  In  1556,  on  the  morning  of  S.  Mark's  day,  He  sent  a  terrible 
earthquake  in  the  city  of  Limisso;  in  Famagosta  too  a  whirlwind,  which  destroyed  a  palace 
and  two  other  houses,  and  caught  up  some  men  from  the  street,  and  whirled  them  into  the 
air,  and  let  them  fall  on  the  roofs,  and  if  it  had  not  been  quickly  cut,  as  sailors  use  at  sea, 


144 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  whole  city  would  have  been  in  ruins.  Again  the  next  year  a  little  before  the  feast  of 
S.  Mark  God  sent  awful  earthquakes,  which  lasted  continually  for  fifty-three  days,  and  then 
went  on  for  two  years,  with  intervals  of  eight,  twelve,  twenty  days ;  or  in  alternate  months, 
five  or  eight  shocks  at  a  time :  and  some  of  them  were  so  serious  that  they  were  felt  almost 
throughout  the  island.  At  the  same  time  there  occurred  in  the  city  of  Baffo  some  few  shocks, 
which  were  not  felt  at  Limisso,  nor  in  the  village  of  Lefcara  and  its  neighbourhood.  Then 
too  were  seen  at  night  certain  great  flames  in  the  air,  lasting  for  two  or  three  hours,  and 
visible  in  many  places.  In  1569  followed  some  eight  or  ten  earthquakes  at  Famagosta  at  the 
end  of  October,  and  then,  or  even  before  1568,  there  appeared  in  the  summer  large  flocks  of 
locust  birds,  cranes  and  geese ;  great  flights  of  them  kept  coming  from  Syria  and  traversing 
Cyprus,  and  all  that  summer  their  noise  was  ever  with  us,  which  many  took  to  be  of  evil 
omen.  Lastly  He  sent  us  the  comet  of  November,  1569,  whose  tail  pointed  down  towards 
Cyprus,  a  clear  sign  of  the  sword  of  God. 

On  September  17  or  18  Mustafa  Pasha  made  his  host  march  towards  Famagosta,  and 
left  to  garrison  Nicosia  four  thousand  janissaries  and  a  thousand  cavalry  under  the  command 
of  Muzaffer  Pasha.  He  caused  the  guns  to  be  dragged  by  his  own  Turks,  and  the  troops 
set  out  in  great  triumph,  and  with  musicians  to  show  their  joy :  they  bore  away  also  the 
artillery  found  in  Nicosia.  Mustafa  pitched  his  own  camp  three  miles  from  Famagosta,  in 
the  village  Pomo  d'Adam,  the  rest  went  to  the  gardens  of  Famagosta.  As  soon  as  his  troops 
were  rested  he  set  them  to  cut  trenches  and  make  forts  with  fascines,  sacks  and  earth,  and 
thence  they  tried  to  disable  such  Venetian  vessels  as  were  in  the  harbour,  Avith  the  idea  of 
cutting  off  our  folk  from  the  hope  of  flight,  such  as  by  means  of  these  they  might  compass  in 
the  coming  winter :  but  our  side  was  ready  with  a  large  counterwork  to  dismantle  theirs, 
and  so  forced  them  to  abandon  their  plan.  In  the  meanwhile,  while  we  were  imprisoned 
here  we  saw  some  of  our  men  make  a  sortie,  which  proved  fatal  to  many  Turks. 

Ali  Pasha  had  now  heard  from  his  spies  that  the  Christian  fleet  had  refitted,  and,  rein- 
forced by  some  Sphakiot  archers,  had  already  left  Candia.  With  fear  at  heart  he  came  at 
once  to  confer  with  Mustafa  Pasha,  General  of  the  land  forces.  They  waited  here  for  fresh 
news,  and  on  the  arrival  of  some  of  his  galliots  learned  that  the  Christian  fleet  was  on  its 
way  to  Castel  Huso,  whereat  these  dogs  took  fright,  and  retired  to  the  tent  of  Mustafa  Pasha 
to  consider  what  they  ought  to  do.  Ali  and  Piali  persuaded  Mustafa  to  march  away  from 
Famagosta ;  leaving  the  booty,  slaves,  and  useless  mouths  guarded  by  soldiers  and  cannon ; 
so  that  if  the  Christian  ships  showed  a  desire  to  fight,  they  might  do  their  best  to  maintain 
the  greatness  and  dignity  of  their  sovereign,  and  not  decline  an  engagement.  The  com- 
manders, with  the  whole  squadron  arrived  at  Limisso,  and  off  Cape  San  Piffanio  despatched 
two  galleys  to  get  news  of  our  fleet.  As  soon  as  they  were  quite  sure  that  it  had  turned  back 
to  Candia,  these  wretches,  who  dreaded  that  they  might  lose  a  battle,  greeted  the  joyful  news 
with  music  and  feasting  a  whole  day  through.  Mustafa  returned  to  Famagosta,  comforted 
and  reassured  his  men,  and  then  all  set  to  embarking  the  booty  and  captives. 

On  October  3,  while  certain  barrels  of  powder  were  being  carried  on  board  the  great 
galleon  of  Mehmed  Pasha  they  exploded,  and  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  destroyed  the  vessel, 
setting  fire  also  to  a  galliot  and  a  caramussalli,  and  sending  an  indescribable  scare  through 
the  fleet.  In  a  moment  we  saw  so  many  noble  youths  and  maidens  hoist  into  the  air,  a 
spectacle  of  incomparable  sadness.  The  Turks  sought  to  know  who  was  the  author  of  the 
deed,  and  how  it  happened,  but  they  could  never  learn  anything,  for  not  one  soul  escaped  of 
those  who  were  on  the  galleon,  and  two  or  three  only  from  the  other  two  ships.  They  took 
it  as  the  presage  of  some  great  misfortune  which  should  befall  them.    To  my  great  wonder 


CALEPIO. 


145 


I  heard  it  said  that  a  noble  Cypriot  lady  set  fire  to  the  powder:  but  it  is  true  that  this 
galleon  contained  a  large  number  of  very  handsome  youths  and  lovely  women,  set  aside  as 
an  offering  to  the  Sultan,  to  Mehmed  Pasha,  and  Murad  the  Sultan's  son.  On  the  sixth  the 
naval  commanders  sailed  for  Constantinople,  leaving  eight  galleys  and  a  few  other  craft. 
Arrived  at  Castel  Ruso,  they  made  sure  that  the  Christian  fleet  had  touched  there,  and  when 
we  reached  Rhodes  they  knew  that  the  Western  Squadron  had  parted  from  that  of  Venice. 
To  be  quite  certain  they  sent  some  galliots  to  Cape  Colonna  for  news,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  Pashas  left  behind  the  spoil,  the  children  and  women,  moving  the  whole  fleet  to  Stambalia, 
whence  other  galliots  were  despatched  for  news.  Their  purpose  was  to  attack  the  Venetian 
ships,  but  God,  whom  the  winds  and  seas  obey,  willed  that  the  presumption  of  this  dog 
should  be  laid  low,  and  stirred  a  storm,  so  that  they  could  scarcely  make  the  harbour.  The 
Pashas  finding  that  but  few  ships  followed  them  dismissed  several  captains.  On  returning 
to  Rhodes  they  re-embarked  all  they  had  left.  Here  another  large  vessel  was  burnt,  and 
a  galley  broke  up  as  it  was  leaving  the  harbour.  They  arrived  at  Suassara,  and  began  to 
block  the  harbour  mouth  with  fascines,  with  the  idea  of  wintering  there,  but  finally  resolved 
to  return  to  Constantinople.  Then  leaving  ships  to  guard  the  Archipelago  and  *Scio,  on 
December  14  they  anchored  before  Constantinople,  with  great  rejoicing  and  many  salutes,  to 
which  the  Serai,  the  Topkhane  aiul  Arsenal  replied  :  the  Christian  flags  were  dragged  along 
the  water,  and  so  many  boats  crowded  round,  just  as  on  Ascension  Day  at  Venice. 

I  must  not  fail,  as  one  ungrateful  and  heedless  of  the  rare  and  precious  blessings,  and 
tender  love  of  our  fjord  Jesus  Christ  towards  me,  to  say  with  Jacob,  "  I  am  not  worthy  of 
the  least  of  all  Thy  mercies"  (Genesis  xxxii.  10),  and  to  tell  how  I  was  saved  from  so  many 
musket  shots,  guarded  in  so  many  perils,  preserved  from  so  many  swords :  how  I  was  taken 
prisoner  by  a  talisman  or  Turkish  monk,  and  sold  to  Osman  Chelibi,  the  Rais  or  Captain  of 
a  galley ;  how  the  mercy  and  loving  kindness  of  our  (iod  made  me  at  once  to  find  favour 
with  this  fierce  dog,  and  when  I  was  fearing  to  be  chained  to  the  oar,  as  happened  to  other 
nobles  and  persons  of  every  condition,  he  first  left  me  at  liberty,  at  my  prayer  bought  my 
two  sisters,  bid  everycme  be  gentle  witli  me,  and  made  his  own  pages  bring  me  food  from  his 
own  table ;  often  for  his  amusement  he  made  me  eat  with  him,  allotted  to  me  and  my  sisters 
an  excellent  place  under  cover  wherein  to  sleep,  gave  us  slave-girls  and  coverlets,  and  at  last 
after  setting  a  big  price  upon  me  was  satisfied  with  four  thousand  five  hundred  aspers, 
though  1  had  first  to  pay  twenty-five  sequins  to  his  Kiaya  or  steward,  a  renegade.  These 
sums  were  paid  out  of  the  four  hundred  scudi,  the  noble  present  sent  me  by  Pope  Pius  V.,  of 
happy  inemory,  through  the  pious  hands  of  my  (ieneral,  M.  Serafino  Cavalli,  my  most  tender 
father  and  author  of  the  ransom  of  myself  and  my  companions,  so  that  on  January  8  of  the 
following  year  I  was  absolutely  free.  Nevertheless  on  February  3  of  1572  I  was  put  into 
the  savage  hands  of  Uluj  Ali  as  a  Papal  spy,  and  thrown  into  the  Grand  Turk's  prison,  loaded 
with  chains,  and  destined  to  the  torture.  And  straightway  our  good  God  stirred  to  fire  the 
charity  of  my  noble  friends  of  Ragusa,  who  helped  me,  openly  with  gifts,  and  secretly  with 
large  sums  of  money,  partly  given  me,  partly  lent,  so  that  on  the  third  day,  by  the  help  of 
Ababamach,  the  new  king  of  Algiers,  1  was  freed  without  further  suffering,  and  at  last 
received  leave  to  depart,  by  the  help  and  singular  favour  of  Signer  Jacomo  Malatesta,  and 
my  most  worthy  patron  the  Right  Reverend  Monsignor  d'Aquis,  Ambassador  of  the  most 
Christian  King,  who,  so  difficult  was  it  to  obtain  this  leave,  thrice  had  speech  of  Mehmed 
l>asha,  Vazir  of  the  Knipire.  And  so  with  all  reason  can  I  say,  "  Now  I  know  of  truth  that 
the  Lord  hath  sent  forth  His  angel  and  delivered  me  out  of  the  hand  of  Uluj  All,  and 
from  all  the  expectation  of  the  people  of  the  Turks";  wherefore,  "  unto  the  King  eternal, 

19 


146 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


incorruptible,  invisible,  the  only  God,  be  honour  and  glory  for  ever  and  ever,  Amen,"  "  Who 
delivered  me  out  of  the  power  of  darkness,  and  translated  me  into  the  kingdom  of  the  Son  of 
His  love"  (Acts  xii.  11,  1  Tim.  i.  17,  Col.  i.  13). 

Head  Quartei's  at  Nicosia. 

Nicola  Dandolo,  Lieutenant  of  the  Realm  and  Vice-Proveditor,  beheaded. 

Pietro  Pisani,  Councillor,  killed  by  a  musket  ball. 

Marc  Antonio  Priuli,  Councillor,  enslaved. 

Antonio  Pasqualigo,  Chamberlain,  died. 

Giovan  Longo,  Chamberlain,  enslaved  in  Constantinople. 

Bernardo  Bollani,  Captain  of  Salines,  enslaved. 

Vicenzo  Malipiero,  Yice-Captain  of  Paffo,  died  at  Scio. 

The  Grand-Chancellor  died ;  and  his  brother  Almorone,  Master  of  the  Ordnance,  died. 

Noble  Cypriot  Captains  died. 

Count  de  Ruchas,  Coadjutor  of  the  Realm,  and  General  of  the  Cypriot  cavalry 
Count  de  Tripoli,  General  of  artillery 

Thomas,  Viscount  of  Nicosia,  and  captain  of  two  hundred  foot  soldiers 
Hector  Podocatoro 
Jason  de  Nores 
Francesco  Maria  de  Nores 
Ugo  Flatro 
Mantio  Zimblet 
Gioan  Filippo  Milano 
Giovanni  Sinclitico 
Meaducha  Dimitri  Laschari 
Giovan  Flatro 
Cav.  Paleologo 
Febo  Zappe 

Artius  Zappe,  who  succeeded  Signor  Febo,  his  brother 
Jacomo  Zacharia 
Filippo  Laschari 

Noble  Cypriot  Captains  enslaved. 

Tutio  Constanzo 
Livio  Podocatoro 
Giovan  Muscorno 
Orsato  Giustiniano 
Sosomenino,  an  engineer 

Captains  of  the  hill  troops  restored  to  freedom. 

Scipio  Caraffa 
Pietro  Paolo  Sinclitico 


s.  s. 

J) 
J) 
?) 

5) 

J) 
J) 
J) 
J) 

J5 
5) 
7) 
5) 
5) 
?) 


s.  s. 

» 

5) 
?! 


s.  s. 

J) 


CALEPIO. 


147 


Italian  Captains  died. 
Colonel  Ronchoii,  Governor  of  the  City 

„       Palazzo  da  Fano 
Count  Alberto  Scotto 
Captain  Nicolo  Paleotti,  of  Bologna 

„       Lazaro  Cocuban 

„       Giovan  de  Oglio 

„       Gabriel  de  Bergamo 

„  Battista 

„  Zangravi 

„       Urban  de  Vital  di 

„       Anibal  Zangravi 
Cav.  Magriiio,  an  Engineer 
Captain  Antonio  Beretino 

„       Camillo  de  Gadi 

„       -Michail  Griti 

„       (hovan  Batista  de  San  Coluban 
„       Batista  da  Fan 
„       Calo  da  Rimini 
„       Giovan  Andrea  Spello 
„       Battista  delli  Preti 
„       Antonio  (xioi-gi 
„       ZrUieto  Dandolo 
„       'riioinaso  de  Grazu,  of  Famagosta 
Italian  Captains,  of  whom  it  is  not  known  whether  they  are  alive  or  dead. 
Captain  Giulian  Gustaldo 
„        Leonardo  da  Borgo 
„       -Marc'  Antonio  Pascello 
„       Jacomo  Grazzo 
„       Celio  da  Todi 
„       (riovan  Battista  Calluro 
„       Francesco  Pattello 
„       Fabrici  de  Imola 
,,       Anibal,  of  Albano 
„       (iiiiliano,  of  Venice 
„       Hieronimo  da  Sascil 
„       Paolo  Vicentino 

Italian  Captains,  enslaved. 
Captain  Paolo  del  Guasto 
„       Francesco  de  Laura 
„       Cieco  da  Perosa 
„       Giovan  Angelo,  remained  at  Cerines 

„       Carlo  Ragunasco,  fled   to  the  hills,  and   then  went  to 
Famagosta  and  was  taken  prisoner 
The  Captains  of  the  Stradiots  and  their  Commander  were  nearly  all  cut  to  pieces  with 
their  companies. 

19—2 


148 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Noble  Cypriots  who  fled  from  Nicosia  to  the  hills,  passing  through  the  enemy's  midst. 

S.  S.  Giovan  Filippo  Lusignano 

„  Zanetto  de  Nores 

„  Hettor  de  Nores 

„  Flatro  de  Flatri 

„  Alfonso  Bragadino 

The  rest  of  the  nobles  were  nearly  all  slain,  but  very  few  of  them  being  made  prisoners : 
so  too  with  the  citizens  and  populace.  The  gentlemen  and  citizens'  wives  were  nearly  all 
made  prisoners,  with  their  sons  and  daughters,  very  few  being  killed.  Little  children  of  four 
years  and  under  were  nearly  all  killed,  very  few  being  made  prisoners. 

Clergy  died. 

The  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Contarini,  of  Balfo 
„        „        „    Bishop  of  Coron,  Suffragan  of  Nicosia 
„        „        „    Greek  Bishop  of  Nicosia 
„        „        „    Greek  Bishop  of  Paffo 
„        „        „    Greek  Bishop  of  Limisso,  enslaved 
„        „        „    Coptic  Bishop 
Rev.  Monsignor  Fra  Thomaso  Tacito,  of  the  Order  of  Hermits,  Vicar  of  the  Archie- 
piscopate,  all  the  Rev.  Canons  and  other  dignitaries  in  the  city,  and  nearly  all  the  priests 
and  monks  were  killed,  few  being  made  prisoners. 

Head  of  Religious  Orders. 

The  Rev.  Vicar  General  of  the  Dominican  Monks,  Father  Angelo  Calepio,  a  slave  at 
Constantinople. 

„       „    Provincial  of  the  Carmini,  M.  Nicolo,  a  slave  in  Syria. 

„       „    Guardian  of  the  Zoccolanti  of  Jerusalem,  a  slave  at  Scio,  was  released.  [Fr. 

Gian-francesco  d'Arsignano,  Custode  di  Terra  Santa,  died  at  Vicenza, 
1589.] 

„       „    Commissary  of  S.  Francis,  M.  Andrea  Tacito,  said  to  be  dead. 
„       „    Vicar  of  S.  Augustine,  Fr,  Luca,  enslaved,  and  now  free. 

The  Reverend  Abbots  of  the  Greek  monasteries,  with  their  monks,  were  nearly  all  killed, 
but  few  being  made  prisoners. 


THE  END. 


CALEPIO. 


149 


A  true  and  most  exact  Narrative 
of  the  Conquest  and  Defence  of  Famagosta 
compiled  by  the  Reverend  Father,  Fr.  Angiolo  Calepio,  of  Cyprus 
a  Doctor  in  Theology  of  the  Order  of  Preachers, 
at  the  instance  of  the  Reverend  Father,  Fr.  Stefano  Lusignano, 
a  Reader  in  the  same  Order. 

Fra  Ajjgelo  Calepio,  of  Cyprus,  of  the  Order  of  S.  Dominic,  a  poor  divine, 

TO  HIS  courteous  AND  KIND  READERS. 

Be  it  known  that  the  narrative  of  the  conquest  and  defence  of  the  city  of  Famagosta 
was  compiled  from  the  memoirs  of  many  captains  present  in  Cyprus  at  the  defence  of  that 
stronghold,  who  are  now  in  the  prison  and  tower  of  the  Great  Turk,  which  I,  being  arrested 
in  February  1572  by  the  order  of  Kilij  Ali,  as  a  spy  of  our  lord  the  Pope,  while  I  was  in 
durance  with  them  collected  with  all  care :  and  this  verified  by  themselves,  and  by  the 
accounts  of  many  other  persons,  I  offer  you  as  genuine  and  true,  and  lifted  above  every  kind 
of  passion.  And  thus  I  make  an  end,  exhorting  all  to  pray  the  Lord  for  me,  and  for  those 
poor  defenders  who  are  still  in  captivity :  and  for  you  I  implore  every  temporal  comfort,  and 
happiness  in  eternity. 

From  Bologna,  November  10,  1572. 

Immediately  after  the  capture  of  Nicosia  the  naval  commander  Ali  Pasha  marched  away 
and  re-embarked  his  troops  at  Salines  on  September  11,  1570,  when  the  fleet  sailed  for  Cape 
della  Grea.  On  September  18,  Mustafa,  General  of  the  army  at  Nicosia,  left  a  garrison  in 
that  city,  and  encamped  before  Famagosta.  He  was  anxious  to  swallow  up  quickly  the 
whole  kingdom,  of  which  Famagosta  only  remained  unsubdued,  and  on  the  23rd  he  caused 
a  fort  to  be  built  near  the  little  rock,  to  batter  the  city  as  well  as  the  ships  which  were  on 
our  side.  It  was  completed  in  three  days,  and  on  the  26th  a  few  cannon  shots  were  fired. 
On  the  29th  they  built  two  other  forts,  one  at  the  fountain  of  S.  George,  the  other  at 
Precipolla ;  on  these  they  mounted  a  few  pieces  of  artillery  and  on  October  1  opened  fire. 
Our  men  were  prompt  in  harassing  them,  and  on  the  3rd  the  whole  camp  retired  to  the 
village  Porno  d'Adamo,  three  miles  away.  The  great  galley  of  Mehmed  Pasha,  full  of 
artillery  and  ammunition,  was  burnt  about  three  miles  off  Famagosta.  After  this  our  troops 
made  a  sally  on  the  8th,  and  did  their  best  to  destroy  the  forts  and  trenches. 

So  far  nothing  had  happened  of  particular  moment,  but  on  November  3  there  arrived 
a  Turk  with  two  fine  horses  and  a  lady  of  Nicosia.  Some  people  were  afraid  he  had  been 
sent  by  the  Pasha  with  some  mischievous  intent:  many  however  knew  that  he  was  flying 
for  his  life.  A  man  of  Famagosta  was  assigned  to  him  as  interpreter.  The  Turk  got  drunk, 
drew  a  knife  which  he  had  in  his  sleeve  and  killed  him.  For  this  murder  he  was  hanged  on 
December  7. 

On  the  30th  the  Turks  brought  four  pieces  of  artillery  to  S.  Alessio.  On  January  23, 
1571,  we  descried  four  vessels  with  infantry  and  ammunition,  and  on  the  following  morning 
twelve  of  our  galleys  and  a  frigate  arrived,  and  landed  the  garrison,  victuals  and  ammunition. 


150 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


On  the  27th  our  galleys  captured  a  Turkish  palaudra  with  the  pay  of  the  camp ;  and  on  the 
29th  the  same  galleys  took  a  Turkish  vessel  full  of  ammunition  and  victuals.  On  February  16 
the  twelve  galleys  and  seven  ships  left  for  Candia.  The  Christians  held  a  general  muster, 
and  reckoned  in  all  four  thousand  infantry,  eight  hundred  Gernide,  three  thousand  citizens 
and  peasants,  and  two  hundred  Albanians.  With  greater  diligence  than  ever  they  set  to 
fortifying  themselves  on  every  side,  the  whole  garrison,  the  city  and  the  very  chiefs  working 
and  shrinking  from  no  toil  to  encourage  the  rest.  Night  and  day  the  posts  were  visited,  to 
see  that  the  city  was  guarded  with  all  watchfulness.  No  sallies  were  made,  except  now  and 
then  to  get  news  of  the  enemy.  While  these  precautions  were  taken  within,  with  no  less 
zeal  the  enemy  without  was  collecting  everything  necessary  for  storming  the  fortress,  sacks 
of  wool,  carriages  for  the  guns,  labourers'  tools  and  the  like,  which  were  brought  over  in  vast 
quantities  and  with  great  promptness  from  Caramania  and  Syria.  On  March  14  five  Turkish 
galleys  were  wrecked  by  a  storm  within  the  harbour :  on  the  other  hand  on  the  22nd  a 
magazine  of  cotton,  close  to  our  powder  store,  took  fire.  At  the  beginning  of  April,  Ali  Pasha 
came  with  perhaps  eighty  galleys,  and  brought  over  what  the  enemy  still  required.  He 
sailed  again,  leaving  thirty  which  kept  crossing  over  with  men,  ammunition,  stores,  and 
every  other  necessary.  Nor  have  I  reckoned  a  large  number  of  caramussalini,  lighters  and 
palandre  which  were  ever  going  and  coming  to  and  from  the  neighbouring  ports,  making 
rapid  voyages  through  fear  of  the  Christian  fleet. 

In  the  middle  of  April  they  brought  fifteen  pieces  of  artillery  from  Nicosia,  and  shifting 
their  ground  they  dug  fosses  and  trenches  and  encamped  in  the  gardens,  some  of  them 
going  further  to  the  west  beyond  a  place  called  Precipolla.  On  the  16th  the  enemy  held 
a  general  parade,  and  from  the  city  the  defenders  fired  two  shots  with  a  culverin  of  sixty 
pounds,  which  reached  their  host  and  did  no  small  damage.  On  the  26th  they  began  to 
make  fresh  trenches,  and  to  dig  fosses  for  their  musketeers,  one  close  to  another,  creeping  up 
in  such  a  way  that  nothing  could  be  done  to  prevent  them,  and  working  incessantly,  for  the 
most  part  at  night,  with  forty  thousand  pioneers.  When  the  defenders  saw  the  plan  of  the 
enemy,  and  where  they  contemplated  their  attack,  they  did  all  they  possibly  could  to 
strengthen  the  position.  A  strong  guard  was  kept  posted  in  the  covered  way  of  the  counter- 
scarp and  in  the  salleyports  to  defend  the  counterscarp,  new  flanks  were  dug  out,  traverses 
were  made  on  the  platforms;  and  all  along  the  wall  where  it  sustained  the  Turkish  fire 
a  trench  was  made  of  brick,  two  feet  high  and  of  the  same  breadth,  with  loopholes  for  the 
musketeers  who  defended  the  counterscarp.  Signor  Bragadino  looked  after  these  matters 
in  person,  with  Signor  Estor  Baglione.  The  order  throughout  was  excellent :  all  the  bread 
for  the  soldiers  was  made  in  one  place  under  the  care  of  the  Captain  of  Baffo,  Messer  Lorenzo 
Tiepolo,  who  spared  neither  himself  nor  others  in  the  work.  In  the  citadel  was  M.  Andrea 
Bragadino,  who  was  carefully  guarding  the  side  towards  the  sea,  arranging  and  digging  out 
new  flanks  to  defend  the  parts  about  the  Arsenal.  Cav.  Fuoito  was  captain  of  the  artillery : 
he  fell  about  this  time  in  a  skirmish,  and  his  company  was  given  to  Count  Nestor  Martinengo. 
Three  captains  were  told  off  to  superintend  the  fireworks,  each  with  twenty  men  to  handle 
the  grenades.  All  the  serviceable  men  were  brought  over  to  the  side  where  the  cannonade 
was  expected,  and  mantlets  were  provided  for  all  the  embrasures.  Frequent  sorties  were 
made  on  difi^erent  sides  to  harass  the  enemy,  and  great  loss  was  thus  inflicted  on  them.  In 
one,  three  hundred  men  of  Famagosta,  with  swords  and  shields,  and  as  many  Italian 
musketeers,  went  forth,  but  the  Christian  loss  was  very  heavy,  for  the  enemy's  trenches  were 
too  close  together,  and  although  the  Turks  were  put  to  flight  and  many  of  them  were  slain, 
they  came  on  in  such  numbers  that  our  side  lost  thirty  killed  and  sixty  wounded,  and  it  was 


CALEPIO. 


151 


decided  that  the  risk  was  too  great,  and  that  no  further  sallies  should  be  made.    The  enemy- 
crept  up  slowly  and  pushed  their  trenches  to  the  crest  of  the  counterscarp.    They  had 
completed  their  forts,  and  on  May  19  commenced  a  cannonade  from  ten  of  them,  containing 
in  all  seventy-four  pieces  of  large  calibre,  among  them  being  four  basilisks  of  enormous  size. 
The  works  attacked  lay  between  the  Limisso  gate  and  the  Arsenal,  and  five  distinct  cannon- 
ades were  made,  one  against  the  great  tower  of  the  Arsenal,  upon  which  they  fired  with  the 
five  guns  in  the  fort  on  the  rock :  a  second  against  the  curtain  of  the  Arsenal,  from  a  fort 
mounting  eleven  guns :  a  third  against  the  great  tower  of  the  Antruci  and  the  two  cavaliers 
above  it,  from  a  fort  also  mounting  eleven  guns :  a  fourth  against  the  great  tower  of  S.  Nappa, 
upon  which  they  directed  the  four  basilisks.    The  Limisso  gate,  which  had  a  high  cavalier 
above,  and  a  ravelin  outside,  was  battered  from  the  counterworks  with  thirty-three  cannon, 
the  general  of  the  host,  Mustafa,  being  himself  present.    An  hour  before  dawn  they  fired 
a  great  volley  from  their  arquebuses,  and  then  began  their  cannonade.    This  lasted  all  day, 
and  people  thought  they  hred  two  thousand  five  hundred  shots ;  part  fell  on  the  walls,  part 
in  the  city,  and  some  passed  beyond.    The  .same  night  an  Albanian  slave  came  in,  and 
reported  that  up  to  that  time  our  artillery  had  killed  three  thousand  Turks.    On  the  20th, 
an  hour  Ijefore  day,  they  began  as  before  with  a  volley  and  cannonade,  but  hardly  with  so 
great  fury :  on  the  21st  the  same,  and  so  throughout  the  day.    Our  Stradiots  went  out  near 
the  tower  called  dp.U'  Occha,  and  slew  seventy-two  Turks.    On  the  22nd,  again  a  volley  and 
cannonade,  the  latter  so  furious  that  it  was  thought  they  fired  a  thousand  shots.    At  first 
they  did  not  try  so  much  to  batter  the  walls,  but  aimed  at  our  guns,  and  fired  into  the  city ; 
on  this  account  as  soon  as  the  firing  began,  all  the  soldiers  and  Greeks  came  and  took  up 
their  quarters  on  the  walls,  where  they  remained  to  the  end.    Messer  Bragadino  lodged  in 
the  great  tower  of  the  Antruci,  Messer  Baglione  in  that  of  S.  Nappa,  Messer  Tiepolo  in  that 
of  the  Campo  Santo,  so  that  they  were  with  their  men  at  all  the  posts  of  danger,  and  put 
courage  into  them  all.    Had  this  been  so  at  Nicosia,  that  city  would  have  been  defended  and 
held  .some  days  more,  and  probably  woidd  not  have  been  lost.    On  the  24th  they  fired  up  to 
the  nineteenth  hour,  then  came  a  very  heavy  rain :  as  soon  as  this  was  over,  the  Turks 
advanced  to  enter  the  ditch  where  the  place  allowed  of  an  encounter,  and  many  of  them 
died  there.    A  shot  from  a  cainu)n  killed  Captain  Francescho  Francavilla.    On  the  25th  at 
the  twenty-third  hour  the  Pasha  sent  a  janissary  with  two  letters,  one  to  the  Captain  of 
Famagosta,  the  other  to  the  Captain  of  Batto.    Signor  Estor  Baglione  went  to  see  what  the 
janissary  wanted,  and  when  he  saw  these  letters  he  would  not  listen  to  him,  but  said,  "Tell 
your  Pasha  to  continue  his  enterprise,  and  we  will  reply  with  fire,  muskets,  cannon  and 
swords":  and  the  soldiers,  in  derision,  all  began  to  shout  "Hurrah  for  S.  Mark."    On  the 
following  day  after  a  brisk  cannonade  there  was  found  in  the  ditch  an  arrow  all  over 
writing,  saying,  "yield  you,  ye  nu-n  of  Famagosta,  for  ye  shall  be  safe,  ye,  your  wives  and 
your  sons  "    That  day  the  Count  of  Cazol  was  struck,  and  a  lieutenant  and  an  ensign  died. 
Signer  Louigi  Martinengo  was  set  over  the  artillery,  who  divided  the  post  among  six  captains, 
who  took  upon  tlu'.nselves  all  the  d.ities  of  bombardiers,  assigning  to  each  post  a  company 
of  Greeks  to  serve  the  guns.    Captain  Francesco  Bagona  was  on  duty  at  the  great  tower  and 
cavalier  of  the  Arsenal:  Captain  Pieroc.mte  on  the  curtain  and  cavalier  de  Volti:  Signor 
Nestor  MartiiuMigo  at  the  cavalier  of  the  Campo  Santo,  at  that  of  the  Antruci,  and  the 
curtain  as  far  as  the  great  tower  of  S.  Nappa :  Count  Hercule  Martinengo  at  the  cavalier  of 
S  Nappa,  and  all  the  curtain  up  to  the  Limisso  gate:  Captain  Oratio  da  Veletn  on  the 
ravelin  and  curtain  towards  the  bastion:  and  on  the  high  cavalier  of  Limisso  winch 
sustained  the  fiercest  battering,  Captain  Kuberto  Malve.zi.    All  kinds  of  victuals  were 


152 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


brought  up  to  the  walls ;  for  ten  days  the  Christians  returned  cannonade  for  cannonade,  dis- 
abled fifteen  of  the  enemy's  best  guns,  and  killed  up  to  date  thirty  thousand  Turks.  But 
seeing  that  powder  was  failing,  it  was  arranged  that  each  day  not  more  than  thirty  shots 
should  be  fired  from  thirty  pieces,  and  those  in  the  presence  of  their  several  captains,  so  that 
no  shot  should  be  wasted.  On  May  29  a  frigate  arrived  from  Candia,  which  filled  the  whole 
city  with  hopes  of  assistance,  and  put  everybody  in  excellent  spirits.  The  enemy,  after  a 
sharp  fight  and  great  losses  on  both  sides,  won  the  counterscarp.  Thereupon  to  meet  the  fire 
of  the  five  batteries,  they  began  to  throw  up  the  earth  in  the  ditch,  digging  close  to  the  wall 
of  the  counterscarp :  but  all  this  earth  and  the  debris  torn  from  the  walls  by  the  artillery  was 
carried  inside  by  the  defenders,  who  all  worked  day  and  night  until  the  enemy  made  certain 
loopholes  in  the  wall  through  which  they  swept  all  the  ditch  with  musket  fire,  and  made  it 
impossible  for  the  defenders  to  go  down  with  impunity.  M.  Griovan  Mormori,  the  Engineer, 
contrived  a  kind  of  shield  of  planks  joined  together,  under  which  men  could  work  sheltered 
from  shot.  With  this  they  recovered  some  ground,  but  not  much,  and  Messer  Griovan  died. 
When  the  Turks  had  thrown  up  so  much  earth  that  it  reached  the  top  of  the  ditch,  they 
made  an  opening  in  the  wall  of  the  counterscarp,  and  little  by  little  throwing  up  the  soil  in 
front  of  it  they  made  a  traverse  up  to  the  walls  on  two  sides  reaching  all  the  batteries.  This 
they  afterwards  widened  with  sacks  of  wool  and  fascines,  and  secured  themselves  from  our 
flanking  fire.  Once  masters  of  the  ditch,  and  safe  from  attack  except  by  chance  from  above, 
they  began  to  undermine  the  ravelin,  the  great  tower  of  S.  Nappa,  and  those  of  the  Antruci 
and  the  Campo  Santo,  and  the  curtain  and  tower  of  the  Arsenal.  The  Christians  could  no 
longer  avail  themselves  of  these  flanks ;  they  began  to  throw  grenades,  and  did  very  great 
damage.  They  tried  to  set  fire  to  the  wool  and  faggots,  and  gave  a  ducat  a  sack  for  each  one 
destroyed.  They  countermined  in  all  directions,  under  the  orders  of  Cav.  Maggio,  the 
Engineer,  who  at  every  need  showed  all  possible  zeal  and  courage,  but  they  did  not  meet 
except  under  the  towers  of  S.  Nappa,  1' Antruci  and  Campo  Santo,  and  these  were  empty. 
Many  times  by  day  and  night  the  defenders  went  out  into  the  ditch  to  discover  the  mines, 
and  set  fire  to  the  fascines  and  wool ;  and  so  wonderful  was  the  industrious  zeal  of  Signor 
Baglione,  who  took  thought  for  all  these  things,  that  without  rest  or  truce,  with  all  manner 
of  ingenious  devices,  the  enemy  was  harassed.  He  divided  the  companies  according  to  the 
batteries,  adding  at  each  post  a  company  of  Albanians,  who  whether  serving  as  horse  or  foot 
always  displayed  great  courage. 

First  Assault. 

On  June  21  they  fired  the  mine  under  the  great  tower  of  the  Arsenal,  under  the  directions 
of  Janpulad  Bey:  it  shattered  the  wall,  which  was  of  great  thickness,  breached  it  and 
brought  down  more  than  half  of  it,  splitting  also  a  part  of  the  parapet,  which  had  been  made 
to  project  and  bear  the  brunt  of  an  assault.  Immediately  a  great  band  of  Turks  mounted  on 
the  ruins  with  their  standards  and  reached  the  top.  Captain  Pietro  Conte  was  on  guard 
there  with  his  company  which  was  much  shaken  by  the  explosion.  Signor  Nestor  Martinengo 
came  up  first  with  his  company,  and  the  enemy,  though  reinforced  five  or  six  times,  was 
driven  back,  and  could  not  accomplish  his  purpose.  Signor  Baglione  fought  there  in  person. 
Messer  Bragadino  with  Messer  Querini  stood  armed  a  little  way  off,  cheering  on  the  soldiers. 
The  Commandant  with  the  artillery  of  Sperone  inflicted  great  loss  on  the  enemy  during  the 
attack,  which  lasted  for  five  hours  without  a  break.  The  Turks  lost  six  hundred  men,  and 
the  Christian  dead  and  wounded  were  a  hundred.  An  accident  with  some  grenades  carelessly 
handled  burnt  many  of  the  latter.    Among  the  killed  were  Count  Gian  Francesco  Goro, 


CALEPIO. 


153 


Captain  Bernardino  of  Gubio :  Signer  Hercole  Malatesta,  Captain  Pietro  Conte  and  other 
captains  and  ensigns  were  hadly  woimded  by  stones.  The  next  night  a  frigate  arrived  from 
Candia  which  brought  iiews  of  sure  and  speedy  help,  and  filled  the  city  with  delight  and 
courage.  Under  the  orders  of  Captain  Marco  Crivelatore  and  Cav.  Maggio  shelters  were 
constructed  alongside  all  the  breaches,  and  whei-ever  they  heard  mines  being  dug,  with  casks 
and  sacks  full  of  moist  earth,  boxes  and  mattresses :  the  Greeks  brought  with  great  readiness 
all  they  had,  for  the  sacking  was  used  up,  and  they  fetched  chair-backs,  curtains,  carpets 
and  even  their  sheets  to  make  these  sacks.  This  was  an  excellent  and  speedy  way  of 
restoring  the  parapets,  which  were  destroyed  by  the  furious  and  unceasing  cannonade. 
What  was  battered  during  the  day  was  repaired  during  the  night :  the  soldiers  took  no  sleep, 
and  stood  always  on  the  walls,  visited  constantly  by  their  officers,  who  slept  cmly  during  the 
hottest  hours  of  the  day,  the  only  time  they  had  for  rest,  for  the  enemy  kept  calling  eveiy 
moment  "  to  arms,"  so  as  to  leave  us  no  breathing  space. 

Second  Assault. 

On  June  29  they  fired  the  mine  made  in  the  stonework  of  the  ravelin,  which  shattered 
everything,  and  did  immense  damage,  allowing  an  easy  ascent  to  the  enemy  who  came  up  to 
the  top  with  a  furious  charge,  Mustafa  being  present  throughout.  The  attack  was  checked 
at  once  by  Count  Hercole  and  his  company,  and  so  the  Turks  were  driven  back  by  our  men 
who  fought  in  the  open,  the  parapet  having  been  destroyed  by  the  mine.  On  our  side  there 
fell  Captain  Meani,  sergeant-major.  Captain  Celio,  a  grenadier,  and  Captain  Erasmo  da  Fermo  : 
Captain  Soldetello,  Antonio  de  Ascoli,  Captain  Gioan  d'Istria,  with  many  ensigns  and  officers 
were  wounded,  and  about  thirty  soldiers  killed.  At  the  Arsenal,  where  they  were  repulsed, 
the  enemy's  loss  was  greater  still,  and  ours  less:  five  only  were  killed,  of  whom  was  Captain 
Giacomo  da  Fabria.  The  following  night  a  slave  came  in  who  told  us  that  two  thousand  six 
hundred  'I'urks  were  dead,  two  being  men  of  rank.  The  assault  lasted  six  hours,  and  the 
Right  Reverend  Bishop  of  Tjimisso,  with  the  cross,  stood  there  cheering  our  soldiers :  and  so 
he  did  in  all  the  attacks,  and  if  in  any  one  this  prelate  was  not  present,  the  enemy  were  likely 
to  prevail.  He  was  a  brother  of  the  order  of  S.  Dominic,  a  native  of  Famagosta.  In  these 
troubles  he  showed  himself  very  /.ealous  for  the  faith,  going  often  to  the  walls  and  giving 
soup  and  (jther  food  to  the  soldiers,  making  these  and  the  citizens  with  them  often  confess 
and  coinmunicate,  and  inspired  such  hatred  in  the  Turks  that  when  they  entered  the  city 
the  Pasha  caused  him  to  be  sought  for  diligently,  with  intent  to  torture  him,  but  a  little 
bef(n-e  a  nmsket  ball  had  sent  him  to  a  better  life.  His  name  was  Frate  Seraffino  Fortebrazza, 
of  Milan.  In  this  attack  there  were  brave  women  who  came  with  arms  and  stones  and  water 
to  help  the  soldiers.  The  enemy  seeing  what  great  losses  they  had  sustained  in  these  two 
attacks  changed  their  plans,  and  with  increased  fury  began  again  to  batter  our  defences  and 
shelters  on  every  side  with  their  cannon.  They  worked  away  more  actively  than  ever,  con- 
structed seven  more  forts  nearer  the  city,  brought  up  the  guns  from  the  more  distant  forts, 
and  mounted  eighty  others.  Their  fire  was  so  brisk  that  on  the  day  and  night  of  July  8  five 
thousand  shots  were  counted,  doing  such  damage  to  our  parapets  that  for  all  our  toil  we  could 
scarcely  repair  them,  because  our  labourers  were  now  few  in  number,  and  worked  under 
a  hail  of  musket  balls:  the  shelter  behind  the  ravelin  was  broken  up  by  shots  and  mines,  so 
as  to  leave  no  platform,  because  we  too  were  strengthening  the  parapets  from  withm,  and 
encroaching  on  the  platform,  which  we  were  obliged  to  lengthen  with  planks  Captain 
Maggio  constructed  a  mine  under  this  ravelin,  s(,  that  when  we  could  hold  it  no  longer,  we 
might  in  abandoning  it  to  the  enemy  inflict  <.ii  him  some  signal  damage.  ^ 

c. 


154 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Third  Assault. 

On  July  9  they  made  the  third  assault  on  the  ravelin,  the  great  tower  of  S.  Nappa,  on 
that  of  the  Antruzzi,  on  the  curtain  and  great  tower  of  the  Arsenal.  It  lasted  over  six  hours, 
but  in  four  places  the  enemy  was  repulsed,  though  the  ravelin  was  abandoned  to  the  Turks 
with  great  loss  on  their  side  and  ours.  The  defenders  could  not  in  that  small  space  use  their 
pikes  to  any  purpose,  and  when  they  tried  to  retire,  according  to  the  order  given  by  Signor 
Baglione,  they  fell  into  disorder,  and  retreated  mixed  up  with  the  Turks.  Our  mine  was 
fired,  and  we  saw  with  horror  the  destruction  of  more  than  a  thousand  of  the  enemy,  and 
more  than  a  hundred  of  our  own  men.  Captain  Roberto  Malvezzi  of  Bologna  died  on  the 
spot.  Captain  Marchetto  of  Fermo  was  grievously  wounded  in  the  attack  on  the  Arsenal, 
where  Captain  David  Noce,  the  Quartermaster,  died.  This  attack  lasted  five  long  hours,  and 
the  people  of  Famagosta  with  their  women  and  children  displayed  everywhere  great  valour. 
The  ravelin  was  so  shattered  by  the  explosion  that  no  further  effort  was  made  to  retake  it, 
for  there  was  nothing  left  as  a  shelter.  The  base  of  the  left  flank  was  intact,  and  here  we 
dug  another  mine.  Opposite  the  ravelin  was  the  Limisso  gate,  a  lower  Avork,  which  was 
always  kept  open,  for  it  had  an  iron  portcullis,  very  heavy  and  studded  with  sharp  points, 
closed  by  cutting  a  rope.  It  was  intended  to  carry  in  the  earth  of  the  ravelin  by  this  gate, 
and  for  four  days  the  Turks  did  not  approach  it,  afterwards  they  began  to  entrench  them- 
selves anew  on  the  higher  ground  commanding  the  front  and  flanks,  and  allowed  no  one  to 
leave  the  gate,  which  they  watched  very  carefully,  because  they  were  frequently  attacked 
by  our  troops. 

Fourth  Assault. 

So  on  July  14  they  came  to  attack  the  gate,  and  after  a  charge  at  all  the  other  batteries 
they  marched  up  to  plant  their  ensigns  right  in  front  of  the  gate.  Signor  Baglione  and  Signor 
Luigi,  who  had  undertaken  the  defence  of  the  gate,  were  present  and  cheered  on  the  soldiers, 
who  rushed  forth  and  killed  and  put  to  flight  the  greater  part  of  the  enemy.  They  fired  the 
mine  on  the  flank,  which  slew  four  hundred  Turks,  but  the  carelessness  of  the  men  in  charge 
allowed  it  to  injure  many  of  our  own  soldiers.  Signor  Baglione  took  one  of  the  enemy's 
standards,  wresting  it  from  the  hands  of  its  bearer;  thirteen  other  Turkish  flags  were 
captured.  The  next  day  they  fired  the  mine  under  the  curtain,  but  the  result  was  of  little 
use  to  them,  and  they  waited  to  deliver  a  set  attack,  and  went  on  widening  and  raising  the 
traverses  in  the  ditch,  to  secure  themselves  against  attack.  They  had  dug  out  all  the  earth 
near  the  counterscarp,  and  there  they  lodged  in  their  tents,  invisible  to  us.  They  brought 
up  seven  pieces  of  artillery  on  the  wall  of  the  counterscarp,  so  disposed  that  we  could  not  see 
them,  two  on  the  ravelin  of  S.  Nappa,  one  on  the  Antrucci,  and  two  facing  the  battery  of  the 
curtain.  They  came  with  planks  covered  with  raw  hide  to  dig  in  the  parapets,  while  we 
were  not  slow  in  hurling  grenades  among  them,  and  in  sallying  now  and  then  from  the 
shelters  to  harass  the  diggers,  but  our  losses  were  considerable.  We  restored  the  parapets 
with  buffalo  skins  soaked  in  water,  stuffed  with  wet  rags  and  cotton  and  well  bound  up  with 
cords. 

All  the  women  of  Famagosta,  under  the  guidance  of  a  monk,  made  up  companies  for 
each  quarter  of  the  city,  for  they  dreaded  the  example  given  by  those  dogs  of  Turks  in 
Nicosia.  Every  day  they  went  to  work  at  the  post  assigned  to  them,  carrying  stones,  and 
water  to  quench  the  fires.  For  the  Turks,  who  had  failed  to  capture  the  gate,  found  a  wholly 
new  device.    They  collected  a  great  quantity  of  wood  called  teglia  which  burns  easily  with 


CALEPIO. 


155 


a  bad  smell ;  this  they  heaped  up  before  the  gate,  lighted  it,  and  so  with  faggots  and  pitched 
beams  they  worked  up  so  fierce  a  fire  that  it  was  impossible  to  extinguish  it,  though  the 
Christians  kept  throwing  casks  full  of  water  from  the  high  cavalier,  which  burst  over  the  fire. 
Our  men,  by  reason  of  the  great  heat  and  the  stench,  were  forced  to  retire  into  the  city. 
ITie  Turks  went  down  and  dug  fresh  mines  at  the  sides.  We  closed  the  gate  which  could 
no  longer  be  kept  open,  and  straightway  to  the  surprise  of  all  they  re-made  the  platform  of 
the  ravelin  and  planted  a  gun  over  against  the  gate,  which  our  men  had  entirely  earthed  up 
with  stones,  soil  and  other  material. 

The  position  of  the  city  was  now  desperate ;  within  the  walls  everything  was  lacking 
except  hope,  the  valour  of  the  commanders,  the  daring  of  the  soldiers.  The  wine  was  ex- 
hausted, neither  fresh  nor  salted  meat  nor  cheese  could  be  had,  except  at  extravagant  prices. 
The  horses,  asses,  and  cats  were  consumed.  There  was  nothing  to  eat  but  bread  and  beans, 
nothing  to  drink  but  vinegar  and  water,  and  this  too  soon  failed.  The  digging  of  three 
mines  was  heard  below  in  the  cavalier  of  the  gate :  everywhere  the  enemy  was  toiling  with 
more  activity  than  ever :  in  the  ditch  opposite  the  battery  of  the  curtain  they  kept  heaping 
up  a  mound  of  earth  as  high  as  the  wall,  and  before  long  they  reached  the  wall  of  the 
counterscarp :  (opposite  the  great  tower  of  the  Arsenal  they  constructed  a  cavalier,  all 
strengthened  without  with  cables,  as  high  as  that  of  the  city. 

Within  the  walls  were  left  about  five  hundred  Italian  soldiers,  sound,  but  worn  wth 
long  watches  and  the  toil  (jf  fighting  under  the  blazing  sun :  the  most  and  best  of  the  Grreeks 
were  dead,  and  about  July  20  the  chief  men  of  Famagosta  resolved  to  write  to  Signer 
Bragadino,  entreating  him  that  now  the  fortress  was  reduced  to  such  a  pass,  its  defenders 
gone,  its  supplies  spent,  with  no  hope  of  assistance — since  they  had  sacrificed  their  lives  and 
goods  in  pursuit  of  their  safety  and  their  allegiance  to  the  RepuV)lic — he  would  agree  to 
terms  of  honourable  surrender,  with  due  regard  to  the  honour  of  their  wives,  and  the  lives  of 
their  children,  who  would  be  left  in  the  enemy's  clutches  :  witness  the  signal  lesson  of  Nicosia, 
and  the  help  the  government  gave  there.  Bragadino  answered  with  words  of  consolation 
and  encouragement,  promising  that  help  would  come:  allaying,  as  far  as  he  could,  the 
general  terror  that  prevailed,  and  sending  a  frigate  to  Candia  to  announce  the  straits  they 
were  in. 

The  Turks  had  finished  their  mines,  and  fired  them  on  July  29.  In  the  meanwhile  the 
defenders  had  been  trying  as  usual  to  restore  the  parapets  which  the  cannonade  had  shattered, 
and  as  there  was  no  other  material  left  the  sacks  were  made  of  carisea  under  the  super- 
intendence of  the  Captain  of  BafFo.  The  three  mines  of  the  cavalier  did  great  damage, 
throwing  down  the  greater  portion  of  the  work,  and  killing  the  Governor  Rondachi  della 
Stratia.  The  mine  at  the  Arsenal  shattered  the  rest  of  the  great  tower,  killing  nearly  a  whole 
company  of  our  soldiers :  only  the  bases  of  the  two  fianks  remained  whole. 

Fifth  Assault. 

The  enemy  strove  to  take  these  two  flanks,  and  to  mount  on  the  other  batteries :  the 
attack  lasted  from  the  twentieth  hour  until  night,  and  very  many  Turks  were  killed.  In  this 
fight  and  others  Signer  Giacomo  Strambali,  a  Cypriot  noble,  showed  great  valour,  as  well  as 
Tutio  Podochatoro,  a  Cypriot  noble,  who  died  bravely:  his  brother  Alessandro,  your  brother 
Gioan  Filippo  Liisignano,  and  others  of  our  nobles  did  their  duty  as  knights,  and  with  natural 
exasperation,  for  they  had  seen  the  slaughter  at  Nicosia.  Your  poor  brother  died  eight  days 
before  the  surrender  of  the  city.    May  God  give  him  Paradise. 

20—2 


156 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Sixth  Assault. 

The  next  morning  at  dawn  the  city  was  attacked  at  all  points.  This  assault  lasted  six 
hours,  for  the  Turks  fought  Avith  less  spirit  than  usual.  They  kept  giving  us  great  trouble 
on  the  seafront  with  their  galleys,  moving  out  at  every  attack,  and  battering  with  their 
cannon  every  part  of  the  city  which  they  could  reach.  About  three  hundred  Turks  were 
killed,  and  about  a  hundred  Christians  killed  and  wounded.  The  city  was  reduced  to  great 
straits,  only  seven  barrels  of  powder  were  left;  so  the  chiefs  resolved  to  surrender  under 
honourable  conditions.  On  the  morning  of  August  1  the  enemy  fired  two  hundred  cannon 
shots,  damaging  greatly  the  parapet  of  the  Limisso  gate :  they  came  up  to  the  place  to 
reconnoitre,  and  a  brisk  skirmish  followed.  But  when  noon  was  passed  a  flag  of  truce  was 
hoisted,  and  an  envoy  came  from  Mustafa  Pasha,  with  whom  it  was  agreed  that  the  following 
morning  two  hostages  should  be  given  on  either  side  while  the  agreement  was  under  dis- 
cussion. By  order  of  Signor  Bragadino  there  went  out  as  hostages  on  our  side  Count  Hercule 
Martinengo,  and  Signor  Matteo  Colti,  a  citizen  of  Famagosta,  and  from  the  enemy's  camp 
there  came  into  the  city  the  lieutenants  of  Mustafa  and  of  the  Agha  of  the  Janissaries,  who 
were  met  at  the  gate  by  Signor  Baglione  with  two  hundred  musketeers,  while  our  officers 
were  met  by  the  Turks  vnth.  a  great  array  of  cavalry  and  musketeers,  accompanied  by 
Mustafa's  son  in  person,  who  welcomed  them  with  great  courtesy.  Signor  Baglione  discussed 
the  terms  of  capitulation  with  the  Turkish  hostages  in  the  city.  He  asked  for  the  lives  of 
the  defenders,  their  arms,  their  goods :  five  cannon,  three  of  their  finest  horses,  and  a  safe 
passage  to  Candia  under  an  escort  of  galleys :  that  the  townsfolk  should  stay  in  their  houses 
and  enjoy  what  was  their  own,  living  like  Christians  without  any  molestation  therefor.  The 
Turks  accepted  these  conditions,  to  which  Mustafa  assented,  and  signed  the  truce.  They 
forthwith  sent  gallej^s  and  sailing  ships  into  the  harbour,  the  soldiers  began  to  embark,  and 
when  most  of  them  were  on  board,  the  Christian  chiefs  and  captains  being  anxious  also  to 
embark,  on  the  morning  of  August  5  Signor  Bragadino  sent  out  Count  Nestor  Martinengo 
with  a  letter  to  Mustafa  to  say  that  the  same  evening  he  proposed  to  come  out  to  see  the 
Pasha,  and  to  hand  to  him  the  keys  of  the  city,  leaving  Signor  Tiepolo  in  charge  of  the 
fortress.  He  begged  that  during  his  absence  nothing  should  be  done  to  annoy  the  citizens, 
for  up  to  this  time  Turks  and  Christians  had  maintained  with  each  other  friendly  and  trustful 
intercourse,  in  all  courtesy  of  deed  and  word,  eating  and  drinking  together.  Mustafa 
replied  to  the  letter  by  desiring  the  Count  to  tell  Signor  Bragadino  to  come  when  he  pleased : 
that  he  would  gladly  see  him  and  know  him  better,  for  he  recognised  the  great  courage 
shown  by  Bragadino,  his  fellow-officers  and  brave  soldiers,  whom,  wherever  he  was,  he 
should  never  fail  to  praise.  On  no  account,  let  them  be  assured,  would  he  suffer  any 
annoyance  to  be  inflicted  on  the  citizens.    Count  Nestor  returned  and  reported  accordingly. 

In  the  evening  Signor  Bragadino,  accompanied  by  Signor  Baglione,  S.  Alvise  Marti- 
nengo, S.  G-ioan  Antonio  Querini,  S.  Andrea  Bragadino,  Cav.  dell'  Haste,  Captain  Carlo 
Ragonasco,  Captain  Francesco  Stracco,  Captain  Hettor  da  Bressa,  Captain  Grierolamo  di  Sacile 
and  other  gentlemen,  with  fifty  soldiers,  went  out :  the  officers  wore  their  swords,  the  soldiers 
had  muskets.  So  they  went  to  Mustafa's  tent,  who  at  first  received  them  courteously  and 
made  them  sit  down.  They  passed  from  one  subject  to  another,  then  a  complaint  arose  that 
during  the  truce  Signor  Bragadino  had  caused  certain  slaves  to  be  put  to  death.  There 
was  not  a  word  of  truth  in  it,  but  Mustafa  rising  in  anger  would  scarcely  listen  to  what  his 
visitors  said,  and  ordered  them  to  be  bound.  They  were  defenceless,  for  they  were  compelled 
to  lay  aside  their  arms  before  entering  the  tent,  and  thus  bound  were  led  one  bj^  one  into  the 


CALEPIO. 


157 


open  square  before  the  tent,  and  cut  to  pieces  in  Mustafa's  presence.  Then  twice  and  thrice 
he  made  Signor  Bragadino,  who  showed  no  sign  of  fear,  stretch  out  his  neck  as  though  he 
would  strike  ofF  his  head,  but  spared  his  Hfe  and  cut  oif  his  ears  and  nose,  and  as  he  lay  on 
the  ground  Mustafa  reviled  him,  cursing  our  Lord  and  saying,  "  where  now  is  thy  Christ 
that  He  doth  not  help  thee  ?  "  The  general  made  never  an  answer,  but  with  lofty  patience 
waited  the  end.  Count  Hercule  Martinengo,  one  of  the  hostages,  was  also  bound,  but  was 
hidden  by  one  of  Mustafa's  eunuchs  until  his  chief's  fury  was  passed.  He  did  not  slay  him, 
but  doomed  him,  as  long  as  his  soul  cleaved  to  his  body,  to  continual  death  in  life,  making 
him  his  eunuch  and  slave,  so  that  happy  he  had  he  died  with  the  rest  a  martyr's  death.  There 
were  three  citizens  in  the  tent,  who  were  released,  but  the  poor  soldiers  bound  like  so  many 
lambs  were  hewn  in  pieces,  with  three  hundred  other  Christians,  who  never  dreamed  of 
such  gross  perfidy,  and  impious  savagery.  The  Christians  who  were  already  embarked  were 
brutally  robbed  and  thrown  into  chains. 

The  second  day  after  the  murders,  August  7,  Mustafa  first  entered  the  city.  He  caused 
Signor  Tiepolo,  Captain  of  Baffo,  who  was  left  in  Signor  Bragadino's  room,  to  be  hanged  by 
the  neck,  as  well  as  the  Commandant  of  the  cavalry.  On  August  17,  a  day  of  evil  memory, 
being  a  Friday  and  their  holiday,  Signor  Bragadino  was  led,  full  of  wounds,  which  had 
received  no  care,  into  the  presence  of  Mustafa,  on  the  batteries  built  against  the  city,  and 
for  all  his  weakness,  was  made  to  carry  one  basket  full  of  earth  up,  and  another  down,  on 
each  redoubt,  and  forced  to  kiss  the  ground  when  he  passed  before  Mustafa.  Then  he  was 
led  to  the  shore,  set  in  a  slung  seat,  with  a  crown  at  his  feet,  and  hoisted  on  the  yard  of  the 
galley  of  the  Captain  of  Rhodes,  hung  "  like  a  stork  "  in  view  of  all  the  slaves  and  Christian 
soldiers  in  the  port.  Then  this  noble  gentleman  was  led  to  the  square,  the  drums  beat,  the 
trumpets  sounded,  and  before  a  great  crowd  they  stripped  him,  and  made  him  sit  amid  every 
insult  on  the  grating  of  the  pillory.  Then  they  stretched  him  on  the  ground  and  brutally 
flayed  him  alive.  His  saintly  soul  bore  all  with  great  firmness,  patience  and  faith,  never 
losing  heart,  but  ever  with  the  sternest  constancy  reproaching  them  for  their  broken  faith : 
with  never  a  sign  of  wavering  he  commended  himself  to  his  Saviour,  and  when  their  steel 
reached  his  navel  he  gave  back  to  his  Maker  his  truly  happy  and  blessed  spirit.  His  skin 
was  taken  and  stuffed  with  straw,  carried  i-ound  the  city,  and  then  hung  on  the  yard  of 
a  galliot  was  paraded  along  the  coast  of  Syria  with  great  rejoicings.  The  body  was  quartered, 
and  a  part  set  on  each  battery.  The  skin,  after  its  parade,  was  placed  in  a  box  together 
>vith  the  head  of  the  brave  Captain  Hestor  Baglione,  and  those  of  S.  Luigi  Martinengo, 
G.  A.  Bragadino  and  G.  A.  Querini,  and  all  were  carried  to  Constantinople  and  presented  to 
the  Gran  Signor,  who  caused  them  to  be  put  in  his  prison,  and  I  who  was  a  captive  chained 
in  that  prison  as  spy  of  the  Pope,      my  Hberation  tried  to  steal  that  skin,  but  could  not. 

From  the  account  of  this  and  other  gentlemen  named  above  the  Turkish  host  encamped 
about  Famagosta  numbered  two  hundred  thousand  persons  of  every  rank  and  condition,  of 
whom  eighty  thousand  were  paid  soldiers,  besides  the  fourteen  thousand  janissaries  taken 
from  all  the  garrisons  of  Syria,  Caramania,  Anatolia  and  even  from  the  Sublime  Porte.  The 
armed  adventurers  were  sixty  thousand,  their  vast  numbers  being  due  to  the  reports  which 
Mustafa  had  spread  through  the  Turkish  territory  that  Famagosta  was  far  richer  than 
Nicosia  and  when  people  had  seen  and  heard  of  the  immense  wealth  of  Nicosia,  they  came 
in  such' crowds,  especially  as  the  passage  across  was  so  easy.  On  this  second  occasion  this 
army  surrounded  Famagosta  for  seventy-five  days,  Hnng  on  it  incessantly,  and  dischargnig 
140  000  iron  balls,  which  were  seen  and  counted:  others  put  the  number  at  170,000.  I  he 
chief  personages  in  the  host  were,  its  General,  the  wretch  Mustafa,  the  Pasha  of  Aleppo,  the 


158 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Pasha  of  Anatolia,  Muzaifer,  the  new  Pasha  of  Nicosia,  the  Pasha  of  Caramania,  the  Agha  of 
the  Janissaries,  Janpalad  Bey,  the  Sanjaq  of  Tripoli,  the  Beylerbey  of  Greece,  the  Pasha  of 
Sivas  and  Marash,  Ferca  Framburaro,  the  Sanjaq  of  Antipo,  Suleiman  Bey,  three  Sanjaqs 
of  Arabia,  Mustafa  Bey,  General  of  the  adventurers,  the  Fergat,  Lord  of  Malatia,  the 
Framburaro  of  Diverie,  the  Sanjaq  of  Arabia,  and  other  lesser  Sanjaqs,  with  a  host  of  two 
hundred  thousand  men.  Many  say  that  when  an  account  was  taken  eighty  thousand  Turks 
were  left  dead  in  Cyprus.  They  left  the  Framburaro  of  Rhodes  as  Governor  of  Famagosta, 
he  was  said  to  be  a  Spanish  renegade.  We  heard  that  two  thousand  horses,  poor  beasts  and 
out  of  condition  were  left  in  Cyprus,  and  twenty  thousand  soldiers,  not  only  as  a  garrison, 
but  as  colonists,  for  the  island  was  all  but  deserted. 

Christian  Commanders  who  died  in  Famagosta. 
Marc'  Antonio  Bragadino,  Captain  of  the  City  of  Famagosta 
Tiepolo,  Captain  of  the  City  of  BafPo 
Gioan  Antonio  Querini,  Paymaster  of  the  army 
Gioan  Andrea  Bragadino,  Commandant  in  Famagosta 
Signer  Estor  Baglione,  Captain  General  of  the  whole  army 

„     Aluigi  Martinengo 

„     Frederico  Baglione 
Governor  Piacenza 
Cav.  dell'  Haste,  Vice-Governor 
Captain  David  Noce,  Quartermaster 

„       Mignano  de  Perosa,  Sergeant-Major 
Count  Sigismondo  da  Casoldo 

„    Francesco  di  Lobi,  of  Cremona 
Captain  Francesco  Troncavilla 

„       Anibal  Adamo,  of  Fermo 

„       Scipione  of  Citta  di  Castello 

„       Carlo  Ragonasco 

„       Francesco  Stracco 
Governor  Naldi 
Captain  Roberto  Malvezzi 

„       Cesare  de  Aversa 

„       Bernardino  da  Gubio 

„       Francesco  Bugon,  of  Verona 

„       Giacomo  da  Fabiano 

„       Bastian  del  Sole,  a  Florentine 

„       Ettor  da  Bressa,  who  succeeded  Captain  Cesare  d' Aversa 

„       Flaminio  da  Fiorenza,  who  succeeded  Captain  Bastian  del  Sole 

„       Erasmo  da  Fermo,  who  succeeded  Captain  de  Cernole 

„       Barttolomeo  delle  Cernole 

„       Gioan  Battista,  of  Rivarole 

J,       Gioan  Francesco,  of  Venice 

Names  of  the  Captains  enslaved. 
Count  Hercule  Martinengo,  with  Giulio  Cesare,  a  Brescian  soldier 
„     Nestor  Martinengo,  escaped 


CALEPIO. 


159 


Captain  Marco  Crivellatore 

„      Piero,  Count  of  Mont'  Alberto 
Signor  Hercule  Malatesta 
Captain  Oratio  da  Veletri 

„       Aluigi  Fezano 

„       Giovan  de  Istria 
Count  Giacomo  della  Corbara 
Captain  Soldatello,  of  Gubio 

„       Giovan,  of  Ascoli  ^ 

„       Bastian,  of  Ascoli 

„       Salgano,  of  Citta  di  Castello 

„       Marquess,  of  Fernio 

„       Mario  da  Fabriano,  who  succeeded  Captain  Giacomo 

„       Matteo,  of  Capua 

„       Gioan  Maria,  of  Verona 

„       Gioan  Antonio,  of  Piasenza 

„       Carletto  Naldo 

„       Lorenzo  Fornaretti 

„       Bernardo  da  Bressa 

„       Bernardino  Coco 

„       Hieronimo,  commanding  the  Artillery 

„       Simone  Bagnese,  who  succeeded  Captain  David  Noce 

„       Tiberio  Ceruto,  who  succeeded  Count  Sigismond 

,,       Gioseppe  da  Lanciano,  who  succeeded  Captain  Fr.  Troncavilla 

„       Morgante,  who  succeeded  Captain  Annibale 

„       Ottavio  da  Hiiniiii,  who  succeeded  Captain  Fr.  Bugon 

The  Lieutenant  who  succeeded  Captain  Scipioii  the  Standardbearer,  who 
succeeded  Captain  Rubert(j 

Captain  J^rancesco,  of  Venice,  who  succeeded  Captain  Antonio 
„  Mancino 

Engineei*s. 

Giovanni  Monnori,  kiHod 
Cav.  Maggio,  enslaved 
The  Greek  Captains  were  twelve,  not  including  the  Captains  of  the  Cernide,  who  virere 
six  and  more. 

Captains  of  tlie  (irenadiers. 

The  little  Count  of  Tri\dso 
Celio,  of  Padova 
Gioan  Battista,  of  Brescia 
Angelo,  of  Orvieto 
Gioan  Maria,  of  Verona 
Ballidoro,  of  Brescia 

Turkish  Captains  in  Faniagosta. 
Mustafa,  General 
Pasha  of  Aleppo 
Pasha  of  Anatolia,  killed 


160  EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 

Muzaffer,  Pasha  of  Nicosia 

Pasha  of  Caramania 

Agha  of  the  Janissaries 

Janpulad  Bey 

Sanjaq  of  Tripoh 

Beylerbey  of  Greece 

Pasha  of  Sivas  and  Marash 

Ferca  Framburaro 
^  Sanjaq  of  Antippo,  killed 

Suleiman  Bey,  killed 

Three  Sanjaqs  of  Arabia,  killed 

Mustafa  Bey,  General  of  Adventurers,  killed 

The  Fergat,  Lord  of  Malattia,  killed 

The  Framburaro  of  Diverie  [Divrigi],  killed 
and  many  other  Turks  of  rank,  Sanjaqs  and  others,  whose  names  I  omit  for  brevity's  sake, 
and  not  to  weary  the  reader  with  a  list  of  mere  infidels. 

From  the  capture  of  Famagosta  right  up  to  the  harvest  of  the  following  year  there  fell 
a  great  dearth  on  the  realm  of  Cyprus,  and  those  very  few  poor  gentlemen  who  remained  in 
the  island,  having  been  ransomed  together  with  citizens  of  Nicosia,  struggled  to  make  a  living 
as  muleteers  and  hawkers  of  wine,  cloth  and  other  little  things,  a  very  different  life  from 
their  old  one.  The  citizens  of  Famagosta  remained  for  the  present  in  their  houses,  but  many 
were  driven  out  by  the  Turks  who  came  to  lodge  there,  and  then  took  possession.  Mustafa 
returned  to  Constantinople  with  twenty-one  galleys,  but  because  he  arrived  just  at  the  time 
of  our  famous  naval  victory  the  populace  did  not  as  usual  go  to  meet  him,  or  fire  salutes,  and 
there  were  very  few  who  went  to  congratulate  him,  the  reason  being  that  in  losing  that  naval 
battle  all  Constantinople  had  suffered  severely :  one  had  lost  his  son,  others  their  fathers, 
brothers,  or  husbands,  and  all  wreaked  on  him  the  blame  of  having  stirred  up  the  war. 

About  this  time  an  envoy  arrived  from  Famagosta  to  confirm  the  treaty  made  by 
Mustafa  with  the  citizens.  They  were  allowed  to  live  as  Christians,  provided  only  that  there 
should  be  no  one  of  the  Latin  Church.  To  these  the  Turk  would  grant  neither  church,  house 
nor  any  privilege.  The  Latins  in  Famagosta  were  thus  compelled  to  dissemble  their  faith 
and  rites.  The  Greeks  on  their  side  hoped  to  keep  all  their  Greek  churches,  but  none  was 
granted  them  except  the  Greek  Cathedral,  and  when  they  offered  handsome  presents  they 
got  as  well  the  little  church  of  S.  Simeon.  There  were  granted  to  them  besides  the  houses 
of  which  the  Turks  had  not  possessed  themselves,  and  that  if  a  Turk  cared  to  sell  a  house 
the  citizens  of  Famagosta  should  have  the  right  of  preemption,  but  if  the  Turks  would  not 
sell  then  each  of  them  should  keep  what  he  held.  The  rest  of  the  churches  were  used  as 
stables,  or  for  other  unclean  purposes,  and  S.  Nicolo,  the  Cathedral  Church  of  the  Latins, 
was  made  a  mosque  by  these  miscreants.  This  was  indeed  a  punishment  and  act  of  justice 
upon  the  Greeks  of  this  kingdom,  many  of  whom  while  they  were  under  the  rule  of  the 
Latin  Christians  abhorred  the  limpid  water  of  the  Holy  Roman  obedience,  and  despised  the 
life-giving  stream  of  its  Head ;  for  as  these  Greeks  preferred  to  be  subjects  to  that  gangrened 
limb,  the  Patriarch  of  Constantinople,  because  he  and  his  fellow-patriarchs,  especially  the 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  when  the  poor  Cypriot  merchants  and  pilgrims  went  to  their  churches 
held  aloof  from  them,  considering  them  excommunicate,  because  in  Cyprus  they  gave  their 
allegiance  to  the  Latins,  and  saying  the  same  in  even  stronger  terms  to  the  Greek  bishops  of 
Cyprus,  because  they  were  elected  by  the  Royal  Latin  Council,  and  confirmed  by  the  Latin 


CALEPIO. 


161 


bishops  —hence  this  ignorant  people  began  to  nourish  a  secret  hatred  against  the  Latins,  as 
persons  excommunicate  and  accursed.  So  our  Lord  God,  yielding  to  their  impious  wishes, 
and  to  inHict  upon  them  lasting  pain  and  chastisement,  removed  nearly  all  the  Latins  from 
before  their  eyes,  left  them  at  liberty  to  subject  themselves  to  the  divided  members  of  the 
Church,  and  made  them  tor  all  time  the  wretched  slaves  of  the  Turks. 

These  (ireeks  then,  as  soon  as  the  Grand  Turk  had  .seized  the  whole  kingdom  of  Cyprus, 
ran  straightway  to  that  foul  limb  Mehmed  Pasha,  \^azir  of  the  Turkish  Empire,  and  begged 
him  that  the  bishoprics  of  Cyprus  might  be  filled  up,  as  though  this  Mehmed  were  the  Vicar 
of  Christ,  and  for  ecclesiastical  confirmation  or  rather  con.secration  they  applied  to  the 
Patriarch  of  Constantinople.  At  thi.s  time  there  went  a  Syrian  monk,  a  scion  of  those  old 
heretics  who  were  condennied  in  the  early  councils,  and  ofFered  to  Mehmed  Pasha  three 
thousand  sequins,  for  which  sum  he  obtained  from  the  said  Pasha  the  Archbishopric  of 
Cyprus,  and  never  con.sidering  that  the  island  had  .still  its  illustrious  Archbishop  alive,  was 
appointed  and  consecrated,  and  went  to  Cyprus  with  the  Jani.ssaries  assigned  him  by  the 
Porte.  As  soon  as  he  arrived  he  began  to  govern  the  few  people  left  in  the  towns  with 
strictness  and  tyranny,  trying  to  recover  not  only  tho.se  three  thou.sand  sequins,  but  to  get 
the  double  of  what  he  had  spent.  For  this  cause  and  also  because  he  was  a  barbarian, 
a  stranger  to  the  Cypriots,  of  another  race  and  ignorant  of  the  Greek  language  and  letters, 
the  people  turned  their  attention  to  a  certain  Cypriot  monk,  who  sought  their  suffrages,  and 
sent  him  to  Constantinople  to  Mehmed  Pasha,  that  he  might  dismiss  his  former  nominee  and 
confirm  the  priest  they  now  sent.  He  came  to  see  me  on  his  arrival  at  Constantinople,  to  ask 
my  opinion  and  advice,  for  he  was  anxious  not  to  throw  away  tlie  large  sum  which  it  was 
usual  to  give  as  a  pre.sent  to  the  Pashas  to  secure  his  nomination  to  this  see.  What  he  sought 
chiefly  to  know  was  if  the  Christians,  supposing  they  recovered  Cyprus,  would  confirm  him 
as  Bishop,  or  despise  him  as  the  nominee  of  the  Porte  :  also  if  they  could  injure  him  personally. 
1  replied  that  he  should  let  the  matter  stand  awhile,  and  not  seek  a  bishopric  by  these 
underhand  means,  for  I  knew  that  there  was  a  nujnk  in  Constantinople,  a  Cypriot  of  g(Jod 
family  named  d'Acre,  a  friend  of  the  Patriarch  of  ConstantinopU',  and  he  too  was  eager  to 
get  this  Archbishopric.  The  priest  understood  my  meaning,  and  set  off  at  once  for  Adrianople 
where  the  Court  then  was,  taking  with  him  a  large  sum  in  sequins  which  he  had  borrowed 
at  interest,  for  the  money  he  had  brought  from  Cyprus  was  not  enough,  and  with  these  he 
obtained  the  promise  of  Mehmed  that  he  should  have  the  Archbishopric.  But  the  other 
monk  d'Acre  worked  so  upon  the  Patriarch  that  the  priest  was  obliged  to  give  way,  and  in 
lieu  of  the  Archbishopric  to  be  content  with  the  Bishopric  of  Paffo.  The  Abbot  of  Cuzuventi 
in  Cyprus  happened  to  be  in  Constantinople  just  released  from  captivity ;  he  got  the  Bishopric 
of  Liniisso,  and  the  see  of  Famagosta  was  given  to  a  Candiot  monk,  who  was  serving  the 
church  of  8.  Simeon  in  that  city.  That  was  the  new  order  taken  for  the  creation  of  the 
Greek  Church  in  Cyprus.  But  again  this  Pentecost,  Catacusino,  who  watches  the  interest 
of  the  (irand  Turk  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  supplied  twelve  galleys  for  the  service  of  that 
dog,  forced  the  Patriarch  to  resign  his  office,  and  caused  a  creature  of  his  own  at  once  to  be 
elected  in  his  place.  This  he  does  often,  every  four  years  about,  because  he  gains  ten  or 
twelve  thousand  sequins,  the  gift  oF  those  who  assume  the  Patriarchate.  Look  and  wonder, 
my  gentle  readers,  at  the  utter  blindness  of  these  poor  (Jreeks  in  the  administration  of  their 
spiritual  affairs. 

In  February  of  1572,  after  the  victory  which  so  terrified  the  Turks,  certain  Turkish 
vessels  went  to  Cyprus.    The  Turks  of  Famagosta,  in  terror  lest  these  should  be  the  pre- 
cursors of  the  Christian  fleet,  made  terms  with  the  Christians  in  Famagosta  for  their  safety; 
c.  21 


162 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


many  of  them  put  on  the  caps  and  clothes  of  Christians,  many  fled  to  the  fortress  of  Nicosia, 
because  Famagosta  was  in  ruins,  and  they  determined  to  surrender  without  a  struggle.  The 
Governor  of  the  island  and  the  Commandant  of  Famagosta  sent  three  chawushes  to  the 
Grand  Signor,  to  lay  before  him  the  peril  and  need  of  Cyprus.  The  panic  spread  through 
Constantinople,  and  it  was  said  that  in  all  Cyprus  the  garrison  consisted  of  only  two  thousand 
soldiers  and  eight  hundred  horses,  so  that  with  all  speed  five  hundred  Janissaries  were  sent 
overland,  and  by  sea  five  galleys  and  five  liorseboats,  to  transport  men  and  horses  from 
Cilicia.  A  similar  reinforcement  was  despatched  to  Rhodes,  and  orders  for  the  Bey  of 
Rhodes  to  return  at  once  to  that  island,  who  left  with  four  galleys.  The  Grand  Signor 
feared  greatly  that  he  would  lose  both  islands  with  their  dependencies. 

May  Christ  our  Lord  make  their  ways  dark  and  slippery,  and  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
pursuing  them.  There  then  Reverend  Father,  my  kind  reader,  you  have  all  that  happened 
in  the  two  cities  of  Nicosia  and  Famagosta,  set  down  with  all  exactness  and  truth.  May 
Christ  our  Lord  hear  it  of  His  Grace  to  the  profit  of  Christians,  and  to  the  praise  of  His 
Divine  Majesty :  and  that  right  soon,  so  that  we  poor  wretches  may  see  with  our  own  eyes 
our  unhappy  country  restored  to  the  Catholic  and  Orthodox  Faith,  under  the  true  Chief 
Shepherd  and  His  vicar  upon  earth.  Let  us  pray  then  that  His  Divine  Majesty  may  grant 
us  this  in  His  loving  kindness  and  mercy,  that  we  may  be  able  to  ascribe  glory,  laud  and 
honour  to  God  Almighty  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen. 

The  end. 


PORCACCHI. 

Tommaso  Porcacchi  was  born  at  Castiglione,  near  Arezzo,  removed  to  Venice  in  1559,  and,  finding  a 
home  with  the  Counts  of  Savorgnano,  died  there  in  1585.  He  was  an  extremely  voluminous  writer: 
a  scholar,  who  provided  the  famous  Gioliti  press  with  editions  of  many  classical  Greek  authors,  and 
notes,  corrections  and  illustrations  for  others:  a  poet,  antiquarian,  genealogist,  geographer:  and  the 
editor  of  a  collection  of  remarkable  Sermons.  But  he  is  probably  best  known  by  his  descriptions  of  the 
most  famous  islands  of  the  world,  which  were  collected,  illustrated  with  maps,  and  published  in  1576  by 
Girolamo  Porro,  a  Paduan.  Of  this  work,  entitled  L'Isole  piu  fmnose  del  viondo,  four  editions  were  issued 
in  forty-iive  years.  Our  translation  is  made  from  the  second,  printed  at  Venice,  in  quarto,  1590, 
pp.  144—153. 

Porcacchi  tells  us  that  his  accounts  were  corrected  by  those  given  him  orally  by  mariners  and 
travellers,  and  they  probably  represent  the  best  information  available  in  his  day. 

Description  op  the  Island  of  Cyprus. 

Cyprus,  an  island  in  the  Carphatian  Sea,  has  on  the  north,  at  no  great  distance,  the 
bay  of  Issus,  called  also  gulf  of  Laiazzo :  on  the  south  the  Egyptian  Sea,  on  the  west  Rhodes, 
and  on  the  east  Syria.  Its  western  coast  is  less  than  a  hundred  miles  from  Syria,  a  night's 
sail.  The  southern  side  is  three  hundred  from  Alexandria  in  Egypt,  four  days'  sail :  and 
the  same  or  less  from  Rhodes.  But  the  northern  shore  is  sixty  miles  from  Caramania.  It 
lies  just  inside  the  fourth  climatic  zone,  in  the  ninth  parallel,  like  Candia.  From  old  times 
down  to  the  present  day  it  has  had  various  names ;  it  was  called  Cethin  or  Cethina  from  its 
first  inhabitant  of  the  same  name.    Then  Cerastin  or  the  horned,  from  the  horned  asp  which 


CALEPIO.  PORCACCHI. 


163 


was  formerly  found  there  in  great  numbers :  or  because  to  sailors  who  see  it  fi-om  afar  on 
the  side  of  Fontana  Amorosa  its  mountains  seemed  to  have  two  horns.  Then  Aspellia,  and 
Cripton,  that  is  underground,  because  it  is  not  visible  to  mariners  until  they  come  close 
under  it,  while  other  islands,  on  the  contrary,  are  seen  from  afar.  Next  Collinia,  from  its 
hills,  for  its  mountain.s,  except  Olympus,  seem  but  hills,  ^rosa,  from  its  veins  of  copper: 
Amathusia  (according  to  Strabo),  from  the  city  Amathus,  where  copper  was  extracted  of  the 
best  qimlity  and  in  the  greatest  abundance.  Paphia,  from  the  god  Paphos,  and  the  city 
called  by  his  name.  Salaminia,  from  the  city  which,  in  the  days  of  the  nine  kings,  surpassed 
all  the  rest.  Cytherea,  an  epithet  for  the  island  as  the  home  of  Venus,  rather  than  a  name: 
Macaria,  or  the  blessed,  for  its  great  fertility  and  many  delights:  and  lastly  Cyprus,  either 
because  this  Greek  word  means  Venus,  who  was  there  held  in  great  veneration,  or  because 
Cyrus  had  restored  the  ancient  city  Aphrodisia,  and  would  have  it  bear  his  name,  or  from 
the  tree  Cypress,  which  is  found  in  this  island  only,  and  of  which  I  shall  say  more  hereafter. 

It  is  of  oblong  shape  and  has  a  circuit  of  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  according  to 
modern  reckoning,  although  it  is  also  confidently  asserted  that  this  should  be  six  hundred 
and  fifty.  On  the  west  it  has  three  promontories  or  capes,  C.  8an  Pifani  (I  use  the  common 
name),  anciently  called  Acamas,  Trapano,  Cilidonio  or  Punta  Melonta,  of  old  C.  Zephyrion : 
these  three  look  partly  towards  the  Egyptian,  partly  towards  the  Pamphylian  Sea.  After 
Cilidonio  on  the  south  comes  Drepauon,  now  C  Bianco;  then  Phrouriuni,  now  C.  delle  (xatte : 
C.  della  (jrrotte,  Masoto,  Chiti,  the  point  of  Salines,  C.  Dades  or  Pyla,  and  Pedalion  or  C.  della 
Grea.  Note  that  from  Cilidonio  to  C.  delle  (ratte  the  sea  is  that  of  Egypt,  and  thence  to 
C.  della  Grea  that  of  Palestine  or  Juda?a.  Eastward  the  sea  circles  round  from  C.  della  Grea 
in  the  Syrian  Sea  to  C.  S.  Andrea,  or  C.  del  Carpasso,  opposite  the  gulf  of  Laiazzo.  From 
C.  S.  Andrea  on  the  north  you  come  to  the  point  called  Aplirodisiou,  or  (after  the  \"illage) 
Acathu,  then  to  tho.se  of  Ceraunia  and  Lapitho.  C.  Cornuicliiti  is  next,  and  then  Alexau- 
dretta,  formerly  Calinusic.  The  bay  between  these  two  is  called  Pendaia;  that  between 
Alexandretta  and  San  Pifani  is  Crusoco  or  Fontana  Amorosa,  and  between  Cormachiti  and 
San  Pifani  comes  the  gulf  of  Settalia,  anciently  the  Pamphylian  Sea.  This  is  the  beginning 
of  that  gulf  of  Settalia  which  used  to  be  so  formidable  to  mariners;  it  stretches  for  three 
hundred  miles  till  it  joins  the  Sea  of  Rhodes.  In  ancient  times  it  was  exceedingly  perilous, 
especially  from  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord  until  the  Epiphany;  but  S.  Helena,  the 
mother  of  Constantine,  came,  as  we  shall  see  below,  to  Cyprus,  and  seeing  the  terror  generally 
inspired  by  this  gulf  threw  into  it  one  of  the  blessed  nails  with  which  the  Author  of  our 
Salvation  was  crucified,  which  she  had  brought  from  Jerusalem,  and  the  frightful  fury 
ceased.  So  that  the  gulf  is  no  longer  dreaded  as  before.  The  length  of  the  island  from  east 
to  west  is  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles — another  writer  aiids  ten  more — measuring  from 
C.  San  Pifani  straight  across  to  C.  S.  Andrea,  and  its  breadth,  from  C.  della  Gatta  across  the 
mountains  to  Cormachiti  on  the  north,  is  sixty-six  miles. 

The  whole  island  is  divided  into  eleven  districts,  thus  arranged — On  the  west  BafFo, 
anciently  Paphos,  Audimo,  Limisso,  Masoto,  Saline  and  Mesarea :  these  look  to  the  south, 
and  lie  along  the  coast,  divided  from  the  other  districts  by  a  long  line  of  hills.  The  others 
look  to  the  north;  Crusoco,  Pendaia,  Cerines,  Carpasso,  formerly  Carpasia.  The  last  is  the 
Viscontado,  lying  between  those  of  Saline  and  Cerines.  That  of  Cerines  is  itself  divided  by 
a  chain  of  hills  standing  from  a  mile  and  a  half  to  three  miles  from  the  northern  sea:  if  the 
mountains  in  the  other  parts  of  the  island  had  been  similarly  placed,  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus 
would  perchance  have  had  less  need  of  the  many  works  constructed  for  its  defence,  for  this 
range  begins  at  C.  Cormachiti,  and  runs  on  in  one  unbroken  line  to  C.  S.  Andrea;  and  the 

21—2 


164 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


little  breadth  of  beach  between  the  skirts  of  the  hills  and  the  sea  gives  to  an  invader  no  free 
access  into  the  heart  of  the  island.  The  other  range  of  mountains  crosses  the  middle  of  the 
island  from  the  ancient  city  of  Solia,  eighteen  miles  from  Cormachiti,  to  the  mountain  of  the 
Cross  which  overlooks  C.  Mazoto,  and  follows  the  coast  as  far  as  Baffo,  where  it  makes 
a  bend  and  again  follows  the  coast  up  to  Solia.  In  the  midst  of  these  mountains  is  Olympus, 
of  which  the  Greek  name  is  Trohodos;  it  is  very  lofty,  and  full  of  trees  of  all  kinds.  Its 
circumference  is  fifty-four  miles  or  eighteen  leagues,  and  at  every  league  there  is  a  monastery 
of  Grreek  monks  of  S.  Basil.  In  every  one  of  these  there  are  abundance  of  springs,  and  fruits 
of  every  description,  so  that  the  Cypriot  nobles  are  wont  to  visit  them  in  summer  for 
recreation.  Between  these  two  ranges  of  mountains  there  is  a  plain  seventy-eight  miles  long 
and  thirty  wide  called  Messaria,  which  stretches  from  C.  della  Grea  to  C.  Cormachiti :  it  is 
fertile  and  produces  much  grain.  In  the  middle  of  this  is  the  royal  city  Nicosia,  very 
pleasantly  and  beautifully  situated.  The  island  has  no  harbour  but  that  of  Famagosta,  a 
city  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  plain,  thirty-six  miles  from  Nicosia,  and  thirty  fi-om  C.  della 
Grea.  In  ancient  times  there  were  many,  but  they  were  neglected  and  blocked  up  by  silt. 
However,  nearly  all  round  the  coast  there  are  landing  places,  and  at  Saline,  Limisso,  Baffo, 
Crusoco  and  Cerines  are  good  roadsteads,  where  large  vessels  can  anchor  and  lie;  because 
on  account  of  the  winds  and  the  aspect  they  prefer  larger  room  in  which  to  swing  than  they 
can  find  on  the  northern  coast. 

It  is  said  that  the  island  was  once  the  seat  of  nine  kings,  though  some  writers  call  them 
kinglets  or  great  lords.  It  had  many  cities,  of  which  four  were  built  by  Ptolemy  Phila- 
delphus,  and  called  Arsinoe,  in  honour  of  his  sister.  One  of  these  is  now  the  village  Audimo, 
another  Famagosta,  the  third  the  village  Leuca,  and  the  last  Arzos.  The  city  of  old  Paphos, 
built  on  the  seashore  looking  south  near  C.  Celidonio,  was  a  royal  residence,  dedicated  to  the 
goddess  Venus,  with  a  lovely  garden.  Here  the  other  goddesses,  while  Venus  was  away, 
caught  Cupid  (so  the  story  runs),  bound  his  eyes  with  a  scarf,  and  set  him  on  the  top  of 
a  myrtle  tree.  Now  the  air  is  corrupted  by  exhalations  from  the  marshes:  such  changes 
befall  things,  that  the  most  charming  spot  in  the  island  is  now  scarcely  habitable !  New 
Paphos,  built  by  Agapenor,  the  captain  of  the  fleet  of  Agamemnon,  king  of  Mycenae,  was  one 
of  the  nine  royal  capitals,  and  is  even  yet  standing,  and  ranks  as  a  city.  Here  men  and 
women  sacrificed  naked  to  Venus,  but  at  the  prayer  of  S.  Barnabas  the  Apostle,  a  native  of 
Cyprus,  the  temple  fell,  and  the  scandal  ceased.  Two  leagues  from  this  was  Cythera,  where 
Venus  was  brought  up,  and  whence,  according  to  Hesiod,  both  the  goddess  and  the  island 
took  their  names.  It  is  now  a  village  called  Conuclia,  one  of  the  first  in  the  island,  for  its 
rich  crops  of  cotton  and  sugar,  and  its  abundant  water.  Here  are  many  ancient  tombs,  like 
underground  chambers,  in  which  have  been  found  many  wonderful  things,  as  also  at  Baffo, 
Salamina  and  elsewhere.  Curias,  another  royal  capital,  was  near  the  sea-coast  where  now 
stands  Piscopia,  one  of  the  chief  villages  of  the  island.  It  has  more  than  a  thousand  hearths, 
and  is  rich  in  running  water,  and  gardens  full  of  oranges,  lemons  and  the  like,  which  grow 
also  at  Baffo  and  Cythera.  Curias,  an  ancient  city,  lay  in  the  middle  of  C.  delle  Gatta,  two 
leagues  and  a  half  from  Piscopia :  there  is  a  lake  to  the  north  of  it,  full  of  salt  water,  with 
quantities  of  fish.  C.  delle  Gatte  is  so  named  from  the  large  number  of  cats,  reared  by  the 
monks  of  S.  Basil  in  the  monastery  of  S.  Nicolo  or  Acrotiri  close  by,  to  destroy  the  snakes 
which  were  very  numerous.  Large  revenues  were  bequeathed  to  the  convent  for  the  tending 
of  these  cats.  Amathus,  an  ancient  city,  one  of  the  four  dedicated  to  Venus,  was  rich  in 
metals  and  mines.  It  lay  on  the  seashore  two  leagues  from  new  Limisso.  It  is  now  called 
old  Limisso,  and  has  a  few  Roman  remains.    A  royal  capital  in  the  days  of  the  nine  kings, 


PORCACCHI. 


165 


it  is  now  destroyed.  With  it  vied  in  rank  as  a  royal  residence  Chiteon,  built  before  all  the 
other  cities  of  Cyprus  by  Cithin,  grandson  of  Noah.  This  is  situated  on  the  southern  coast: 
it  had  a  fine  harbour,  now  it  is  but  a  village,  called  Chiti.  When  in  the  possession  of  Hector 
Podocatharo,  a  Cypi-iot  knight,  who  wrote  a  description  of  it,  it  was  the  most  delightful  spot 
in  the  island,  with  beautiful  gardens  full  of  rare  fruits.  Zeno,  the  founder  of  the  Stoic  Sect, 
was  a  native  of  Citium,  with  ApoUonius  the  physician  and  others.  A  league  away  on  the 
seashore  lies  a  lake  about  three  leagues  round,  with  springs  of  salt  water.  In  the  middle  of 
June  it  begins  to  congeal  under  the  sun's  heat,  ajid  by  mid-August  it  is  entirely  dried  into 
salt,  a  source  of  immen.se  profit.  A  mile  furthei-  on  is  the  landing  place  of  Salines,  the  resort 
of  the  larger  merchant  vessels. 

Salamis  stood  on  the  site  known  as  old  Famagosta ;  it  was  called  Constantia  from  King 
Costa,  father  of  S.  Catherine,  and  was  the  capital  of  one  of  the  nine  kingdojns.  Built  by 
Teucer,  son  of  Telamon,  it  gave  birth  to  King  Kvagoras,  mentioned  by  Plutarch,  Nicocreon, 
captain  of  the  fleet  of  Alexander  the  (ireat,  and  others.  One  may  still  see  the  remains  of  the 
fine  aqueducts  which  brought  water  here  from  ('hiti,  thirty  miles  away,  and  outside  the  town 
the  foundations  and  ruins  of  the  prison  of  S.  Catherine.  A  church  is  shown  dedicated  to  the 
Apostle  S.  Barnabas,  and  the  place  where  he  was  martyred  and  buried  in  a  well,  together 
with  the  (xospel  of  S.  Matthew,  written  by  the  Kvangeli.st's  own  hand,  which  was  found  there 
about  the  year  473. 

Other  cities  were  Aphrodision,  sacred  to  V^-nus:  Cypria,  the  birth-place  of  S.  Hilarion, 
and  Ceraunia,  now  Cerines,  built  by  (.'yrus  when  he  sul)dued  the  m'ne  kings.  This  town  is 
on  the  north  coast,  with  a  strong  fort  built  on  a  rock.  It  is  the  healthiest  in  the  i.sland. 
Cyprus,  which  lies  about  latitude  is  struck  directly  by  the  sun,  which  beats  fiercely  on 
the  soil  and  bakes  it.  Then  the  winds  sweep  over  the  heated  earth,  and  they  too  get  hot,  so 
that  their  blasts  merely  augment  the  heat.  It  is  necessary  therefore  carefully  to  protect 
one's  chest,  a  thing  difficult  to  do  in  such  a  furnace.  At  Cerines  however  the  wind  springs 
directly  from  the  sea,  and  has  no  time  to  touch  the  burning  soil,  so  that  it  does  not  add  to 
the  heat  as  in  other  pai'ts  of  the  island.  On  the  south  too  it  is  protected  by  the  chain  of 
mountains  mentioned  above,  which  are  near  enough  to  give  the  place  shade,  and  excellent 
water. 

Lapethos,  two  leagues  fnuu  (Jerines,  was  also  an  ancient  capital,  its  last  king  being 
I'isistratus,  a  companion  of  Alexander  the  (rreat.  Now  it  is  a  \'illage  of  the  same  name, 
wonderfully  fertile,  and  quite  fatuous  for  its  excellent  lemons.  They  say  that  in  the  earliest 
ages  (Jinaras,  son  of  Agrippa,  here  first  discovered  the  art,  still  practised,  of  making  earthen 
vessels.  Other  capitals  were  Solia,  anciently  called  Apamea,  and  Acamantis,  iiear  C.  San 
Pifani,  which  the  (ireeks  call  Accama.  It  is  now  a  village  named  Crusocco,  for  there  are 
traces  of  gold  there,  as  well  as  chrysocolla  or  vitriol.  Here  is  the  Fontana  Amorosa:  the 
poets  say  that  they  who  drank  of  it  feci  the  stings  of  love,  but  they  mention  another  which 
in  its  turn  allays  their  smart,  (iold  is  found  also  in  the  middle  of  the  island  near  Nico.sia, 
on  the  site  of  the  great  city  of  'I'amassus,  now  a  village,  Tamaglia. 

Nicosia  was  called  by  the  ancients  Letra,  and  then  Leucoto.  Under  the  nine  kings  it 
was  the  residence  of  one  of  them,  but  undi-r  the  ijusignans  it  became  the  capital,  royal  and 
archiepiscopal,  of  the  whole  island,  and  was  glorified  with  palace.s,  churches  and  grand 
buildings.  It  had  a  circuit  of  nine  miles,  but  in  l.')()7  the  Signory  of  Venice,  with  a  view  of 
strengthening  it,  reduct-d  this  to  three.  It  is  supplied  most  healthfully  and  pleasantly  with 
running  water,  and  here  the  nobles  of  the  island  lived,  who  kept  adorning  it  with  ever  new 
buildings,  gardens  and  delights,    'i'welve  miles  south  of  Nicosia  was  Idalium,  called  by  poets 


16G 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  home  of  Venus.  Tlie  spot  has  no  lack  of  spring  water  and  gardens,  but  it  is  now  a  mere 
viHage,  called  Dali. 

There  were  other  cities,  and  fine  estates :  they  are  mentioned  in  the  chronicles  which 
I  have  cited  in  their  proper  place.  But  when  the  Emperors  of  Constantinople  sent  Dukes  to 
Cyprus  they  were  reduced  to  fourteen,  and  again  by  the  Lusignan  kings  to  four,  Nicosia, 
Baffo,  Limisso  and  Famagosta.  These  remain  cities,  the  rest  are  villages,  of  which  there 
may  be  eight  hundred  and  fifty.  The  latter  were  divided  among  the  Court,  the  clergy  and 
the  nobles,  who  drew  from  them  large  revenues. 

The  island  is  rich  indeed  in  all  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  and  its  more  useful  products. 
Its  -wines  are  very  luscious  and  wholesome ;  as  they  grow  old  they  turn  from  black  to  white, 
they  are  fragi-ant  and  of  pleasant  taste.  One  finds  wine  of  eighty  years  and  more,  and  a 
vintage  that  had  graced  a  grandee's  table  gets  fresh  honour  as  a  medicine,  for  its  health- 
giving  and  preservative  virtues,  which  are  those  of  a  balsam.  One  needed  to  drink  but 
a  tiny  measure  in  a  large  quantity  of  water.  I  do  not  mean  that  this  wine  only  is  rich  and 
good,  but  all  the  wines  of  Cyprus  may  vie  with  those  of  any  country,  and  they  are 
appreciated  accordingly  in  V enice  and  Rome,  wherever  indeed  they  reach.  It  produces  the 
raisins  called  zabib,  large,  black  and  fine  fruit,  dried  naturally  by  the  sun,  wheat  and  barley 
in  abundance,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables.  All  ordinary  fruits  grow  here,  except  cheri'ies, 
chestnuts  and  sorbs,  but  in  their  place  are  dates,  bananas  and  citrons.  Its  gardens  are 
adorned  with  oranges,  lemons  and  citrons,  of  such  quality  as  few  other  countries  can  surpass. 
Sugar  was  formerly  one  of  its  chief  products,  but  the  culture  of  the  cane  was  abandoned  for 
that  of  cotton,  as  being  more  profitable.  And  not  to  be  tedious,  I  must  assure  the  reader 
that  Cyprus  is  a  most  productive  island :  over  and  above  what  is  found  in  other  countries  it 
gives  saffron,  sesame,  coriander,  sumach,  lentisc  seed,  and  three  sorts  of  honey,  the  white  of 
the  hives,  black  made  from  carobs,  and  treacle  from  sugar.  Occasionally  there  is  a  slight 
fall  of  manna.  It  has  all  the  common  vegetables,  and  in  addition  cauliflowers  and  cabbages, 
the  colocasia  or  Egyptian  bean,  which  is  excellent  eating,  and  many  others. 

In  the  village  Calopsida  grows  the  herb  from  which  they  make  soap,  and  that  with 
which  they  bleach  camlet,  for  this  and  other  cloths  are  made  in  great  quantity.  Cotton 
however  is  the  real  staple  of  the  island.  Then  there  is  the  fragrant  powder  which  we  call 
Cyprian;  mixed  with  other  drugs  it  gives  a  scent  to  the  daintiest  kinds  of  soap:  also  Ciprino 
or  henna,  olibanum,  incense  and  storax.  Minerals  abound,  veins  of  gold  and  copper,  white 
and  red  marchasite,  brass  and  iron ;  but  copper  is  the  most  common ;  so  we  read  in  ancient 
writers  of  the  furnaces  in  which  it  was  smelted,  in  whose  flames  was  found  the  creature 
called  pyraustes  or  pyralis,  which  died  when  taken  out  of  the  fire.  Emeralds,  malachite, 
crystal,  diamonds  (not  of  the  first  water),  coral,  white  and  red,  in  the  sea  about  Amathus, 
and  other  precious  stones :  rock  alum,  white  and  black,  pitch,  resin,  sulphur,  nitre,  cochineal 
and  amiantus.  Of  this  last  I  have  spoken  in  my  work  "  on  Funerals  " ;  it  is  beaten,  soaked 
and  manipulated  until  it  produces  threads  like  linen,  and  is  spun  into  a  cloth  which  is 
impervious  to  fire.  Or  rather  it  grows  whiter  and  cleaner  in  fire,  while  water  makes  it  hard 
like  stone.  Of  this  cloth  the  ancients  made  the  bags  in  which  they  burned  their  dead,  so  as 
to  preserve  the  ashes.  Amiantus  is  found  in  a  village  of  the  same  name.  Of  substances 
used  in  medicine  are  turpentine,  colocynth,  rhubarb,  scammony,  and  many  other  useful  herbs 
and  rare  simples.  There  are  beasts  and  birds  of  all  kinds :  in  most  esteem  are  those  found 
nowhere  else,  as  certain  little  birds  called  vine-birds,  which  feed  on  grape  and  lentisc  seed, 
and  get  very  fat.  They  are  caught  in  very  great  numbers,  and,  pickled  in  vinegar,  are 
exported  to  grace  the  table  of  epicures.    Everywhere  they  are  welcomed  and  relished,  but 


POIICACCHI. 


167 


'tis  a  cloying  food,  and  mo  too  this  long  oniinicration  of  the  riclies  of  the  island  cloys,  and 
I  will  only  shortly  say  that  Cyprus  certainly  deserves  to  he  i-anked  with  those  lands  that 
produce  in  most  abundant  measure  all  that  is  necessary  for  man's  use.  And  if  the  inhabitants 
were  more  industrious,  or  less  sluggards,  especially  in  the  way  of  increasing  their  water 
supply,  their  fields  would  be  even  more  fertile  still ;  but  so  great  is  the  profit  which  a  very 
little  labour  wins  for  them  from  cotton  and  wool,  that  other  produce  is  generally  neglected. 

The  island  has  no  rivers,  such  streams  as  there  sire  are  mere  torrents.  In  a  few  places 
they  have  channels  or  chains  of  wells,  or  they  dig  pits  and  draw  up  the  water  by  means  of 
wheels.  When  there  are  heavy  rains  it  seems  that  the  hollows  in  the  mountains  get  filled, 
where  water  is  mostly  stored.  Hut  rain  is  scarce  in  the  island,  and  when  it  does  not  fall  the 
springs  in  many  parts  are  seen  to  diminish.  Wonders  of  this  kind  are  common,  which  the 
universal  superstition  of  the  islanders  has  exalted  into  miracles.  At  Morfu  for  example  the 
tomb  of  S.  Mamolo,  called  here  Mama,  exudes  water,  or  liquid  of  some  kind,  a  scjvereign 
remedy,  so  they  say,  for  many  illnesses,  and  for  storms  at  sea.  At  Famagusta  again,  on  the 
vigil  of  the  feast  kept  in  honour  of  S.  Epii)lianius,  Archbishop  <jf  Salamis,  who  did  penance 
in  a  cave  near  the  city,  pure  and  sparkling  water  was  seen  U)  trickle  gently  from  the  rock  of 
the  grotto,  and  again  to  st<jp.  This  too  answered  to  the  wishes  of  many  pious  persons  who 
kept  it  to  use  as  a  medicine  or  a  charm.  Other  graves,  which  it  were  tedi<jus  to  enumerate, 
were  credited  with  like  virtues. 

In  the  days  of  Constantine  the  (ireat  (>yi)i-us  was  left  uninhabited  for  thirty-six  years; 
no  rain  having  fallen  <luring  that  period,  thi'  natives  were  obliged  to  emigrate.  But  S.  Helena, 
on  her  return  from  Jerusalem,  landed  at  the  village  Marin,  the  ancient  Marion,  now  called 
Vasilopotamo,  four  leagues  from  old  Limisw),  and  seeing  the  beauty  of  the  island  and  its 
present  misery  prayed  to  tlu;  Lord,  and  at  her  intercession  it  rained,  whereupon  she  procured 
the  return  of  the  inhabitants  from  tiie  neighbouring  provinces  (tf  Egypt,  Juda'a,  Syria,  Cilicia 
and  elsewhere,  all  of  them  Greeks,  and  living  after  the  (xreek  fashion.  In  many  places  she 
left  pieces  of  the  sacred  wood  of  our  Redeemer's  Cross,  built  churches,  and  contributed  in 
other  ways  to  the  good  of  the  island,  so  that  it  again  became  populous. 

'I'he  population  became,  as  1  said,  (ireek,  but  in  later  days  it  fell  into  five  different 
classes,  Parici,  Lfvteri,  Alhauianx,  Wliifr  Vnotians,  and  Pi'rpiriarii.  1  leave  out  for  the 
present  the  nobles,  of  whom  1  will  speak  by  and  by.  The  I'arici  were  a  kind  of  slaves,  bound 
for  life  to  their  masters :  they  dated  from  the  time  of  the  Greek  Dukes,  who  compelled  them 
to  defend  the  coast  from  corsairs,  both  by  money  payments  and  personal  service.  The  Ijatin 
kings  found  this  custom  and  preserved  it  (men  so  easily  fall  in  with  what  is  profitable).  Its 
conditions  were  even  aggravated,  for  when  they  began  to  give  the  villages  to  their  barons, 
they  gave  them  also  authority  of  every  kind,  short  of  the  power  of  life  and  death,  over  the 
I'aiici;  and  the  tyranny  of  the  masters  grew  so  fiercely  insolent  that  some  bartered  their 
slaves  unblushingly  for  dogs  or  other  animals.  The  Levteri  were  those  Parici  who  were 
freed  by  payment,  through  chanty  or  other  reason,  lint  some  who  were  free  in  their  persons 
were  b(Mind  in  their  purse,  being  compelled  to  pay  yearly  to  the  Dukes  and  Princes  fifteen 
perpiri  or  more — a  perpiro  was  a  silver  (jinlio,  ur  (as  they  say  at  Venice)  a  mnrcrllo—aud 
from  this  coin  they  get  their  name  Perpiriarii.  'I'he  Albanians  were  people  of  Albania, 
brought  here  to  defend  the  seaboard  against  pirates,  who  married  in  (.'yprus,  and  with  their 
descendants  preserved  the  name  of  their  native  country.  The  White  \'enetians  were  certain 
peasants  who  were  personally  free  men,  but  paid  a  yearly  tax,  and  came  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Venetian  Cc^nsuls  residing  in  Cyprus,  But  when  Cyprus  fell  under  the 
Republic  their  privileges  were  somewhat  extended.   All  these  classes  could  be  found  tlirough- 


16» 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


out  the  island,  bat  in  Nicosia  lived  also  the  nobles.  They  established  themselves  there  in 
the  train  of  King  Gruy  of  Lusignan,  as  I  shall  presently  explain,  and  at  that  same  time  came 
a  throng  of  other  strangers,  Armenians,  Copts,  Maronites,  Indians,  Nestorians,  Greorgians, 
Jacobites,  who  all  settled  in  Nicosia,  each  nation  having  its  own  bishop :  but  all  these  bishops 
were  suffragans  to  the  Latin  archbishop  of  Cyprus,  a  post  lately  filled  by  Monsignor  Philip 
Mocenigo,  a  learned  prelate.  The  nobles  were  very  fond  of  foreigners :  most  of  them  lived 
after  the  fashion  of  Latin  nations,  the  rest  like  Greeks.  They  were  quick-tempered,  lively 
and  active,  and  lived  in  lavish  splendour  and  refinement. 

Cyprus  has  been  the  nursing-mother  of  many  illustrious  men,  of  whom  I  will  pick  out 
a  few :  the  rest  will  be  found  noticed  in  the  authors  whom  I  have  quoted  elsewhere.  Venus, 
they  say,  was  born  in  the  Cypriot  city  Aphrodision :  Cupid  was  her  son,  who  (be  the  story 
false  or  true)  might  have  personified  the  lascivious  temper  and  habits  of  the  islanders^jwho 
allowed  their  virgin  daughters  to  win  their  own  dowers,  and  to  yield  themselves  on  the 
seashore  to  the  embraces  of  foreigners  who  landed  there.  Afterwards  they  were  married. 
And  before  Venus  were  others,  whom  the  empty  lying  of  the  heathen  deemed  to  be  gods  and 
goddesses,  also  born  in  Cyprus.  But  it  is  recorded  that  hence  came  Asclepiades  the  historian, 
Solon  of  Salamis,  the  philosopher,  one  of  the  seven  sages  of  Gfreece,  and  the  great  law-giver  of 
Athens;  Evagoras,  of  whom  Plutarch  has  much  to  say,  and  his  son  Cleoboulos;  Zenon  of  Cition, 
a  philosopher  and  founder  of  the  Stoic  Sect,  and  ApoUonios,  of  the  same  town,  an  excellent 
physician  and  copious  author.  Xenophon,  the  historian  and  philosopher,  is  said  to  have 
been  a  Cypriot,  but  of  what  city  is  not  known.  I  pass  by  for  want  of  space  the  kings  and 
tyrants  recorded  in  history;  but  in  the  time  when  our  Saviour  became  incarnate,  and 
redeemed  us  with  His  Blood,  there  appeared  godly  men,  whose  holiness  of  life  made  them 
famous :  of  whom  were  S.  Barnabas  the  Apostle,  and  Mark  his  sister's  son,  one  of  the  seventy- 
two  disciples,  among  whom  also  were  numbered  Mnason  and  Epaphroditos :  Paulus  Sergius 
and  Titus,  disciples  of  S.  Paul  (not  the  Titus  to  whom  he  addressed  an  epistle),  Nicanor, 
Triphyllos,  Epiphanios,  Spyridon,  Theodoros,  Hilarion,  loannes  Eleemosynarios,  Stadion, 
Tychonas,  Nemesios,  Potamos,  Didymus,  Neophytos  and  others  were  saintly  men,  renowned 
for  their  learning  and  holy  lives,  all  Cypriots.  Cyprus  too  is  credited  wth  SS.  Constantia, 
Catarina,  and  Ijirene,  daughter  of  S.  Spyridon.  Nor  must  we  forget  that  when  Christendom 
rose  to  arms  for  the  conquest  of  the  Holy  Land,  three  hundred  barons  and  nobles  of  various 
nations,  seeing  the  enterprise  likely  to  fail,  retired  to  Cyprus,  and,  scattered  among  the 
villages,  gave  themselves  to  lead  a  life  of  piety.  Who,  full  of  the  fear  of  God,  and  of 
gratitude  to  His  Di\dne  Majesty,  earned,  in  spite  of  common  prejudice,  the  reverence  and 
devotion  even  of  the  Greeks.  One  of  these  was  John  of  Montfort,  Count  and  Marshal  of 
Cyprus,  whose  body  lay  intact  in  Nicosia,  in  the  church  dedicated  to  his  name. 

After  the  fall  of  the  domination  of  the  Assyrians,  of  Amasis,  King  of  Egypt,  the  Argives, 
the  gods,  and  the  nine  kings,  who  successively  followed  the  descendants  of  Noah  in  the 
lordship  of  the  island,  Cyprus  became  subject  to  Greek  tyrants :  now  it  was  the  Megarians, 
now  the  Persians,  the  Athenians,  Alexander  the  Great,  Ptolemy  the  First  and  Demetrius, 
who  ruled  there,  until  the  Romans  made  themselves  masters  of  it,  and  by  the  agency  of 
Marcus  Cato  drew  from  it  immense  treasure  in  gold  and  silver.  It  remained  a  subject 
province  until  the  division  of  the  Empire,  and  fell  to  Constantine  the  Great,  when  S.  Helena 
had  brought  back  its  inhabitants.  But  the  Byzantine  Emperors,  harassed  by  wars,  allowed 
the  island  to  be  governed  by  the  Dukes  who  went  there  in  their  name,  their  negligence 
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169 


his  fleet  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem,  because  he  was  denied  shelter  in  its  ports,  and  received 
other  insults  from  the  then  Duke  Isaac,  in  his  fury  he  turned  the  forces  which  he  had 
arrayed  against  the  Saracens  against  the  island,  and  subdued  and  garrisoned  it.  Not  long 
after  he  gave  it  to  the  Knights  Templar,  whose  injustice  provoked  the  Cypriots  to  resort  to 
arms,  and,  thus  harassed,  the  Knights  gave  it  back  forthwith  to  Richard,  who  sold  it  on  the 
same  conditions  to  (xuy  Lusignan,  a  Frenchman,  who  had  been  driven  from  the  throne  of 
Jerusalem.  They  exchanged  titles,  and  thus  the  Kings  of  England  began  to  style  themselves 
Kings  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  House  of  Lusignan  took  possession  of  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus. 
King  (xuy  brought  with  him  into  the  island  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1193  many  nobles  of 
Jerusalem  and  France,  who  had  started  ior  the  concjuest  of  the  Holy  Land,  nearly  all  of 
them  being  French  barons.  As  cities  and  lands  in  the  kingd<nn  of  Jerusalem  were  lost  to 
the  Franks,  this  class  of  nobles  kept  increasing.  There  was  a  general  move  to  Cyprus,  and 
King  (ruy  and  his  successors  kept  granting  to  the  incomers  villages,  priN-ileges  and  revenues: 
and  in  this  way  were  established  in  the  island  the  barons,  feudatories  and  other  nobles. 

The  line  of  these  Lusignan  kings  lasted  up  to  Pierre  IL  the  Fat,  son  of  King  Pierre  who 
took  the  city  of  Alexandria.  'J'he  said  l^ierro  was  ousted  by  the  (xenoese.  For  it  chanced 
that  at  a  banquet  given  by  him  in  the  year  1372  the  envoys  of  Venice  and  Genoa  residing 
at  his  court  quarrelled  about  precedence,  and  when  the  king  decided  in  favour  of  the 
Venetians  the  Genoese  were  so  indignant  that  they  conspired  secretly  against  his  person. 

Hut  the  plot  was  discovered,  and  the  king  had  all  the  conspirators  thrown  from  the 
windows  of  his  palace,  and  caused  all  the  Genoese  in  the  island,  mthout  one  exception,  to 
be  slain.  Whereupon  the  (ienoese  sent  against  him  a  great  fleet  under  Pietro  Fregoso, 
brother  of  Doinenico  Fregoso  their  Hrst  doge.  Pietro  started,  and  after  various  accidents 
carried  off  a  prisoner  to  (ienoa  Jacques  ljusignan,  uncle  and  guardian  of  King  Pierre,  and 
Seneschal  of  Cyprus,  together  with  his  wife  who  was  eticeintH.  He  could  not  take  the  king, 
who  died  shortly  after  without  children.  Aml)assadors  were  then  sent  to  Genoa  by  the 
Barons  of  Cyprus  to  ask  for  the  Seneschal,  as  being  next  in  succession  to  the  crown.  His 
wife,  Civ!i  d'Ibelin,  had  in  prison  brought  forth  a  son,  who  was  called  Janus  after  the  city 
of  (ienoa.  The  (ienoese  sent  him  back,  and  he  was  crowned  King  of  Cyprus,  Jerusalem 
and  Armenia:  but  the  (ienoese  still  held  the  city  of  Fainagosta,  which  they  had  taken  and 
kept.  Janus,  his  son,  succeeded  to  the  throne,  but  he  was  attacked  by  the  fV)rces  of  Malik-el 
Ashraf,  Sultan  of  Pjgypt,  and  made  prisoner.  He  was  ransomed  by  Giovanni  Podocatharo, 
a  Cypriot  gentleman  who  sold  all  his  farms  and  furniture,  but  on  condition  that  the  king 
should  pay  to  the  Sultan  and  his  succe.><sors  an  annual  tribute.  Janus  left  two  children, 
Agnes  who  married  Louis,  Duke  of  Savoy,  and  Jean,  who  inhented  at  his  father's  death  his 
kingdom  and  titles.  Jean's  second  wife  was  HeliMia  Paheologa,  daughter  of  Theodore,  Despot 
of  the  Morea,  brother  of  John  Paheologus,  Kuiperor  of  Constantinople.  She  was  a  clever 
woman,  quick-witted,  and  (ireek  at  heart,  and  seeing  her  husband  an  effeminate  creature, 
unfit  for  rule,  administered  the  island  on  her  own  lines,  substituting  everywhere  the  Greek 
for  the  Latin  rite.  She  had  a  daugiiter  name.l  Carlotta,  and  lier  liusl)and  (by  a  concubine) 
a  son  named  Jacques,  a  handsome,  graceful  and  clever  lad.  Carlotta  married  first  John,  son 
of  the  King  of  Portugal,  who  restored  the  Latin  rite,  and  was  put  to  death  by  the  queen. 
She  then  married  iiouis  of  Savoy,  son  of  the  Louis  who  married  her  aunt  Agnes.  Jacques 
the  bastard  was  made  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  but,  after  his  father's  death,  for  various  reasons 
he  shook  off  his  ecclesiastical  dignities,  and  being  persecuted  by  his  sister  and  cousin  fled  to 
the  Sultan  of  Egypt.    The  latter  gave  him  men  with  whom  he  returned  to  Cyprus  and 


170 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


made  war  upon  Carlotta  and  her  husband,  who  were  compelled  after  various  engagements 
to  abandon  the  kingdom,  and  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  Jacques,  who  proclaimed  himself 
its  conqueror  and  king,  having  also  wrested  Famagosta  from  the  Grenoese.  After  so  many 
victories,  wishing  to  fix  his  position  upon  an  enduring  basis,  he  took  to  wife  Caterina, 
daughter  of  Marco  Cornaro,  a  Venetian  gentleman,  whom  he  accepted  as  a  daughter  of  the 
Republic  from  the  hands  of  the  Senate,  who  assigned  to  her  a  dowry.  King  Jacques  died, 
leaving  his  wife  enceinte,  who  gave  birth  to  a  son,  who  was  called  Jacques  after  his  father, 
was  crowned,  and  died  when  little  more  than  two  years  old.  Thereupon  Queen  Caterina 
resigned  her  kingdom  to  the  Venetian  Signory,  and  in  1489  was  conducted  to  Venice, 
received  with  great  pomp,  and  presented  with  the  castle  of  Asolo  in  the  Trevisano. 

So  the  Venetians  remained  lords  of  Cyprus,  and  held  it  until  1570,  when  the  Turkish 
Sovereign  Selim,  without  lawful  excuse,  and  contrary  to  his  plighted  faith,  declared  war 
against  the  Republic  for  the  conquest  of  the  island.  He  landed  a  huge  army  at  Saline  on 
June  24  and  besieged  Nicosia,  which  he  took  by  assault  on  September  8,  cutting  the  in- 
habitants to  pieces.  Next  he  gained  by  capitulation  the  fortress  of  Cerine,  whose  defenders, 
Gio.  Maria  Mutazzo,  a  noble  Venetian,  and  Alfonso  Palazzo,  surrendered  it.  After  this  he 
marched  his  troops  to  Famagosta,  which  city  he  invested,  up  to  the  end  of  July,  1571,  with 
more  than  two  hundred  thousand  soldiers.  The  city  was  defended  by  its  Captain, 
Marcantonio  Bragadino,  a  Venetian  gentleman,  and  Astorre  Baglioni,  the  general  com- 
manding the  troops  in  the  island,  who  did  all  that  men  could  do  to  harass  the  enemy  and 
preserve  the  town.  The  assaults  and  attacks  were  many,  and  bravely  borne,  and  the  example 
left  by  the  courage  and  constancy  of  Baglione  has  indeed  taught  us  what  advantage 
Christian  troops  have  over  Turks,  seeing  that  he  held  out  with  so  few  men  against  so  great 
a  hostile  force;  and  he  would  have  proved  himself  even  more  their  match,  if,  absolutely 
compelled  by  lack  of  ammunition  and  provisions,  he  had  not  agreed  to  treat  with  the  Turks 
on  honourable  conditions.  But  these  the  infidels  would  not  observe.  Famagosta  was  lost, 
the  officers  who  defended  it  killed  or  enslaved,  and  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  torn  from  the 
Venetian  rule,  passed  into  the  Turkish  Empire. 

I  should  describe  this  war,  about  which  I  am  very  fully  informed,  with  more  detail,  but 
I  have  set  forth  the  whole  story  in  order  in  a  separate  book  which  I  have  composed  about 
the  life  and  deeds  of  Astorre  Baglioni ;  in  which  it  may  be  read  with  interest,  if  it  be  ever 
allowed  me  to  send  forth  to  the  world  as  my  own  this  work  of  mine.  The  reader  can  refer 
too  to  what  I  write  at  length  in  my  "  History  of  the  events  between  1550  and  1575." 


PORCACCHI.  VILLAMONT. 


171 


VILLAMONT. 

Tlie  Seigneur  de  Villamont  left  his  home  in  tlie  Duchy  of  Brittany  in  June,  1588,  travelled  in  Italy  and 
embarked  at  Venice  on  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land.  He  visited  Cyprus  on  the  voyage  to  Jaffa,  and 
again  on  his  way  from  Tripoli  to  Damietta.  His  return  journey  from  Alexandria  to  Venice  took  him  no 
less  than  one  hundred  and  eight  days,  "  without  setting  foot  on  land,"  and  at  Venice  he  was  detained 
thirty-seven  days  in  quarantine!  His  voyages  occupied  thirty-nine  months:  the  distance  covered  he 
reckons  at  5658  leagues. 

The  work  from  which  these  extracts  are  translated  was  published  at  Paris  in  1596,  again  at  Arras  in 
1598,  and  at  Kouen  in  1612.  M.  de  Villamonfs  account  of  the  locusts  is  quoted  by  Sir  John  Chardin 
(1686)  from  "an  ancient  traveller,"  and  reprinted  by  Southey,  in  a  note  to  Tlialaba,  in.  30.  (Poetical 
Worku,  in  one  volume,  royal  8vo,  Longmans,  1863,  p.  241.) 

Les  voyages  du  Seigneur  de  Villamont,  Chevalier  de  l'ordre  de  Hierusalem, 
Gen'TIL-homme  du  I'AYS  UK  Hrktaioxe.    Arras,  1598,  pp.  257  et  sqq. 

On  Ascension  Day,  Tluirsday,  May  11,  1589,  about  mid-day  we  arrived  at  the  first  point 
of  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  which  seamen  call  Cape  S.  Piphany,  and  coasting  along  came 
near  to  Balfo.  This  city  is  situated  in  a  fair  plain,  close  to  the  sea,  and  much  set  off  to  land- 
wards by  low  hills.  But  it  is  half  ruined,  so  that  it  profits  little  by  the  Ijeauty  of  its  site  and 
the  fruitfulness  of  the  soil.  There  are  found  here  in  great  quantity  very  beautiful  stones 
called  Bafo  diamonds :  some  of  them  indeed  are  beautiful  enough  to  deceive  many  a  lapidary. 
The  peasants  put  them  aside  and  sell  them  very  cl\eaply. 

The  city  of  Baffo  was  anciently  called  I'aphos,  witness  Holy  Writ,  where  mention  is 
made  of  the  bonds  with  which  S.  Paul  was  bound  before  he  went  up  to  Jerusalem.  In  tliis 
city  the  goddess  Venus  held  of  old  her  court,  for  she  was  queen  of  the  island  of  Cj'prus, 
whence  she  is  called  Cypris,  and  the  first  temple  dedicated  to  her  was  in  this  city,  where 
men  and  women  offered  sacrifice  to  her  naked ;  hut.  at  the  prayer  of  8.  Barnabas  the  Apostle, 
a  native  of  Cyprus,  the  idol  of  Venus  and  her  temple  fell  shattered  to  the  ground.  A  mile 
from  Baffo  we  were  shown  the  place  where  are  the  grottos  in  which  the  sleepers  slept  three 
hundred  and  more  years  without  awaking,  and  many  other  fine  things.  But  see,  all  is  nearly 
uninhabited  now  (m  account  of  the  unhealthy  climate :  so  great  are  the  changes  and 
vicissitudes  of  things!  Anciently  the  place  was  the  most  delightful  in  the  island,  and  the 
favourite  abode  of  its  kings. 

Coasting  along,  we  passed  Cape  Bianco,  so  called  from  its  wliite  colour,  and  Cape  Lagatte, 
which  stretches  far  into  the  sea  from  a  fair  and  fertile  plain.  Tliis  cape  takes  its  name  from 
the  cats  in  the  abbey  of  S.  Nicolas,  of  which  I  shall  speak  presently.  And  because  night 
was  upon  us  the  master  would  not  push  on  to  Limi.sso,  so  we  dropped  our  anchoi-s  and  waited 
for  the  day.  In  the  morning  he  sent  the  gig  to  Liniisso  to  ask  leave  of  the  Cadi  to  land. 
Another  party  of  the  sailors  manned  the  cutter  to  go  and  cut  wood.  Both  duties  were 
performed,  and  the  boats  returned  about  the  same  time,  bringing  fresh  pronsions,  and,  to  our 
great  delight,  roses  and  flowers  of  different  colours,  with  boughs  of  olive,  orange  and  capers. 

[The  author  dvscrihes  tlicir  hoxtlle  pnrleyiiigx  n  ith  aii  English  vessel  from  London  to 
Zante,  which  took  Cyprics  to  be  Cephalonia  !    He  proceeds] 

The  master  took  us  to  Limisso,  a  village  in  a  beautiful  plain  and  close  to  the  sea.  The 
houses  are  built  chiefly  of  earth  covered  with  rushes  and  fascine.s,  of  a  single  storj',  and  .so 

22—2 


172 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


low  that  one  must  stoop  to  mount  two  or  three  steps.  They  make  their  doors  thus  low  so 
that  Turks  on  horseback  or  an  angry  crowd  may  not  enter.  We  landed  and  found  on  the 
beach  a  number  of  Turks  who  had  come  to  see  us.  They  all  had  in  their  turbans  roses, 
violets  and  other  flowers.  After  having  a  good  look  at  us  they  left  on  horseback  with  their 
Cadi,  all  carrying  a  scimetar  at  their  side,  and  a  long  dart  or  javelin  in  their  hands :  some 
had  a  bow  and  quiver,  with  an  iron  mace  hung  at  their  saddlebow,  and  in  this  array  they 
paraded  all  the  afternoon,  managing  their  horses,  as  is  their  wont,  with  graceful  dexterity. 
Then  we  walked  about  the  village.  There  was  nothing  worthy  of  mark.  About  five  years 
since  an  earthquake  threw  down  all  the  houses,  which  have  been  rebuilt  by  the  Turks  after 
the  fashion  of  pigsties.  The  poor  Christians  are  no  better  lodged  than  the  Turks,  or  even 
worse.  They  have  indeed  built  a  little  church  fifteen  feet  high,  where  they  say  the  mass  of 
the  Greek  rite.  You  may  see  too  the  baths  where  the  Turks  bathe  every  day,  and  the 
sepulchres  in  which  they  are  laid  after  they  have  descended  to  the  Paradise  prepared  for  them 
by  their  false  prophet  Mahomet.  The  sun  was  low  in  the  west,  and  reminded  us  to  return 
to  supper  and  sleep  on  our  vessel. 

I  had  dined  with  a  Greek  monk,  a  native  of  Cyprus,  with  whom  I  used  often  to  talk  on 
the  ship — he  spoke  very  good  Italian,  and  was  well  disposed  towards  me — and  begged  him 
to  take  me  to  see  what  was  most  remarkable  in  the  island.  He  agreed  to  do  so,  and  we 
hired  each  an  ass.  The  next  morning  early  we  landed,  mounted  our  beasts  and  started, 
attended  by  a  Janissary  on  horseback.  But  first  we  had  each  a  draught  of  good  Cyprian 
wine,  which  in  body,  strength  and  goodness  surpasses  malvoisie  and  other  wines  of  the  East, 
but  it  is  so  burning  and  corrosive  that  it  should  be  drunk  only  in  the  morning,  and  then  in 
small  quantity  only.  Even  a  little  suffices  to  warm  the  stomach  the  day  through,  and  yet 
the  wine  is  extremely  cheap.  Beyond  Limisso  we  crossed  a  beautiful  plain  full  of  olives, 
fig  trees  and  notably  carob  trees.  This  is  an  evergreen  tree,  with  a  long  fruit  of  delicious 
taste.  There  are  also  palms,  orange  and  lemon  trees,  and  some  of  a  kind  called  cypress, 
which  is  used  for  fuel,  the  country  producing  only  aromatic  wood,  whose  smoke  gives  a 
strong  scent.  The  peasants  had  already  gathered  in  their  wheat  and  barley.  They  sow,  the 
monk  told  me,  at  the  end  of  October,  and  reap  generally  in  the  following  April. 

And  so  conversing  together  we  arrived  at  the  abbey  of  S.  Nicolas.  It  is  close  to  the 
sea,  and  remains  almost  whole,  having  received  no  injury  from  the  Turks  Avhen  they  took 
Cyprus  from  the  Venetians  in  1570.  But  they  slew  or  drove  away  the  monks  of  S.  Basil 
who  occupied  it,  nor  have  they  from  that  time  forth  allowed  anyone  to  dwell  there,  so  bitterly 
do  they  hate  the  Christian  faith.  My  companion  told  me  that  the  said  monks  kept  a  number 
of  cats  on  purpose  to  catch  the  snakes,  which  are  found  all  about  the  plain  in  greater  numbers 
than  in  any  other  part  of  the  island. 

These  snakes  are  black  and  white,  at  least  seven  feet  long,  and  thick  as  a  man's  leg,  so 
that  I  could  scarcely  believe  that  a  cat  could  overcome  so  big  a  beast,  or  that  they  would  have 
the  patience  to  go  to  hunt  them,  and  not  to  return  until  the  bell  rang  for  mid-day,  and  as 
soon  as  they  had  dined  to  resume  their  chase  until  evening,  if  it  were  not  that  the  monk 
swore  that  he  had  seen  it.  His  story  was  confirmed  later  by  other  persons  of  honour  who  had 
seen  the  same.  The  abbey  is  left  deserted,  and  the  cats  are  dead  for  want  of  food,  but  their 
memory  lives  in  the  name  Cape  delle  Gatte,  the  Cape  of  Cats.  Close  to  the  abbey  and  the 
Cape  is  a  large  fishery,  round,  and  nearly  two  leagues,  or  six  Italian  miles  in  circuit.  There 
is  one  little  entrance  by  which  the  sea-water  and  the  fish  enter.  To  take  the  fish  they  shut 
this  entrance,  and  open  it  again  to  admit  others.  The  Grand  Signor  gets  six  thousand  ducats 
yearly  from  the  farmers,  who  are  obliged  by  ancient  usage  to  give  to  the  abbey  all  the  fish 


VILLAMONT. 


173 


they  catch  on  the  day  and  night  of  S.  Nicolas'  feast,  or  they  would  not  take  a  single  fish  all 
the  year  through.  But  now  that  the  abbey  is  abandoned  the  fanners  pay  this  due  to  the 
church  of  the  Greeks.  I  must  not  forget  to  say  that  in  August  the  villagers  round  Cape  delle 
Gatte  catch  a  great  number  of  falcons.  They  have  to  do  this  at  their  <jwn  cost,  and  as  soon 
as  they  catch  one,  under  pain  of  death  they  are  obliged  to  take  it  to  the  Pasha,  and  the  Pasha 
must  send  it  to  the  Grand  Signor.  They  rear  a  number  of  pigeons  to  lure  the  falcons,  which 
get  entangled  in  the  nets.  It  is  true  that  the  Pasha  pays  them  for  each  falcon  one  or  two 
ducats,  and  besides  this  they  are  exempt  from  all  dues  and  ta.xes,  and  live  unmolested  in 
their  houses  and  lands. 

It  may  not  be  altogether  out  of  place  to  s;iy  something  (jf  the  order  taken  by  the  Turks 
for  a  newly-conquered  province.  The  first  tiling  done  is  to  write  in  a  book  the  number  of 
the  inhabitants,  with  the  name  and  surname  of  each  individual.  This  book  is  taken  to 
Constantinople,  where  the  Sultan  fixes  what  tribute  he  chooses,  generally  two  ducats  a  head, 
without  counting  other  dues  and  taxes  which  he  may  impose.  Children  only  under  the  age 
of  fifteen  are  exempt,  and  a  rule  is  observed  throughout  the  Empire  that  though  half  his 
subjects  be  dead  his  revenue  in  no  wise  diminishes,  for  the  living  must  pay  for  the  dead: 
but  after  the  first  numbering,  though  the  people  grew  to  be  half  as  many  again,  the  revenue 
increases  not.  Commissaries  appointed  by  him  for  each  province  make  a  note  every  two 
years  of  persons  deceased,  so  as  to  strike  out  their  names  from  the  register,  and  to  put  in 
those  of  their  children  or  others  in  their  stead,  and  each  district  has  its  sub-commissary  for 
the  Turks,  while  the  parish  priest  represents  the  Christians;  all  these  are  obliged  to  make 
their  returns  to  the  chief  commissary  whenever  he  may  call  tor  them.  Thus  the  (irand 
Signor's  revenue  never  fails  liini,  and  he  knows  the  names  and  number  of  all  his  subjects. 
Only  a  little  while  since  the  reigning  Sultan  wished  to  overburden  his  subjects  with  dues 
and  subsidies,  so  that  the  very  Janissaries  at  his  gate  were  ready  U)  murder  him.  I  learned 
this  from  our  Consul  at  Limisso,  who  had  heard  it  from  persons  arrived  from  Constantinople 
that  same  day,  Saturday  morning.  May  VS.  And  this  Sultan,  whom  no  man  dared  look  in 
the  face,  the  Janissaries  dared  to  threaten  with  death  ;  dared,  yea,  and  had  nearly  killed 
him,  if  the  prince  had  not  humbled  himself  to  ask  their  pardon,  and  to  enquire  their  motive. 
They  told  him  savagely  that  it  was  his  wickedness  and  tyranny,  and  he  was  afraid  at  their 
words,  and  swore  on  his  faith  that  he  was  innocent  and  knew  nought  of  the  things  whereof 
they  accused  him;  and  as  a  pledge  of  his  good  faitli  he  promised  to  execute  justice  at  their 
will  upon  those  who  were  guilty  of  defrauding  and  oppressing  his  pei>ple  in  his  name.  And 
they  trusting  their  prince  seized  forthwith  the  greatest  Pashas  and  the  minions  about  hi.s 
throne,  one  of  whom  they  massacj-ed  in  his  jjresence,  hacking  him  to  pieces.  Nor  <li(l  he  dare 
restrain  them.  And  this  rising  and  rev(jlt  of  the  Janissaries  was  by  no  Tiieans  extinguished, 
according  to  the  report  of  the  officers  whom  the  Sultan  had  sent  to  the  Provinces  to  attest 
his  innocence. 

Rut  to  return  to  my  subject.  Leaving  ('ai)e  dflle  (iatte  we  journeyed  on  towards  a 
mountain  which  produces  the  best  wines  in  Cyprus,  and  here  we  found  a  very  large  \'illage, 
where  the  Turks  have  never  set  foot,  for  it  lies  in  a  little  valley  covered  with  trees  of  divers 
kinds,  olives,  cypresses,  carobs  and  others.  /\nd  all  along  the  mountain  are  many  vineyards. 
The  wine  will  keep,  the  common  people  tell  you,  for  thirty  years,  and  if  you  drink  only  two 
pegs  of  this  in  th(>  morning  you  can  easily  jjass  the  rest  of  the  day  without  meat  or  drink,  so 
remarkable  is  the  strength  and  goodness  of  the  wine.  But  taken  in  excess  it  Imrns  you  up 
at  last.  And  coming  down  from  the  mountain  we  saw  a  very  beautiful  garden  belonging  to 
a  (jreek  Christian.    A.  wide  stream  passes  through  it  bordered  with  palms,  oranges,  date- 


174 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


palms,  lemons  and  other  excellent  fruits.  You  see  tliem  on  the  trees,  some  ripe,  some  in 
flower,  some  approaching  maturity,  just  as  those  of  the  kingdom  of  Naples.  But  the  Cypriot 
oranges  are  twice  the  size  of  the  Italian.  We  dined  in  this  garden  in  Turkish  fashion,  and 
then  went  down  to  see  the  sugar  canes,  and  the  house  where  they  are  made  into  sugar.  But 
I  need  not  describe  this,  for  everyone  knows  about  it.  Only  this  much,  that  the  water  which 
flows  down  from  the  garden  turns  the  wheel  which  crushes  the  canes,  and  the  liquid  thus 
expressed  is  boiled  to  make  sugar.  From  this  spot  we  returned  to  the  open  country.  It  was 
very  hot,  and  a  great  thirst  oppressed  us,  so  that  our  monk  led  us  to  the  house  of  a  Cypriot 
priest  to  drink  water  from  his  fountain.  Seeing  which  the  owner  politely  offered  us  wine, 
asking  my  guide  if  I  was  one  of  the  Lutheran  English  lately  arrived  at  the  port.  The  monk 
told  him  that  I  was  a  Frenchman.  Upon  this  the  poor  man  embraced  me  for  joy,  saying  in 
Italian  much  in  praise  of  the  French,  and  how  since  they  had  lost  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus, 
the  Cypriots  had  never  been  well  treated,  and  had  lost  their  liberty.  Then  he  took  us  round 
his  garden  and  showed  me  two  large  stones,  such  as  are  set  on  the  graves  of  notable  persons. 
On  one  of  them  were  written  in  French  these  words : 

Cy  gist  Jean  Carcar,  Chevalier,  qui  trespassa  de  ce  siecle  le  quinziesme  jour  d'Octohre, 
Van  de  Jesus-Chrisf  mille  trois  cens  dix-lmict.    Dieu  aye  mercy  de  I'ame  d'iceluy. 

On  this  tombstone  was  neither  effigy  nor  coat-of-arms,  on  the  other  stone  was  the  effigy 
of  a  lady,  and  her  arms,  a  cross  patonce,  with  these  words : 

Cy  gist  Dame  Floride  d'Anzerel  jadis  femme  de  Messire  Jean  de  la  Molee  Chevalier 
qui  trespassa  le  vingt  et  uniesme  Janvier  Van  de  Jesus-Christ  1301.  Dieu  enayt  Vame.  Amen. 

He  told  me  that  there  were  many  others  at  Famagusta :  and  that  even  to-day  the 
Cypriot  Christians  availed  themselves  of  the  privileges  granted  to  them  by  the  French,  and 
that  their  last  French  king  was  of  the  house  of  Lusignan.  At  Limisso  I  was  shown  a  coat- 
of-arms  on  the  gable  end  of  the  old  ruined  castle,  three  lions  with  the  arms  of  Jerusalem. 
Night  approached,  and  I  returned  to  the  vessel  to  sup  and  to  sleep,  for  there  is  no  inn  on 
shore. 

Sunday  morning.  May  14,  I  landed  to  hear  the  Holy  Liturgy  (which  the  Latins  call 
the  Mass)  celebrated  by  a  Greek  priest,  for  there  were  no  Latin  priests.  When  this  was  over 
I  met  the  Turks  going  to  their  mosque,  which  is  twice  the  size  of  the  Christian  church,  and 
built  after  the  same  fashion.  But  no  Christian  were  so  bold  as  to  enter  it,  unless  he  would 
be  burned,  or  made  to  deny  Jesus  Christ.  We  returned  to  the  ship,  and  dinner  was  scarcely 
over  when  the  Cadi  and  a  great  many  Turks  came  to  see  our  vessel,  all  handsomely  dressed 
in  stuffs  of  different  hues,  wearing  turbans  as  white  as  snow.  This  whiteness  is  due  to  their 
being  made  of  cotton  cloth,  which  Turks  use  more  than  flax.  Our  Captain  seeing  them 
coming  made  all  haste  to  prepare  dinner  and  to  spread  carpets  on  the  after-deck  for  them  to 
sit  on.  The  Turks  as  a  rule  never  eat  at  high  tables,  but  sit  on  the  ground  like  tailors,  resting 
their  arms  on  their  knees,  and  in  this  fashion  eat  like  pigs.  And  although  their  law  forbids 
them  wine,  yet  they  will  drink  to  excess  without  scruple  or  shame.  They  dined  well,  and 
then  walked  all  about  the  ship,  and  accepted  some  mirrors  and  other  things  from  the  sailors. 
As  their  boat  left  for  the  shore  our  Captain  saluted  them  with  three  guns,  and  ordered  the 
men  to  weigh  anchor  and  steer  for  the  Salines.  We  did  not  get  off  however  until  evening 
for  we  had  still  to  take  on  board  two  oxen  and  certain  barrels  of  wine.  On  Monday  the 
wind  turned  against  us  so  that  we  waited  until  two  in  the  afternoon  near  Mount  Olympus, 
where  was  anciently  the  temple  of  Venus  Acraea,  which  women  might  not  enter,  nor  even 


VILLAMONT. 


175 


see.  'Phis  mo\intain  is  now  called  "Holy  Cross,"  because  S.  Helena  returning  fi-om  Jerusalem 
was  compelled  by  the  weather  to  land  where  a  little  stream  runs  from  this  mountain,  now 
called  the  river  of  S.  Helena,  because  she  slept  on  its  bank,  having  placed  under  her  head 
the  holy  Cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  she  had  brought  from  Jerusalem.  But  as  she 
slept  it  befell  that  the  Cross  was  miraculously  withdrawn,  and  carried  to  the  top  of  Mount 
Olympus.  When  she  awoke,  and  saw  herself  defrauded  of  the  much  loved  relic  which  she 
had  sought  out  with  so  great  pains,  she  was  sorely  grieved,  and  knew  not  whom  to  accuse  of 
the  theft.  And  those  of  her  company,  seeing  her  distress,  began  to  search  everywhere,  and 
at  last  the  Cross  was  found  on  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Then  the  good  S.  Helena,  knowing 
that  (rod  would  be  worshipped  there,  caused  a  church  to  be  built  there  which  exists  to-day; 
and  in  it  she  left  a  piece  of  the  said  Cross,  after  which  the  mountain  is  named.  Before  the 
Turks  took  Cyprus  there  were  monks  there,  (ireeks  and  Italians,  l)ut  now  the  church  is 
abandoned. 

Sailing  along  we  saw  a  wide  and  fair  plain,  on  which  is  the  town  of  Chity.  They  say 
that  Lazarus,  whom  our  Lord  restored  to  life,  was  Bishop  there.  But  here  I  find  a  great 
contradiction  between  the  (ireeks  and  ourselves,  for  we  hold  it  certain  that  Lazarus  was 
Bishop  f)f  Marseille,  and  that  he  died  there:  while  the  (ireeks  say  that  he  was  Bishop  of 
Chity,  and  of  all  the  territory  of  Saline.  And  when  we  were  on  shore  they  showed  us  a  very 
ancient  church,  which  they  affirm  to  have  been  built  by  S.  Lazarus,  whose  name  it  still 
bears.  It  is  really  built  in  the  antique  style,  getting  little  light  but  such  as  enters  at  the 
open  doors.  On  the  right  as  you  enter  you  see  an  ancient  sepulchre:  to  reach  it  you  pass 
a  little  opening  and  go  down  four  steps,  then  you  take  a  candle  and  approach  the  tomb, 
which  is  neatly  made  and  ornamented  with  marble:  in  some  parts  it  is  two  feet  broad  and 
three  high.  I  was  assured  that  it  certainly  is  the  tomb  of  S.  Lazarus,  and  that  the  Kmperor 
Leo,  surnamed  the  Philosopher,  caused  his  body  to  be  taken  to  Constantinople.  Zonaras  the 
historian  in  his  third  volume  says  as  much.  For  my  part  I  shall  believe  that  there  were  two 
Lazaruses,  one  of  whom  may  have  been  Bishop  of  Chity,  and  was  buried  in  this  church 
dedicated  to  him.  But  to  say  that  this  was  he  whom  our  Saviour  reston-d  to  life  is,  to  my 
thinking,  a  manifest  error.  F(jr  with  all  respect  to  Zonaras  and  «)ther  (ireeks,  we  have  his 
body  as  well  as  that  of  the  Magdalen,  in  our  own  France. 

After  doubling  the  (Jape  called  also  (Jhity  we  arrived  about  sunset  at  the  port  of  Salines, 
fifty  miles  from  Limassol,  and  after  firing  a  salute  of  three  guns  our  Captain  sent  a  boat 
ashore  with  his  clerk  to  advise  the  (jadi  of  our  arrival. 

[The  author  iwplains  hoir  nrirs  which  met  him  at  Larnaca  of  the  fury  of  the  plague  at 
Tripoli,  where  120  persons  trere  dying  daily,  made  him  change  his  vessel  for  one  engaged  to  go 
directly  to  Jaffa,  and  continues — ] 

We  landed  and  saw  the  church  of  S.  Lazarus,  and  the  fine  salt-lake  which  yields 
abundance  of  salt  in  large  and  small  blocks  as  white  as  alabaster.  The  plain  around  produces 
wheat  aTid  otlier  grain  plentifully ;  it  stretches  nearly  all  along  the  seashore,  and  is  wanting 
in  nothing  but  wood,  and  even  that  is  supplied  by  the  adjacent  hills.  There  are  some 
villages,  the  chief  of  them  liarnaca,  where  there  is  a  fine  church  turned  by  the  Turks  into  a 
mos(|ue.    It  was  here  that  the  Turkish  force  which  conquered  Cyprus  first  landed. 

Our  Captain  was  buying  salt  at  the  lake  to  salt  eighteen  or  twenty  oxen  and  cows 
which  he  had  bought  to  provisicm  the  ship,  when  two  decent  fellows,  Cypnot  Christians,  who 
were  arranging  the  sale,  told  us  in  good  Italian  of  two  strange  things  which  had  happened 
only  six  days  ago  at  Famagusta,  where  the  plague  had  long  been  raging,  and  its  inhabitants 
and  those  of  the  country  round  were  nearly  all  dead.    One  diiy  about  mid-day  a  Turk  began 


176 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


to  cry  aloud  to  the  people  to  assemble  in  the  public  square  to  hear  the  good  news  he  would 
tell  them,  how  they  might  escape  death.  Those  who  had  escaped  the  scourge  ran  as  to  a  fire, 
and  the  Turk  dancing  and  jumping  about  the  square  said,  "Rejoice  all  of  you  and  dance  with 
me,  for  I  announce  that  in  half  an  hour  I  shall  die  on  this  spot,  and  immediately  after  my 
death  the  plague  will  cease."  They  wondered  at  his  words,  and  waited  to  see  the  issue,  but 
when  the  moment  came  for  the  Turk  to  visit  the  abode  of  Pluto  his  body  fell  stark  on  the 
square.  Great  was  the  alarm  and  wonder  of  all,  which  increased  yet  more  when  the  plague 
ceased.  The  news  was  carried  forthwith  to  the  Pasha,  who  gave  thanks  to  Mahomet  and 
ordered  that  a  grand  tomb  should  be  built  for  the  dead  man,  around  whose  body  was  a  great 
procession,  the  Pasha  himself  joining  it  with  much  devotion.  The  very  next  day  another 
man  inspired  by  the  spirit  of  darkness  did  a  diabolic  and  desperate  deed.  He  took  his  stand 
in  the  middle  of  the  square  of  Famagusta,  stripped  himself  naked,  and  with  a  knife  ripped 
open  his  belly  before  the  people  and  dragging  forth  his  bowels  said,  "I  die  for  the  love  I  bear 
to  our  great  prophet  Mahomet,  to  whom  I  now  ofPer  my  bowels."  With  these  words  the  poor 
wretch  died. 

The  Greek  monk  who  had  been  my  guide  through  the  island,  hearing  that  the  plague 
had  ceased  at  Famagusta,  at  once  hired  a  donkey  and  without  bidding  us  adieu  started  for 
his  home. 

It  were  not  worth  my  while  to  linger  just  now  over  an  account  of  the  manners  of  the 
Turks,  their  errors  and  superstitions,  I  will  only  touch  on  what  I  saw  in  Cyprus  of  the 
stupidity  and  coarseness  of  these  barbarians.  A  certain  herb  grows  in  the  island  called 
Amphiam  or  Saffioii,  which  they  prepare  in  various  ways  for  eating,  and  say  that  when  they 
have  eaten  of  it  they  see  in  their  dreams  the  most  delightful  gardens  in  the  world,  and  a 
thousand  like  blundering  impertinences  hatched  from  their  own  brains.  But  these  poor  sots 
do  not  know  that  this  herb  has  the  power  of  making  a  man  drunken,  as  though  he  had 
drunk  wine. 

**************** 

The  next  day,  Wednesday,  May  17,  we  landed  to  hear  Mass  in  the  church  of  S.  Lazarus, 
which  two  months  since  the  Christians  had  bought  from  the  Turks  for  the  sum  of  three 
thousand  aspres,  about  thirty-one  gold  crowns ;  Mass  is  now  said  therein  according  to  both 
the  Greek  and  Latin  rites. 

[T/ie  author  gives  more  details  of  the  alarms  and  diffictdties  which  delay  his  departiore : 
then — ] 

To  speak  generally  of  the  position,  size  and  fertility  of  the  kingdom  of  Cyprus — it  is 
mountainous  in  parts,  much  longer  than  its  breadth,  from  west  to  east  240  miles  long  and 
80  miles  broad,  its  circuit  six  hundred.  Nearly  in  the  middle  is  the  city  of  Nicosia,  its 
capital :  not  Famagusta,  as  some  think,  which  is  at  one  of  the  eastern  points  of  the  island. 
But  on  account  of  its  fine  harbour  and  incomparable  fortress  the  Pasha  generally  lives  at 
Famagusta  for  the  safety  of  his  person  and  his  galleys.  Ships  bound  for  Tripoli  would  pass 
the  city  on  the  left  hand :  it  lies  close  to  the  sea,  and  near  it  is  the  prison  where  S.  Catherine 
was  confined  before  she  was  beheaded  by  her  father,  as  well  as  other  ruins  of  the  ancient 
city  of  Salamis,  among  which  there  exists  still  a  church  built  on  the  spot  where  the  Apostle 
Barnabas  suffered  martyrdom.  We  were  infinitely  sorry  not  to  have  the  happiness  of  seeing 
it,  when  we  were  but  nine  leagues  away.  But  it  was  not  our  will,  but  our  ardent  desire  to 
see  something  of  more  importance  that  made  us  lose  this  opportunity,  however  on  my  return 
to  Cyprus  on  my  voyage  to  Damietta  I  had  my  wish  gratified.  The  island  is  situated  between 
the  gulf  of  Satellia  and  the  Caramanian  Sea  on  the  one  hand,  and  Syria  and  Palestine  on  the 


VILLAMOXT. 


177 


other.  It  is  distant  from  Venice  about  2220  miles  (1110  French  leagues) :  from  Alexandria 
in  Egypt  4^0  miles:  from  the  port  of  Caramania  called  Alexandretta  80  miles:  from  Tripoly 
90 :  from  Candia  400 :  Antioch  140 :  and  Jaffa  250 — all  from  cape  to  cape,  for  the  coasting 
journey  would  be  much  longer.  Such  is  the  position  of  this  noble  and  fruitful  island,  which 
in  fertility  and  beauty  yields  to  no  other  in  the  world,  and  contains  in  itself  everything 
which  man  need  wish  for.  First  it  has  its  mines  of  gold  which  the  Cypriots  have  not  yet 
chosen  to  show  to  the  Turks,  no  more  than  mines  of  other  kinds,  except  sulphate  of  copper 
which  is  used  in  medicine ;  next  it  abounds  in  very  excellent  wines,  wheat,  barley,  cattle, 
salt,  oil,  sugar,  cheese,  flax,  fine  wool,  great  sheep  whose  tails  weigh  more  than  twenty-five 
pounds,  capers,  pomegranates,  sweet  and  bitter  oranges,  palms,  cucumbers,  melons,  and  fruits 
of  all  kinds  in  great  plenty  :  and  particularly  cotton,  which  was  being  sown  during  my  \nsit 
to  be  gathered  in  the  following  September,  'i'he  shrub  is  small,  not  more  than  three  and  a 
half  feet  in  height,  it  bears  little  pods  from  which  the  cotton  is  extracted,  while  the  seed  is 
kept  for  the  next  year's  sowing. 

But  with  the  many  V)lessings  which  (rod  has  scattered  over  the  island  there  is  also  one 
drawback,  for  about  the  time  that  the  corn  is  ripe  for  the  sickle,  the  earth  produces  such  a 
quantity  of  cavalettes  or  locusts  that  they  obscure  sometimes  the  splendour  of  the  sun. 
Wherever  these  pa.ss  they  burn  and  spoil  all.  For  this  the  Cypriots  liave  no  remedy,  since 
the  more  they  destroy  the  more  the  earth  produces  next  year,  (iod  however  raised  up  a 
means  for  their  destruction,  which  happened  thus.  In  Persia,  near  the  city  of  Cuerch,  there 
is  a  fountain  of  water,  which  has  a  wonderful  property  of  destroying  these  locusts,  provided 
it  be  carried  in  a  pitcher  in  the  open  air,  without  passing  under  roof  or  vault :  and  being  set 
on  a  high  and  exposed  place  certain  birds  follow  it,  and  Hy  and  cry  after  the  men  who  carry 
it  from  the  fountain.  These  birds  are  red  and  black,  and  Hy  in  flocks  together,  like  starlings. 
The  Turks  and  Per.sians  call  them  Mahometans.  These  birds  no  .sooner  came  to  Cyprus,  but 
with  their  song  and  flight  they  destroyed  the  locusts  which  infested  the  island.  But  if  the 
water  be  spilt  or  spoilt,  these  creatures  disappear.  Which  accident  fell  f)ut  when  the  Turks 
took  Cyprus,  for  one  of  them  going  up  iiit(j  the  steeple  of  the  Cathedral  Church  at  Famagusta, 
and  finding  there  a  pitcher  of  this  water,  he,  fancjnng  that  it  contained  some  precious  thing, 
broke  it,  and  spilt  the  water:  since  when  the  Cypriots  have  been  always  tormented  by  the 
locusts.  Nor  have  they  found  anyone  willing  to  journey  to  Persia  to  fetch  some  of  this 
water,  for  he  must  needs  traverse  the  Arabian  deserts.  The  Greek  monk  of  Famagusta  told 
me,  however,  that  a  Turk  had  engaged  to  go  thither  for  six  hundred  ducats.  So  it  is  that 
there  is  nothing  in  this  world,  however  sweet  and  pleasant,  but  is  attended  by  some  trouble 
and  bitterness!  Cyprus  was  anciently  governed  by  kings  and  tyrants  down  to  the  days  of 
King  Ptolemy,  from  whom  it  was  taken  by  the  Romans  at  the  instance  of  Publius  Clodius 
Bellus,  for  whom  a  large  ransom  was  demanded  by  pirates  who  had  captured  him  at  sea.  He 
sent  to  borrow  the  money  from  King  I'tolemy,  who  was  the  friend  and  ally  of  the  Roman 
Republic,  but  Ptolemy  seeing  tlie  sum  was  a  very  large  one  sent  but  a  part  of  it,  which  was 
refused  by  the  pirates,  though  they  released  Publius  Clodius  on  his  word  of  honour.  When 
Clodius  was  afterwards  tribune  of  the  people  he  caused  Marcus  Cato  to  be  sent  by  the  Senate 
to  conquer  the  island  of  Cyprus,  i'tolemy  hearing  this  chose  rather  to  kill  himself  than  to 
fall  alive  into  the  hands  of  the  Romans.  The  Kingdom  then  became  a  Province,  governed 
by  a  Pnetor  sent  yearly  from  Rome. 

To  speak  now  of  the  coins  current  in  Cyprus.  The  gold  sultan  is  worth  about  as  much 
as  the  Venetian  sequin,  and  is  of  nearly  the  same  size.  It  passes  for  120  aspres,  the  aspre 
being  a  little  coin  of  pure  silver  less  in  size  than  half  a  denier.    Eight  aspres  make  a  seya, 


178 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


and  fifteen  seyas  are  worth  a  sequin.  The  crown,  both  of  France  and  Spain,  is  worth  twelve 
seyas,  and  the  dollar  (Spanish  pieces-of-eight)  ten. 

These  are  their  only  coins  except  certain  maugouris  made  of  copper,  of  which  sixteen 
make  an  aspre.  The  aspre  is  worth  about  six  French  deniers  obole,  the  seya  four  sols  and 
four  deniers.  You  must  carry  none  of  these  small  coins  to  Tripoly  or  Hierusalem,  for  they 
are  not  current  there,  and  from  month  to  month  they  rise  or  fall  in  value. 

[The  vessel  leaves  Larnaca  on  the  eventing  of  May  17,  and  coasts  along  in  the  direction 
of  Limassol  until  a  scirocco  freshens  so  much  that  it  anchors  close  to  the  shore.  The  author 
lands'\ 

to  recover  the  appetite  I  had  lost  on  board,  and  to  enjoy  the  sight  of  a  fine  plain  filled 
with  caper-bushes,  olives,  carobs,  and  a  strong-scented  wood  called  in  Greek  Squina,  from  the 
seeds  of  which  oil  is  made :  but  I  marvelled  especially  to  see  the  fields  full  of  thyme,  which 
our  sailors  cut  for  fuel,  while  in  our  country  we  keep  it  to  adorn  and  embellish  the  borders 
and  labyrinths  of  our  gardens.  Wonderful  indeed  is  the  excellence  and  fertility  of  the  island, 
and  still  more  wonderful  to  see  it  so  thinly  peopled,  for  one  would  scarcely  find  five  or  six 
poor  houses  in  all  this  plain ! 

[The  Seigneur  de  Villamont  visited  Jerusalem  (where  he  was  dubbed  a  Jcnight  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre)  and  Damascus,  and  on  September  10  embarked  at  Tripoli  for  Damietta. 
Eight  days  later  he  reached  Limassol,  ill  with  fever,  and  remained  in  Cyprus  until  October  6, 
1589,  ivhen  he  sailed  again  for  Damietta,  pp.  553 — 5.1 


THEVET. 

Andre  Thevet,  "  Angoumoisin,  Cosmographe  du  Roy,"  after  publishing  his  Cosmographie  de  Levant, 
4to,  Lyon,  1556,  Cosmographie  Universelle,  2  vols,  fol.,  Paris,  1575,  and  other  works,  left  in  MS.  (Bibl.  Nat. 
de  Paris,  nos.  15452  and  15453)  his  Grand  Insulaire.  From  this  work  Mons.  Ch.  Schefer  edited  an  account 
of  Cyprus,  part  of  which  is  here  translated.  It  fills  pp.  298 — 309  of  Le  Voyage  de  la  Terre  Sainte  compose 
par  Maitre  Denis  Possot,  royal  8vo,  Paris,  1890. 

(Pp.  304 — 309.)  As  to  the  things  remarkable  and  rare  to  be  found  in  the  island,  as  well 
as  the  lords  who  have  ruled  over  it,  and  lastly  by  what  means  the  Turk  has  pounced  on  it, 
I  have  to  my  thinking,  discoursed  at  such  length  in  my  Cosmography  (Cosm.  Universelle, 
Paris,  1575,  vol.  I.  104 — 204)  that  it  would  be  only  wasting  paper  in  repeating  myself,  if  I  set 
myself  to  say  all  that  should  be  said.  I  shall  do  better  to  warn  you  that  Abraham  Ortelius 
was  ill  informed  where  he  speaks  of  what  happened  in  this  island  in  the  year  1570,  for  he 
writes  that  the  Turks  made  themselves  masters  of  Famagosta,  and  slew  all  the  Christians, 
Latin  and  (ireek,  with  the  sword,  so  that  old  and  young  without  exception  felt  the  violence 
of  these  infidels.  And  still  you  see  that  the  (xreeks  and  others  live  in  entire  libei-ty.  You 
must  consider  too  that  in  this  island  are  found  many  kinds  of  fruits,  as  cherries,  chestnuts, 
oranges,  lemons,  almonds  and  nuts.  So  too  you  have  palm-trees,  the  tallest  in  the  world,  but 
they  do  not  (as  some  fancy)  bring  their  fruit  to  maturity,  like  those  of  upper  Africa,  Arabia 
Felix  and  Egypt.  I  never  saw  any,  nor  can  they  ripen  there  any  more  than  in  Crete,  Rhodes 
or  the  Mediterranean  islands  generally.  I  say  this,  because  I  know  that  many  persons  have 
fallen  into  error,  and  have  mistakenly  written  that  these  palm-trees  produce  very  good  fruit 
which  we  call  dates.    Among  others  a  certain  Cypriot  who  calls  himself  Frere  Estienne  de 


VILLAMONT.  THEVET. 


179 


Lusigna'n,  who  amuses  himself  with  telling  us  to  our  faces  such  a  story,  which  is  quite  as 
fanciful  as  what  he  sets  down  later,  that  in  this  island  are  found  emeralds  and  diamonds  on  a 
mountain  near  a  Greek  monastery  called  Agro.  I  see  very  well  that  this  good  monk  is  in 
error,  and  that  instead  of  an  emerald,  diamond  or  ruby  from  China,  Goa  or  Calicut,  he  gives 
us  stones  ready  cut  on  the  inaccessible  heights  of  Canada,  of  which  I  have  spoken  elsewhere. 
I  quite  allow  that  in  Cyprus  are  found  good  marble,  jasper,  chalcedony,  and  in  some  parts  of 
the  sea,  coral. 

This  island  is  likewise  distinguished  by  .several  fine  monasteries,  as  Mancana,  Andrio, 
Pepi,  Sergio  di  Flatri,  Cuzurenti,  Anglistia,  Morfu,  Agrotiri  and  some  others.  Lastly  it  is 
commended  to  us  for  having  produced  a  goodly  band  of  fine  and  excellent  men,  such  as  were 
Triphylius,  bishop  of  Nicosia,  alive  in  A.U.  378,  in  the  days  of  Constantine  the  Great,  a  very 
eloquent  personage,  who  has  written  several  good  books.  Titus,  a  deacon,  native  of  Paphos, 
was  the  contemporary  of  another  distinguished  Candiot  of  the  same  name:  hence  several 
scholars  have  fallen  into  error  in  saying  and  insisting  that  the  (.'andiot  and  the  Cypriot  were 
but  one  Titu.s,  who  was  converted  to  the  faith  with  S.  Paul.  Sergios  Nicanor,  one  of  the 
seven  deacons  and  a  disciple  of  S.  Stephen.  Kpiphanius,  who,  although  the  son  of  a  Jewish 
father  and  heathen  mother,  was  converted  to  the  faith  through  the  prayers  and  piety  of  the 
Greek  monk  Lucian  after  he  had  roamed  for  long  years  through  the  countries  of  Asia,  Egj  pt 
and  Persia:  later  he  was  elected  bishop  of  Salamina.  His  birthplace  was  the  town  of 
Marachassa.  As  he  was  the  glory  of  the  learned  persons  of  this  island  1  would  not  have  him 
forgotten  in  my  Watory  of  riluxtrioiis  Mm  {Les  vrais  poiirtraicts  et  vies  des  homines  illustres, 
Paris,  1584,  p.  22),  where  you  will  find  his  life  and  portrait  just  as  I  brought  it  from  this  very 
island.  He  it  was  who  first  of  all  condenuied  the  heresy  of  Origen  and  all  his  writings. 
Spiridion,  another  Cypriot,  was  bishop  of  Tremittus.  This  good  father  was  pre.sent  at  the  first 
council  of  Niciea,  to  which,  before  the  bi.shops  and  prelates  of  the  (xreek  and  Latin  churches, 
he  proposed  several  questions  to  confute  the  sect  of  the  Arians.  Sometime  after  his  return 
he  died  in  the  island  of  Corfu,  and  was  buried  in  a  temple  of  (Jreek  monks,  where  his  sepulchre 
was  shown  to  me.  As  to  Theodore,  a  distinguished  per.son,  he  was  a  native  of  Cj'prus,  and 
when  he  had  reached  the  age  of  a  hundred  he  was  electtnl  bi.shop  of  the  town  of  Pacerinesj 
now  nuich  ruined.  This  valiant  champion  of  the  Church  of  (Jod  composed  several  beautiful 
books  against  the  heresies  of  i)io.scorus  and  Kutyche.s,  and  others  who  were  ill  disposed  to  the 
church  of  God.  The  good  bishop  of  Salamis,  Hilary,  was  a  bold  champion  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  He  composed  three  large  volumes,  two  of  which  can  be  seen  in  the  library  of  the 
Greeks  at  Mount  Athos.  He  lived  in  the  daj  s  of  another  great  man,  a  bishop  of  Poitiers, 
also  called  Hilary;  both  these  were  the  scourges  of  the  Arian  heretics.  As  to  John  the 
Almoner,  patriarch  of  the  church  of  Kgypt,  who  lived  in  the  year  ')()3,  he  was  a  Cypriot, 
born  in  the  town  of  Amatus,  which  was  also  the  birthplace  of  the  good  and  leained  bishop 
Stadion.  His  successor  was  Leoiiidas,  who  exchanged  his  see  for  that  of  Napoleos,  to  live  in 
greater  retirement.  When  I  myself  was  visiting  the  i.sland  of  Cyprus  there  was  shown  me  a 
corner  of  an  old  (Jreek  monastery  where  this  venerable  father  Leonidas  was  buried.  In  the 
same  place  the  monks  preserve  as  a  great  treasure  certain  manuscripts  written  in  Greek  on 
parchment,  composed  by  him,  which  have  not  yet  conu"  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Latins.  He 
flourished  in  014,  in  the  days  of  Sj'rilos,  bishop  of  the  church  of  Bapho  or  Papho.  I  should 
be  very  sorry  to  have  forgotten  to  recall  to  the  reader  the  good  (ielasius,  the  companion  of 
Spiridion;  both  were  present  at  the  council  of  Constantinople.  Thej'  showed  there  the 
wisdom  and  the  hearty  zeal  which  they  had  for  the  Church  of  God  in  encounters  with  the 
Arian  sect.    As  to  Julius,  bishop  of  Papho,  Theoljrobrus,  bishop  of  Tremitus,  Tichon,  bishop 

23—2 


180 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


of  Tamassus,  they  were  present  at  the  council  of  Chalcedon.  Eliodorus,  bishop  of  Amatus, 
Echio,  of  Arsenoe,  Epaphroditus,  of  Dacmassus,  Didimus,  of  Lapithos,  Evagrius,  of  Solis, 
Denys,  deacon  of  Chitraea,  and  Sapithian,  of  Papho,  whose  tomb  was  several  times  shown  me 
in  a  very  deep  grotto  in  the  chapel  called  by  the  vulgar  the  seven  sleepers.  Of  these  seven 
sleepers  the  simple  folk  tell  a  thousand  stories ;  among  others,  they  are  so  deluded  that  they 
believe  that  these  seven  sleepers  are  still  alive;  their  priests  have  always  kept  them  in  this 
error.  This  chapel  is  between  the  town  of  Papho,  now  mostly  ruined,  and  the  tower  near  the 
sea,  on  the  top  of  which  can  still  be  seen  the  arms  of  Savoy  carved  in  white  marble.  I  will 
not  leave  out  Reginius,  of  Constantia,  a  personage  greatly  distinguished  for  his  holy  life  and 
deep  wisdom.  For  brevity's  sake  I  cannot  here  undertake  to  recall  to  the  reader  other  wise 
and  holy  men  to  whom  this  island  has  given  birth,  most  of  whom,  each  in  his  day,  were 
pi-esent  at  the  four  first  councils,  and  at  several  others  held  in  Africa,  Europe  and  Asia. 
There  was  no  mention  then  of  archbishops,  only  of  bishops,  and  of  certain  patriarchs  who 
lived  in  the  famous  old  city  of  Nicossia,  between  whom  and  the  cardinals  of  Rome  there  was 
no  difference,  except  that  they  wore  black  hats  while  the  cardinals  wore  red.  Truly,  in 
wi'iting  the  lives  of  the  seven  good  fathers  mentioned  above,  meseems  I  was  entering  a 
second  terrestrial  paradise  and  place  of  rest,  so  carried  away  was  I  by  the  content  which 
filled  my  spirit.  But  contrariwise  when  I  think  of  the  folly  and  ignorance  in  which  are  now 
sunk  the  patriarchs,  bishops  and  prelates  of  the  Greek  church  I  fancy  I  am  entering  a 
labyrinth  of  perpetual  torment.  To  say  the  truth  and  in  no  wise  to  delude  my  reader, 
having  lived  in  Greece  and  travelled  hither  and  thither  over  the  continent,  the  sea  and  the 
islands,  conferring  many  times  in  many  years  with  these  Grascising  Greeks,  I  have  not  found 
there  or  observed  one  man  fit  to  carry  the  books  of  a  Bessarion,  an  Argyropoulos,  a  Gaza,  and 
others  who  were  present  at  the  council  of  Florence.  These  prelates  have  no  care  for  anything 
but  to  take  their  pleasure,  and  drink  like  Greeks  their  good  Candiot  or  Cypriot  wine.  As  to 
their  secular  priests  everyone  knows  that  they  are  all  married ;  the  monks  and  bishops  are 
not.  But  the  patriarch  called  Nestorius  reformed  them  in  such  wise  that  they  were  compelled 
thenceforward  to  live  as  Greek  monks  do,  and  this  marriage  of  bishops  lasted  378  years. 
This  is  all  I  had  to  tell  you  of  this  island,  called  in  Turkish  Qibris  Adasy.  It  was  seized  and 
overrun  by  the  Turks,  while  its  true  masters  and  lords  were  the  Signory  of  Venice,  in  1571, 
not  without  great  loss  on  the  side  of  the  infidels,  who  besieged  the  city  of  Famagosta :  the 
defenders  whereof,  after  receiving  168,000  cannon  shots,  surrendered  to  the  mercy  of  the 
conqueror. 


THEVET.  DANDINI. 


181 


DANDINI. 

Girolamo  Dandini,  S.J.,  Professor  of  Tl)cology  at  Perugia,  was  sent  in  1596  by  Pope  Clement  VIII.  as 
nnncio  to  the  Maronites  of  the  Lebanon.  He  touclied  at  Limassol  August  8,  visited  Larnaca  and  Nicosia, 
and  left  for  Tripoli  August  27.  He  returned  to  Larnaca  March  19, 1597,  and  left  for  Venice  April  12.  His 
Misnione  apontolica  al  paii  iarca  e  Maioniti  del  monte  Lihaiio  was  published  in  4to  at  Cesena,  in  1656, 
a  Frencli  translation  by  K.  S.  P.  (Richard  Simon)  appeared  in  Paris,  8vo,  1675,  and  16mo,  1685,  and  an 
English  version  in  Pinkei-ton's  collection,  4to,  London,  1811,  vol.  x.  I  have  used  for  the  following  extract 
a  Paris  copy  of  1685,  pp.  21—43. 

In  1901  there  were  1130  Maronites,  enumerated  in  20  towns  or  villages  of  Cyprus.  In  1891  their 
number  was  1131.  The  villages  named  by  Dandini  are  probably  Metochi,  Phlamoudi,  Hagia  Marina, 
Asomatos,  Kampyli,  Carpasi,  Cormaciti,  Tremidia,  Casaphani,  Vouna,  Kepos,  Yeri,  Chrysida,  Kephalobrysi, 
Kato  Chrysida,  H.  Georgios  tes  Attalias,  Clepini,  Episcopi,  Gastria. 

August  12  we  arrived  at  Cyprus,  and  anchored  towards  eveiiing  off  Lemiso,  where  the 
inhabitants,  and  particularly  the  Turks,  visited  and  explored  our  ship.  We  were  there  three 
days  without  going  <jn  shore,  becau.se  there  was  jiothing  worth  .seeing,  and  there  was  no 
church  where  we  could  have  said  mass. 

About  11  o'clock  on  tlie  16th  we  left  tor  Salines,  whither  a  good  breeze  carried  us  quickly 
so  that  we  reached  it  two  hours  before  sunset.  It  is  about  600  miles  from  Candia.  The 
next  morning  early  we  landed  on  the  beach  and  went  straight  to  Arnica  about  a  mile  away. 
It  is  a  convent  of  Franciscan  monks  a  few  of  whom  live  there  for  the  convenience  of  some 
Italian  merchants.  Our  ves.sel  continued  its  journey  to  Alexandretta,  and  we  had  to  wait 
some  days  in  the  island  to  find  a  ship  bound  for  Tripoli.  To  lo.se  no  time  I  left  my  companion, 
who  had  been  unwell  since  we  left  Crete,  to  the  care  of  these  g(K)d  monk.s,  and  of  the 
Maronite  servant  whom  we  had  brought  with  us,  and  accompanied  an  honest  Venetian 
merchant  to  Nicosia.  This  the  ancients  calh^l  Lcttra  and  then  Leucoto:  it  was  formerly 
an  archbishopric,  and  the  metropolis  of  the  kingdom.  It  is  only  24  miles  from  Arnica. 
I  took  this  journey  to  get  the  best  information  I  could  about  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
Maronites,  who  live  there  in  considerable  number. 

Turks  only  are  allowed  to  enter  Nicosia  and  all  other  fortresses  on  horseback.  Christians 
and  others  must  alight  at  the  gate,  and  once  within  may  remount  their  horses  and  go  to 
their  houses.,.. Nicosia  is  a  large  city  and  well  built  after  the  Oriental  fashion.  But  in  the 
last  wars  it  was  destroyed  in  several  jjlaces.  For  it  is  now  twenty-seven  years  since  the 
'I'livks  took  the  city  from  the  Venetians;  it  was  thus  that  God  chose  to  puni.sh  the  sins  and 
schism  of  the  (Jreeks  of  the  island.. ..The  towers  or  belfries  are  ruined,  or  without  bells,  which 
the  Turks  have  turned  into  jjieces  of  ordnance. 

There  are  at  Nicosia  four  kinds  of  churches,  each  of  which  I  examined  by  itself.  The 
Turkish  inosciues  are  the  most  imj)ortant,  both  for  their  number  and  for  the  beauty  and  size 
of  the  buildings.  I  was  not  allowed  to  enter  them,  but  I  could  see  through  its  iron  gates 
that  the  mosque  which  was  once  the  church  of  S.  Sophia  was  the  finest  and  most  stately.  It 
is  a  large  and  spacious  structure  with  many  colunuis  such  as  you  would  see  in  most  of  our 
churches.  No  altars,  statues  or  paintings  of  any  kind :  the  walls  are  simply  whitewashed. 
By  the  door  stands  a  fine  fountain,  which  was  not  there  in  the  time  of  the  Christians.... The 
Greeks  have  another  kind  of  chuivh,  of  which  1  shall  only  remark  that  if  a  Latin  priest  had 


1«2 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


celebrated  mass  therein  they  would  think  that  all  the  water  of  the  ocean  were  not  enough 
to  purify  the  church,  to  such  an  extent  do  they  wash  the  altar,  and  even  the  whole  building, 
in  their  belief  that  the  Latin  mass  contaminates  and  profanes  it.  Their  usage  of  consecrating 
with  leavened  bread,  and  their  other  rites  are  sufficiently  known.  They  hate  the  Latins 
worse  than  they  do  the  Turks.  The  honest  tradesman  with  whom  I  lodged  told  me  they  had 
refused  absolution  to  one  of  his  servants,  a  Greek  by  race,  because  he  served  a  Frank  (so 
they  call  those  who  follow  the  Latin  rite).  It  will  not  be  out  of  place  to  relate  here  another 
of  their  superstitions.  The  same  man  was  concerned.  He  had  confessed  a  quite  ordinary 
fault,  but  was  repelled  by  the  confessor  who  refused  to  absolve  him,  telling  him  he  could  not 
do  so  without  calling  in  seven  other  priests.  A.  little  money  brought  these  together,  they 
made  the  penitent  lie  like  a  corpse  on  the  ground,  and  at  last  reciting  certain  prayers  gave 
him  absolution.  It  is  their  custom  to  demand  money  for  absolution,  and  to  refuse  it  when 
none  is  given  them.  For  they  pretend  to  have  a  right  to  four  or  five  crowns  and  even  more 
to  absolve  quite  ordinary  faults.  The  penance  they  impose  for  the  other  great  sins  is  to  repel 
the  penitent  from  communion  for  four  or  five  years.  They  do  so  perhaps  to  show  contempt 
and  aversion  for  the  Latin  Church  which  enjoins  yearly  communion.  One  would  be  all  the 
readier  to  believe  it  because  the  Greeks  have  certain  games  in  which  they  introduce  a  Latin, 
on  whom  they  pour  a  hundred  insults,  box  his  ears,  hit  him  with  the  fist  on  the  nose,  and 
a  thousand  other  outrages.  The  Latins  have  at  Nicosia  only  a  small  church,  or  rather  a 
chapel  which  is  well  kept  up.  It  is  served  by  a  priest,  an  aged  and  honest  man,  but  ignorant 
and  illiterate.  The  Italian  merchants  who  live  there  give  him  his  food  and  clothes,  and 
provide  the  ornaments  of  the  church.  Lastly,  the  Maronites  have  also  their  church,  which 
is  in  a  poor  condition,  so  ill  supplied  with  linen  cloths,  candlesticks,  altar  chalices,  chasubles, 
and  in  fact  everything,  that  I  was  really  sorry  for  them.  To  learn  what  was  their  rite,  as 
well  as  that  of  other  places  of  the  island  where  they  were  settled,  I  enquired  without 
distinction  from  Italians,  Greeks  and  Maronites.  I  learned  that  they  had  but  one  rite 
common  to  their  whole  sect,  of  which  I  shall  speak  hereafter,  and  that  they  lived  under  the 
same  Patriarch.  I  learned  also  that  their  homes  were  scattered  over  nineteen  villages  or 
farms  called  Metosci,  Fludi,  Santamarina,  Asomatos,  Gambili,  Carpassia,  Cormachiti,  Trimitia, 
Casapifani,  Vono,  Cibo,  Jeri  near  Citria,  Cruscida,  Cefalauriso,  Sotto  Cruscida,  Attain, 
Cleipirio,  Piscopia,  Gastria :  that  in  each  of  these  places  they  have  at  least  one  parish,  and  in 
some  two  or  three  with  one  or  more  priests.  I  was  assured  they  had  eight  churches  at 
Metosci,  and  that  mass  was  said  on  all  festivals  on  the  mountains  and  every  day  in  the  plains, 
unless  the  priests  have  some  special  duties  of  their  own.  This  sect  has  usually  a  bishop 
there,  but  he  had  died  and  another  had  not  yet  been  chosen  in  his  room.  • 

There  is  in  the  kingdom  a  Greek  bishop  who  enjoys  the  receipts  of  the  tribute  which  the 
others  are  obliged  to  pay :  he  exacts  each  year  from  every  one  seventy  aspres.  The  Janisary 
does  not  hesitate  to  give  a  good  beating  to  those  who  do  not  pay  and  shows  no  more  quarter 
to  bishops  than  to  others,  according  to  the  instructions  of  the  Receiver.  He  exacts  besides 
fifteen  or  twenty  ducats  from  each  priest  on  whom  he  confers  orders.  Such  is  the  pitiable 
condition  to  which  are  reduced  the  Christian  subjects  of  the  Turk,  although  there  are  fewer 
Turks  than  Christians.  For  of  30,000  or  more  inhabitants  at  Nicosia  there  are  scarcely  4000 
or  5000  Turks,  and  there  are  not  12,000  or  13,000  of  these  in  all  the  island,  most  of  whom  are 
renegades  who  have  adopted  Islam  to  enjoy  greater  quiet ;  so  that  it  should  not  be  hard  to 
protect  the  island  from  the  tyranny  of  the  Turk,  and  to  re-establish  the  Christian  faith.  For 
as  soon  as  these  renegades  saw  a  Christian  army  they  would  discard  the  turban  and  resum^ 
the  hat,  and  turn  their  arms  against  the  Turk.    But  let  us  drop  this,  to  return  to  our  subject: 


DAXDIXI. 


183 


The  Christians,  whether  Greeks  or  Franks,  weai-  no  turban,  nor  shave  their  heads,  but  keep 
their  hair  decently  cut  like  us,  and  wear  a  hat  or  l)lack  cap.  They  wear  however,  in  Eastern 
fashion,  a  garment  without  a  collar,  falling  to  the  knees  or  a  little  lower,  with  wide  sleeves 
which  reach  to  the  elbow.  They  gird  themselves  with  a  sort  of  sash  of  linen  or  other 
material  wound  four  or  five  times  round.  Under  their  garment  they  wear  a  petticoat  over 
a  shirt  with  a  collar,  and  stockings  on  their  legs,  and  over  all  another  garment  without  a  belt 
cut  very  much  like  the  first.  They  wear  generally  black  or  violet  or  any  other  colour  they 
may  prefer.  Cyprus  is  at  least  480  miles  in  circuit,  80  l)road  and  100  long,  and  has  two 
capes.  On  the  west  may  be  included  C.  S.  Epiphanio,  called  by  the  ancients  Acamas, 
C.  Trapano  and  Celidonio,  or  Point  Melonta,  or  C  Zephiro.  The  other  is  called  S.  Andrea, 
whence  one  makes  for  the  east.  Its  only  harbour  is  Famagusta  on  the  east.  This  is  a  famous 
town  which  was  built  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus.  But  large  vessels  can  also  ride  safely  near 
the  shores  of  BafTo,  Linn'sso,  Crusoco  and  Salines.  There  are  in  several  places  capes  which 
jut  into  the  sea,  the  most  mai-ked  is  called  the  Cape  of  Cats,  from  the  great  number  of  that 
animal  which  were  reared  in  the  monastery  of  S.  Nicolas,  where  there  are  Basilian  monks, 
called  Acrotiri.  The  cats  were  kept  to  destroy  the  great  quantity  of  snakes  found  there,  and 
large  sums  were  left  to  it  for  that  purpose. 

The  island  had  formerly  several  fine  towns  but  to-day  there  remain  only  Nicosia  and 
Famagusta  which  preserve  somewhat  of  their  ancient  grandeur,  the  rest  are  but  villages. 
In  none  of  them  can  you  find  fairiilies  of  old  nobility  :  these  are  either  extinct,  or  left  the 
island  on  its  conquest  by  the  Turks.  The  famous  M.  Olympus  is  nearly  in  the  jniddle,  not  far 
froTn  Nicosia.  It  is  very  high,  and  has  a  circuit  of  quite  .')4  miles,  and  at  every  fourth  mile 
there  is  a  convent  of  (ireek  monks,  with  fountains  and  fruits  in  plenty.  The  air  is  most 
pleasant,  and  never  so  cold  that  in  the  depth  of  winter  one  should  want  a  fire,  but  the  heat 
is  so  distressing  both  by  day  an<l  night  that  it  is  impossilile  to  travel  while  the  sun  is  up. 
Both  on  the  hills  and  iu  the  plains  there  are  fine  stretches  of  land  full  of  fruits.  Hence  the 
country  is  rich  and  productive,  and  gained  its  name  of  Macaria,  from  a  (ireek  word  meaning 
"happy."  The  ancients  had  good  reason  to  call  the  island  the  home  and  realm  of  Venus,  to 
call  Venus  Cypria  and  the  country  Cytherea,  for  not  only  do  they  say  she  was  born  at 
Aphrodisio  and  reared  at  Cythera,  but  that  she  reigned  at  Idalio,  now  Dali,  twelve  miles 
S.  of  Nicosia.  So  it  was  that  at  I'afFo  luen  and  women  .sacrificed  naked  to  Venus,  in  the  city 
wliich  was  built  long  ago  by  .\gapenor,  captain  of  the  host  of  Agamennion,  king  of  Mycenie. 
This  abuse  ceased  when  the  temple  fell  at  the  prayer  of  S.  Barnabas.  There  are  also  near 
Cape  S.  Epiphanies  two  celebrated  fountains,  one  of  which  was  called  "Amorosa"  because 
those  who  drank  of  its  waters  caught  the  fire  of  love :  the  other  was  all  unlike,  because  in 
}i  moment  it  (luenched  this  passion. 

The  islaiul  abounds  in  wheat,  wine  and  excellent  meat,  which  it  sends  to  other  countries. 
The  sun  and  the  soil  help  to  produce  very  strong  and  pleasant  wine,  but  as  it  is  kept  in 
pitcluid  vessels  it  acijuires  a  taste  which  does  not  please  those  who  are  not  accustomed  to  it. 
Kveryone  however  agrees  in  thinking  it  good  for  the  digestion.  All  kinds  of  vegetables 
grow  tlu^re,  and  abundance  of  barley,  dates,  bananas,  carobs,  oranges,  lemons,  citrons  and  all 
fruits  except  cherries,  chestnuts  aiul  service-berries:  sugar,  saffron,  coriander,  susiman 
[sesame?],  lentisc-seed,  honey  and  sometimes  manna;  as  to  vegetables,  the  cauliflowers  are 
excellent  eating,  cabbages,  Egyptian  beans,  colocasia,  the  herb  from  the  ashes  of  which  they 
nuike  soap,  and  that  with  whic-h  thi'y  bleach  camlets  and  other  linen.  There  is  that  scented 
powder  which  lends  an  odour  to  fine  soiips,  ladancm,  incense  and  storax.  Turpentine  is  found 
there,  colocynth,  i  hubarb,  seauintony  and  other  precious  drugs.   There  are  also  veins  of  gold, 


184 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


copper,  marcasite,  brass  and  iron,  rock  alum,  pitch,  resin,  sulphur  and  nitre,  and  again  the 
seed  which  gives  a  red  dye,  the  stone  called  amianthus,  coral,  emeralds,  veined  emeralds, 
crystal,  diamonds  and  other  precious  stones. 

There  are  no  great  rivers  in  the  island,  only  torrents  and  brooks.  There  is  a  small 
stream  pretty  close  to  Nicosia,  in  which  is  a  great  quantity  of  jasper,  with  its  well-known 
virtue  of  staunching  blood.  The  little  vine-birds  are  found  in  numbers ;  they  are  only  really 
delicious  on  the  spot,  but  are  sent  abroad  pickled.  The  grapes  and  the  lentisc-seed  which 
they  eat  make  them  extremely  fat.  There  is  so  much  cotton  that  the  inhabitants  not  only 
have  enough  for  their  clothes  and  for  household  use,  but  they  supply  also  Italy  and  other 
countries.  It  is  in  fact  the  chief  source  of  revenue.  They  draw  also  a  large  sum  from 
a  white  salt  which  they  win  from  a  fine  salt-pan  filled  by  fresh  water  and  the  rain.  This  is 
quite  ten  miles  round,  and  it  is  a  wonderful  thing  to  see  this  white  expanse  which  seems 
covered  with  snow.  In  the  middle  is  a  well  which  never  congeals,  though  the  rest  of  the 
salt-lake  is  congealed.  This  is  connected  with  the  legend  of  S.  Lazarus  who  came  to  this 
place.  One  sees  too  whole  fields  which  nature  has  sown  with  capers;  they  grow  without 
cultivation,  and  everyone  can  gather  as  much  as  they  like.  The  sheep  are  very  good  to  eat. 
They  are  large  and  fat,  with  prodigious  tails,  not  longer  than  that  of  our  breed,  but  at  least 
half  a  foot  broad,  and  so  fat  that  it  looks  round.  It  hangs  behind  and  beats  against  the 
creatures'  sides  as  they  walk.  The  goats  have  pendulous  ears,  three  fingers  broad.  Their 
horns  are  not  quite  as  long  as  those  of  our  goats,  and  the  forepart  of  the  head  is  shorter. 
What  gives  them  more  grace  and  fire  is  that  they  have  a  tuft  in  the  middle  of  the  forehead. 
One  thing  in  my  experience  here  will  appear  hardly  credible,  that  I  never  met  with  a  horse, 
mule  or  ass  in  this  kingdom  or  in  the  Levant  which  shook  its  rider  while  at  a  trot.  Men  ride 
without  saddle,  stirrups,  spurs  or  bridle,  the  halter  is  enough  and  a  small  pack  on  the  animal's 
back.  In  short  we  may  say  that  this  island  abounds  in  everything  and  is  delightful.  Before 
it  fell  under  the  Turk  living  was  luxurious,  loose  and  riotous.  Of  old  time  it  produced  men 
of  renown  who  were  useful  to  their  fellows  and  famous  for  their  knowledge  and  piety,  to  wit 
Asclepiades  the  historian,  Solon,  one  of  the  seven  sages  of  Glreece,  Evagoras,  Cleoboulos, 
Zenon  of  Cition,  founder  of  the  Stoic  sect,  Apollonius  the  physician,  Xenophon  the  historian, 
S.  Barnabas  and  Mark  his  cousin,  Epaphroditus,  Paulus  Sergius,  Titus,  Nicanor,  Epiphanios, 
Spiridion,  Theodoros,  Hilarion,  John  the  Almoner,  Nemesius,  Didymus  and  many  others. 

The  kingdom  has  from  all  time  had  a  variety  of  masters.  It  would  be  tedious  to  relate 
all  its  vicissitudes.  Selim,  the  Sultan  of  the  Turks,  seized  it  in  1570  with  an  army  of  200,000 
men.    But  we  have  talked  enough  of  Cyprus,  let  us  pass  on  to  Syria. 


DAN  DIN  I.  MORYSON. 


18o 


MORYSON. 

Fynes  Moryson  (1566 — 1617?),  tlie  younger  son  of  a  gentleman  of  good  estate  in  Lincolnshire,  was 
educated  at  Peterlionse,  Cambridge,  of  wliich  lie  was  elected  Fellow  in  1.'j84.  He  travelled  in  Europe  and 
the  East  between  1591-  96,  served  in  Ireland  under  Sir  C.  Blount  in  suppressing  Tyrone's  rebellion,  and 
was  wounded  at  the  siege  of  Kinsale,  1601.  His  Itinerary  appeared  in  foho,  London,  1617.  I  transcribe 
from  Part  i.  pp.  213,  214. 

On  Sund.ay  the  nineteenth  of  May,  (1596)  we  came  to  the  first  promontory  of  the  island 
Cypriif^,  towards  the  West,  and  after  eight  houres  sayling,  we  came  to  the  old  city  Paphos 
(or  Paphia),  now  called  Baffo,  <fe  the  wind  failing  ns,  and  gently  breathing  upon  this  castle 
of  Venus,  we  houered  here  all  tlie  next  niglit,  gaining  little  or  nothing  on  our  way.  This 
place  is  most  pleasant,  with  fruitfull  hils,  and  was  of  old  consecrated  to  the  goddesse  Venus, 
queene  of  this  iland ;  and  they  say  that  adamants  are  found  here,  which  skilfull  jewellers 
repute  ahnost  as  precious  as  the  Oricjitall.  A  mile  from  this  place  is  the  caue,  wherein  they 
faigne  the  seven  sleepers  to  have  slept,  1  know  not  how  many  hundred  years.  The  twenty 
one  May  towards  the  evening,  we  entred  the  port  of  Cyprus,  called  de  Saline  <fe  the  two  <fe 
twentith  day  obtaining  licence  of  the  Turkish  Cady  to  goe  on  land,  we  lodged  in  the  village 
Larnica,  within  a  monastery  <jf  Kuropean  Friars.  Here  some  of  us  being  to  .saile  to  Joppa, 
&  thence  to  goe  by  land  to  Jerusalem,  did  leave  the  N'^enetian  ship,  which  sailed  forward  to 
Scenderona.  The  Turks  did  concpier  the  iland  Cijjrus  from  the  \'enetians,  in  the  yeere  lo70, 
and  to  this  day  j)ossesse  it,  the  chief  cities  when-of  are  Nicosia,  (seated  in  the  middest  of  the 
island)  and  Famagosta  (.seated  in  the  furthest  jiart  of  the  island  towards  the  East.)  The 
Turkish  Hasha  or  governour,  useth  to  chusc  Faniogosta  for  his  seate  (though  Nicosia  be  the 
fairer  city),  because  it  hath  a  good  liaueii,  and  a  most  strong  fort,  which  the  Venetians  built. 
The  iland  lieth  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  in  length  from  the  West  to  the  Ea.st,  and  hath 
some  eighty  miles  in  breadth,  and  six  hundred  miles  in  compasse. 

This  iland  yeeldetli  to  no  place  in  fruitfidnesse  or  pleasure,  being  inriched  with  Corne, 
Oile,  Cheese,  most  sweet  Porkes,  Sheepe,  (having  tailes  that  weigh  more  than  twenty  pound) 
Capers  (growing  upon  pricking  bushes)  Pomegraiuits,  Oranges,  and  like  fruites;  Canes  or 
Keedes  of  sugar,  (which  tlu'y  beat  in  mils,  drawing  out  a  water  which  they  seeth  to  make 
sugar),  with  rich  wines,  (but  gnawing  or  burning  the  stomacke)  odoriferous  Cipres  trees, 
(whereof  they  make  Hers),  store  of  Cotton,  and  many  other  blessings  of  nature.  Neere  the 
promontory  Del'  (latto,  so  called  of  Cats  that  use  to  kill  serpents,  they  take  Falcons,  which 
Hawkes  the  governours  are  commanded  to  send  to  Constantinople.  They  sowe  corne  in  the 
month  of  October,  and  reape  it  Ajirill.  I  know  not  how  it  comes  to  pas.se  that  in  this  island 
of  Venus,  all  fruites  taste  of  salt,  which  Venus  loved  well.  And  I  thought  that  it  was  onely 
proper  to  the  place  at  which  we  landed,  where  they  make  salt,  till  many  ilanders  affirmed  to 
me,  that  the  very  earth,  the  sweet  herbs,  the  beasts  feeding  there,  and  the  fountaines  of 
waters  had  a  naturall  saltnes.  The  houses  are  built  after  the  manner  of  Asia,  of  a  little 
stone,  one  roofe  high,  and  plaine  in  the  top,  which  is  plastered,  and  there  they  eate  and 
sleepe  in  the  open  air.... 

I  formerly  said,  that  we  lodged  at  Cyprus  in  a  monastery,  whence  being  now  to  depart, 

0.  24 


186 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  Friars  of  our  company  and  also  the  Lay-men,  gave  each  of  us  eight  lires  of  Venice  to  the 
guardian  of  the  monastery,  and  one  lire  to  the  Frier  that  attended  us,  in  the  name  of  gifts  or 
almes,  but  indeed  for  three  days  lodging  and  dyet. 

Upon  Friday  the  twentith  foure  of  May,  we  seven  consorts  (namely,  two  Franciscan 
Friers,  one  Erimitane  Frier,  and  two  Lay  men,  all  Frenchmen,  and  my  selfe  and  my  brother) 
hired  a  boat  in  the  Hauen  for  foure  lires  of  Venice,  to  carrie  us  to  the  Cyprian  Barke  we  had 
hired,  and  we  carried  with  us  our  food,  a  cheese  costing  foure  Aspers,  a  jarre  of  Oyle  costing 
sixe  Aspers,  and  a  vessell  of  wine  (called  Cuso,  somewhat  bigger  than  an  English  barrell, 
and  full  of  rich  wine,  but  such  as  fretted  our  very  intrals)  costing  one  zechine,  and  foure 
soldi  of  Venice,  and  two  Turkish  aspers;  and  egges  costing  twenty  three  aspers,  beside 
bisket  which  we  brought  out  of  the  Grreeke  ship.  In  twilight  (for  the  nights  use  not  here  to 
be  darke)  we  set  saile,  and  were  forced  to  goe  backe  towards  the  West,  along  the  shoare  of 
Cyprus,  to  the  promontory  called  Capo  di  (ratti,  that  is,  the  Cape  of  Cats,  that  we  might 
from  thence  (according  to  the  Marriners  experience)  fetch  a  faire  winde.  So  we  sailed  that 
evening  thirtie  miles  (of  Italy  I  meane)  and  the  next  day  twentie  miles  to  a  village  of  Cyprus 
called  Lemisso  (where  Christians  ships  use  to  put  in.)  Hei'e  we  cast  anchor,  &  all  the  six  and 
twentie  day  of  May  expected  a  winde,  which  we  got  at  midnight  following. 

Part  III,  Booke  3,  Page  122. 

Cyprus  is  an  iland  in  the  same  sea,  and  it  is  most  fertile,  yeelding  canes  of  honey,  whence 
sugar  is  made,  and  rich  wines,  and  abounding  with  many  things  required  for  life  and  for 
pleasure,  and  this  island  the  Turks  in  the  last  age  took  from  the  Venetians  by  force  of  armes, 
the  chief  cities  whereof  are  Famagosta  and  Nicosia. 

Part  III,  Booke  3,  Page  125. 

Lastly  in  Palestine,  Cyprus  and  those  parts,  partly  I  understood  by  others,  partly  I  found 
by  experience,  that  it  seldome  raines,  and  that  about  September  &  October  onely,  and  not 
often  at  that  time,  but  so  violently  for  the  time,  as  if  it  would  beate  down  the  very  houses, 
falling  (as  it  were)  by  palefulls  at  once,  and  that  the  fields  are  watred  with  night  dewes,  at 
the  fall  whereof  no  man  stires  out  of  dores,  but  with  his  head  well  covered,  for  danger  of 
sicknesse,  all  men  using  to  keepe  in  the  house  till  the  dew  dried,  while  in  the  meantime  by 
day  the  heate  is  so  excessive,  as  a  man  can  hardly  indure  his  apparrell,  though  it  be  of  linnen 
or  silke,  if  it  hang  not  loose  but  be  close  about  him. 


M  ()  K  y  S(  JN.    COTO  VICUS. 


187 


OOTOVICUS. 

loannes  Cotovicus,  otlierwise  lohann  van  Kootwyck,  a  Doctor  of  Civil  and  Canon  Law  in  the 
University  of  Utrecht,  sailed  from  Venice  August  2,  1598,  touched  at  Limassol  September  12,  and  sailed 
from  Larnaca  September  19  for  Sidon,  Jaffa  and  Jerusalem.  On  March  25,  1599,  now  a  knight  of  the 
Holy  Sepulchre,  he  touched  again  at  Larnaca,  and  visited  Nicosia  and  Famagusta.  On  Palm  Sunday, 
April  4,  he  embarked  on  his  return  to  Venice,  wliicli  he  reached  about  May  12.  His  preface  is  in  the  form 
of  &  pdrd'iieniK  or  letter  of  counsel  to  travellers  who  would  "  with  equanimity  endure,  evade  or  overcome 
the  dangers  and  discomforts,  the  toils  and  trials  "  of  the  journey  to  the  Holy  Places.  He  explains  how 
about  the  Feast  of  Corpus  Christi  pilgrims  began  to  assemble  at  Venice.  Before  Cyprus  fell  to  the  Turk 
there  was  at  their  disposal  a  regular  service  of  vessels  sailing  for  Jaffa.  But  now  the  writer  found  people 
going  in  cargo  boats  to  .\lexandretta  or  Tripoli,  Cyprus  or  .\lexandria,  and  thence  to  I'alestine,  with  less 
comfort,  more  delay,  and  greater  cost.  The  would-be  pilgrim  is  advised  first  to  make  his  will,  and 
arrange  his  worldly  affairs,  then  to  obtain  at  Venice  the  license  of  the  Papal  Legate,  to  whom  he  must 
prove  that  he  can  afford  to  si>eud  at  the  very  least  one  hundred  gold  pieces  on  the  journey.  His  passage 
to  Cyprus  will  cost  him  six  silver  ducats,  liis  monthly  l>oard  ten  ducats  at  the  captain's  table,  six  at  the 
chief  steward's.  The  hire  of  a  ship  from  Cyprus  to  Jaffa  costs  thirty  to  forty  gold  sequins,  to  be  divided 
among  the  passengers.  There  are  sundry  fees  to  be  paid,  for  entrance  into  the  church  nine  sequins,  into 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  itself  two  more,  and  so  on.  The  traveller  is  further  advised  to  take  a  mattress  with 
a  pillow  and  a  pair  of  sheets,  tlie  whole  enclosed  in  a  box  six  feet  by  three,  which  will  serve  him  for  a 
bed:  four  or  six  shirts  without  collars,  a  w(K)llen  sailor's  cap.  socks,  handkerchiefs,  towels  and  two  pounds 
of  soap,  twenty  pounds  of  the  best  biscuit,  some  good  wine,  cinnamon,  ginger,  nutmegs  and  cloves,  with 
jjomegranates,  oranges  and  lemons,  also  sugar  and  laxative  medicine.  His  garments  must  be  rough  and 
cheap,  the  least  ornament  will  excite  the  cupidity  of  the  Syrians.  \o  arms  naist  be  c-arried,  and  money 
must  be  carefully  hidden.  In  Cyjjrus  lie  hud  better  arrange  for  his  passage  to  Jaffa  through  a  consul: 
he  nuist  choose  a  Syrian  or  .Moorish  captain,  tlu'  (Ireeks  are  cheats,  and  hate  the  Latins.  On  Turkish 
soil  he  had  Ixjtter  call  himself  an  Englishman,  Frenchmau  or  Venetian,  not  a  Spaniard  or  German.  The 
journey  from  Jaffa  to  Jerusalem  is  j)erforiiie<l  on  asses,  witliout  bit  or  bridle,  saddle  or  stirrups. 

(lenerally  the  pilgrimage  must  have  been  most  laliorious  and  uncomfortable.  The  savagery  of  the 
sailors,  the  smells  and  noises  of  the  ship,  the  exactions  of  tin-  natives  and  the  insolent  fanaticism  of 
Musalman  officials,  "perils  in  the  city,  jwrils  in  tlu-  wild«'rness,  jK-rils  in  the  sea  "—on  all  these  the  writer 
touchingly  dwells.    One  is  glad  that  he  survived  to  return  to  his  eoimtry,  and  tell  us  his  story. 

We  translate  from  the  Jtiueraiiinn  Hier(inolyiiiitaiiiiiii  vt  Sijriacum,  Anctore  loanne  Votovicu,  pub- 
lished at  Antwerp  in  quarto  Ajtnd  Ilicronymum  Venliissiinii,  MDCXIX,  pp.  91  —  113.  The  book,  which  is 
written  in  diffuse  but  correct  Latin,  and  quaintly  illustrated  with  maps,  sketches  and  plans,  is  the 
work  of  an  observant,  learni'd  and  conscientious  man. 

Along  with  the  epitai)h  to  .M.  A.  Bragadiuo,  the  reader  may  like  to  see  the  inscription  on  the  tablet  at 
Bergamo  which  commemorates  his  fellow-hero  Astorre  liaglione. 

HsToiil  Uamono 
I'lKTATK  Kl"  .\K.\I1S 
INSUiXI 

Post  cl.ahi.ssim.v  ix  Sala.min.k 
piu)1'U(;n'.\ti().nk  kuita  facinoka 
iMi'iis  fu-:difi{A(ji  hostis  (iL.\Dns 

INTKKFKCTO  MKU(i( )M ATKS  .\H.+: 
UlVI  JOSKI'III  .Ml  XIC  IPKS  gUIA 
DUM  CIVITATIS  GUBKRNATOR  ADESSET 
KOS  MIKIFICE  DILEXERIT  ET  UNA 
DiVUM  IPSUM  f'OLUERIT 
PARENTANDUM  CURAVERUNT 

24—2 


188 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


To  Astorre  Baglione,  a  pious  man  and  brave  soldier,  slain  by  the  wicked  swords  of  a 
perjured  foe,  after  shedding  glory  on  the  defence  of  Salamis  by  his  feats  of  valour,  his  fellow- 
toionsmen  at  Bergamo  caused  funeral  honours  to  be  paid  at  the  Altar  of  8.  Joseph,  for  that 
when  he  ivas  among  them  as  Governor  he  loved  them  wondroitsly,  and  with  them  honoured 
the  Saint. 

Part  of  CHAPTER  XIV. 
Approach  to  Cyprus,  and  description  of  its  Southern  seaboard. 

On  September  11  we  sailed  briskly  through  the  gulf  of  Adalia,  and  about  four  in  the 
afternoon  the  island  of  Cyprus  came  into  view.  After  sunset,  with  a  fresh  wind  behind  us, 
we  passed  close  under  Acamas,  or  Acamanthus;  the  first  promontory  towards  the  west, 
commonly  called  Cape  S.  Epiphanios,  then  Drepanum,  now  called  Trapano,  Zephyrion,  now 
C.  Malotas,  C.  Paphos,  a  rock  opposite  Paphos,  and  the  White  Cape,  C.  Bianco,  formerly 
Phrourion,  the  first  headland  towards  the  south.  The  evening  was  starlit,  the  moon  full, 
and  the  voyage  most  pleasant.  About  the  fourth  hour  of  the  night  we  slacked  sail,  the 
seamen  thinking  it  proper  to  stay  the  speed  of  the  vessel  lest  the  wind  should  carry  us  beyond 
our  destination. 

With  the  next  dawn  we  passed  C.  G-auata  or  Curias,  now  called  the  Cape  of  Cats,  and 
coasted  along  as  far  as  Limisso,  which  we  reached  three  hours  after  daylight :  we  anchored 
in  a  suitable  spot,  and  remained  there  till  the  next  day.  C.  Grauata  is  said  to  take  its  name 
from  the  cats  which  were  formerly  kept  in  a  monastery  on  the  coast  close  by,  called  by  the 
ancients  Acroteri.  Report  says  they  were  reared  to  catch  and  exterminate  certain  venomous 
serpents  which  did  harm  to  the  natives,  with  which  the  adjoining  country  swarmed.  The 
monks  had  trained  the  cats  to  pursue  and  attack  these  snakes,  and  to  lay  in  wait  for  them, 
just  as  they  would  naturally  chase  rats  and  mice.  Every  day,  just  as  sporting  dogs  follow 
game,  they  would  hunt  the  snakes,  and  kill  those  they  caught.  At  the  sound  of  a  bell  they 
returned  to  their  home  and  dinner,  and  after  dinner  sallied  out  again  to  hunt,  nor  came  back 
to  the  convent  until  late  in  the  evening.  By  their  means  the  countiy  was  at  last  cleared  of 
these  dangerous  reptiles. 

During  our  halt  the  purser  left  the  vessel  in  a  small  boat  with  a  few  Italians  and  Greeks, 
and  went  ashore  to  visit  the  Cadi,  the  Turkish  Judge  and  Governor  of  Limisso,  and  to  offer 
him  the  customary  presents,  for  no  stranger  is  allowed  to  land  until  such  an  offering  has  been 
made.  When  the  purser  had  obtained  permission,  as  many  of  us  as  chose  were  free  to  land. 
And  next  day  many  did  land,  chiefly  to  obtain  supplies.  The  captain  came  on  the  same 
errand,  because  beef  and  mutton  are  very  cheap  here.  He  bought  eight  oxen,  small  but  fat, 
for  twelve  gold  sequins,  which  make  forty-eight  Dutch  florins. 

Limisso,  which  the  ancients  called  Curias  or  Curium,  was  a  city,  the  seat  of  a  bishopric, 
and  adorned  with  fine  buildings.  Now  it  is  a  mere  village,  though  populous  enough,  situated 
near  the  shore  in  a  wide  and  pleasant  plain.  Near  it  the  Lycus,  a  streamlet,  flows  down  from 
M.  Olympus,  and  falls  into  the  sea.  The  soil  bears  freely  vines,  shrubs,  garden  produce,  and 
nearly  every  kind  of  tree,  especially  fig,  olive  and  carob  trees.  The  carob  is  large  and 
spreading  with  leaves  not  unlike  those  of  the  bay,  but  broader  and  scarcely  so  pointed, 
evergreen,  and  giving  a  grateful  shade  in  summer.  It  bears  a  curved  fruit  which  we  call 
siliqua,  the  Greeks  Kepdria,  somewhat  longer  than  a  man's  finger,  and  as  broad  as  his  thumb, 
very  sweet  and  pleasant  to  the  taste,  not  unlike  our  beans,  but  with  a  tougher  rind  of  dusky 
hue  :  the  seed  is  bitter  and  very  hard.    People  take  out  the  seed  and  munch  the  rind :  they 


COTOVICUS. 


189 


squeeze  out  of  it  also  a  very  sweet  juice,  which  makes  an  excellent  condiment.  You  may  see 
along  the  shore  huge  heaps  of  carobs,  piled  up  like  hills,  with  which  at  times  whole  ships  are 
loaded.  Tlieir  great  abundance  makes  them  very  cheap,  and  they  are  even  given  to  animals, 
which  fatten  readily  on  such  pleasant  food.  With  these  also,  as  the  vulgar  believe,  the 
prodigal  son  of  the  Gospels  would  fain  have  filled  his  belly,  and  no  man  gave  unto  him. 
Melons,  pumpkins  and  gourds  grow  in  great  abundance,  and  the  choicest  bananas  of  exquisite 
Havour. 

The  banana  or  musa  is  a  tree,  or  rather  a  shrub,  whose  fruit  is  also  called  7misa  or  musi, 
half  as  tall  again  as  a  man,  with  a  green  trunk  and  a  wide  stretching  crown  of  leaves,  which 
spread  out  like  fingers,  and  are  so  long  that  they  generally  surpass  the  height  of  a  man 
standing  upright,  and  so  broad  that  a  single  leaf  will  give  one  ample  cover.  Some  think 
that  the  ancients  used  to  dry  them  and  use  them  instead  of  the  papyrus,  for  they  are  ribbed 
from  top  to  bottom  with  lines,  perfectly  straight  and  exactly  spaced,  just  as  to-day  parchment 
is  ruled  in  Italy.  The  stalks  are  cut  down  every  year,  or  if  the  plant  dries  up  new  shoots 
spring  up  from  below.  Each  stalk  bears  fruit  only  once,  but  on  each  branch  there  are 
several,  ten,  twenty  or  more.  Each  fruit  is  as  large  as  an  egg,  and  covered  with  a  husk  or 
thick  skin,  yellowish  like  that  of  a  Hg.  It  is  rather  like  a  rose  in  smell,  and  a  cucunil)er  in 
shape:  they  are  green  at  first,  but  gradually  as  they  ripen  they  become  of  saffron  or  orange 
yellow.  They  are  veiy  sweet  and  plea.sant  to  the  ta.ste,  but  harmful  to  the  stomach :  they 
fill  the  cavei'ns  of  the  brains  with  their  fumes,  are  cloying,  and  decay  rapidly;  so  it  is  only 
people  of  the  poorest  class  who  use  them  for  food.  To  preserve  them  for  any  time  they  nuist 
be  picked  unripe,  and  buried  in  the  sand,  then  they  are  hung  up  in  bedrooms,  or  expo.sed  to 
the  sun,  and  they  ripen.  There  are  j)eople  who  call  them  the  apples  of  Paradise,  and  think 
them  to  be  the  same  which  our  first  father  Adam  ate,  and  so  transgressed  the  commandment 
of  God.  There  is  this  indeed  about  the  f  i  iiit  which  I  think  worthy  of  note,  or  even  marvellous, 
that  if  you  cut  it  into  little  disks,  you  will  sec  in  each,  veins  which  form  on  either  side  the 
image  of  the  Crucified. 

Cotton  (gossypium),  which  the  Italians  call  Gotone,  Cottone  or  Banibagio  (bombasum),  is 
gathered  here  in  great  (luantity.  It  sjjHngs  from  a  tiny  seed,  which  is  sown  and  produces 
a  .shrub  a  cubit  high,  bearing  at  the  top  a  berry  (jr  pod  as  large  as  a  filbert,  within  which  is 
the  cotton  and  the  seed :  as  this  comes  to  maturity  it  splits  and  opens.  It  is  generally  sown 
in  May,  and  is  gathered  ripe  in  September.  The  country  about  is  rich  in  wheat  and  other 
grain.    Sowing  begins  in  October,  and  in  April  the  whole  islaiul  gathers  in  its  harvest. 

The  inhabitants,  both  natives  and  innnigrants,  are  chieHy  (i reeks,  there  are  also  Turks 
and  Jews.  The  (ireeks  generally  are  engaged  in  commerce  or  agriculture:  the  Jews  employ 
their  capital  in  trade:  the  Turks  are  sunk  in  sloth.  On  account  of  the  frequent  earthquakes 
all  the  dwellings  are  .small  and  low,  constructed,  like  a  th.or,  of  wattles  and  clay,  of  one  storey 
only.  The  (h)ors  are  so  low  that  you  nnist  stoop  to  enter  them,  a  device  to  prevent  the  Turks 
bursting  in  and  stabling  their  horses  in  private  houses.  The  Turks  have  a  small  mosque 
here  in  which  they  pray  and  hold  services  after  the  Mohanniiadan  rite.  Near  it  is  their 
public  bath.  Nor  are  the  Greeks  either  without  a  house  of  worship,  though  it  be  snuill  and 
shabby,  in  which  to  perform  the  sacred  mysteries  after  their  own  rite.  A  square  fort  occupies 
the  centre  of  the  village,  supplied  with  cannon,  and  generally  with  a  guard  of  Janissaries. 
It  is  of  great  u-se  in  preserving  the  coast  from  the  raids  of  pirates.  At  the  sixth  nulestone 
from  Limisso  are  large  ruins,  and  monuments  of  the  ancient  Romans  are  visible  on  the  shore 
itself.  Fame  says  that  a  very  ancient  city  once  stood  here,  dedicated  to  Venus,  and  called 
Amatha,  which  Richard,  King  of  England,  levelled  to  the  ground. 


190 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


On  September  13  we  again  weighed  anchor,  shook  out  our  sails,  and  coasted  gaily  along 
for  fifty  miles,  passing  the  point  of  Cryptae,  then  Masoto  and  Chiti.  About  four  in  the 
afternoon  we  reached  the  Salines,  where  we  found  good  holding  ground  near  the  shore,  and 
anchored.  The  day  was  waning,  and  as  it  was  not  convenient  to  land  we  waited  for  the 
morning.  The  next  day,  having  offered  the  customary  gifts  to  the  Emin  (the  chief  collector 
of  customs  and  imperial  revenue),  we  received  permission  to  land.  But  before  we  left  the 
vessel  an  Italian  merchant  from  the  neighbouring  town  of  Arnica,  a  great  friend  of  the 
Minorites,  came  to  visit  us.  He  told  us  that  only  a  short  while  since  the  Pasha  of  Nicosia 
had  thrown  into  the  prison  a  Venetian  merchant  living  in  Arnica,  because  he  had  re-con- 
verted and  helped  to  escape  a  Minorite  of  German  origin  who  had  last  year  abjured 
Christianity  and  openly  embraced  the  falsities  of  Mohammadanism :  that  a  rumour  too  was 
abroad  that  the  vicar  of  the  order  at  Jerusalem,  who  was  now  our  fellow-passenger,  and  who 
at  that  time  was  visiting  Cyprus,  had  persuaded  him  to  run  away,  and  that  it  was  chiefly  his 
doing  that  the  monk  had  renounced  and  abjured  Islam,  and  that  the  Pasha  was  aware  of 
this.  Wherefore  it  were  well  that  the  vicar  should  not  land,  a  thing  which  might  be 
dangerous  to  himself  and  the  rest.  It  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  remain  hidden,  there 
were  so  many  people  in  Arnica  who  knew  him,  and  among  them  would  be  some  who  would 
tell  the  Pasha :  he  had  better  then  avoid  the  risk  by  remaining  quietly  on  board.  We  all 
joined  in  persuading  the  vicar  to  take  the  Italian's  advice,  and  he  stayed  alone  on  the  vessel 
until  we  had  completed  our  business  and  sailed  for  JaflPa. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Landivg  at  Cyprus,  and  stay  there.    Description  of  the  towns  of  Comercio  and 
Arnica,  and  of  the  valley  of  the  Salines. 

On  September  14  we  entered  a  boat  and  rowed  to  the  shore,  landing  at  a  place  called 
Comercio,  built,  it  is  said,  on  the  ancient  site  of  the  city  Cypria,  which  gave  its  name  to  the 
island.  This  was  once  a  populous  place,  and  the  chief  seat  of  the  island  trade.  The  name 
says  as  much,  and  extensive  ruins  bear  it  out,  a  good  many  merchants  frequent  it  even  now, 
but  fewer  than  when  Cyprus  was  under  Christian  rule.  There  used  to  be  immense  stores 
here,  full  of  every  kind  of  merchandise  and  grain,  in  which  the  island  abounds.  Now  either 
fire  has  destroyed  them,  or  the  Turks,  whose  carelessness  lets  everything  fall  into  ruin,  have 
abandoned  them. 

From  Comercio  we  went  on  foot  to  Arnica,  called  by  the  ancients  Piscopia,  about  a  mile 
from  the  shore.  As  we  walked,  at  a  stone's  throw  on  our  left,  we  found  a  church,  an  ancient 
building,  with  a  roof  composed  of  several  round  domes;  against  the  eastern  side  are  sundry 
low  huts,  of  a  single  storey,  for  the  use  of  travellers,  and  convenient  enough  for  those  who  land 
from  shipboard.  Turks  and  other  strangers  who  come  here  for  business  pass  the  night  in 
them.  The  Minorites  of  Arnica  a  few  years  ago  bought  from  the  Turks  a  chapel  on  the  left 
of  the  high  altar  as  a  place  of  sepulture.  For  if  it  happen  that  a  sailor  from  one  of  the  ships 
in  port  should  die,  they  bury  him  in  this  spot,  which  is  but  a  little  way  from  the  shore,  and 
perform  the  funeral  ceremonies  according  to  the  Roman  rite.  From  the  church  of  Lazarus  to 
Arnica  we  saw  nothing  but  ruins,  Avide  plains  full  of  the  caper  plant,  and  fields  generally 
deserted.  That  Arnica  or  Arnicum  was  once  a  remarkable  and  very  populous  city  is 
sufficiently  attested  by  the  remains  of  public  buildings,  and  ruined  houses.  Now  there  is 
nothing  to  see  but  some  small  buildings,  few  and  poor,  of  one  storey  only.    There  is  still  a 


OOTOVICUS. 


191 


Governor's  palace,  large  and  stately,  of  rustic  work  in  squared  and  smoothed  stone, 
constructed,  I  should  say,  by  the  Venetians,  but  now  ruinous  and  almost  destroyed,  for  the 
four  walls  only  are  standing.  Opposite  this  is  a  fine  building,  once  a  Christian  Church, 
dedicated  to  S.  Roch,  now  profaned  and  turned  into  a  grain  store.  Standing  close  to  it  is  a 
high  square  tower,  and  a  porch  adorned  with  marble  columns.  Between  the  church  and  the 
porch  lies  a  wide  court,  in  the  middle  of  which  stands  a  marble  colunni  which  was  formerly 
crowned  by  the  marble  figure  of  a  winged  lion,  the  badge  of  Venice.  At  no  great  distances 
the  Minorites  live  in  a  few  small  rooms  restored  by  the  alms  of  pious  persons,  near  a  tiny 
(xreek  church  with  an  arched  roof.  To  be  safe  from  the  craft  and  violence  of  thieves  and 
I'obbers  they  have  surrounded  the  whole  with  a  wall.  Here  they  have  a  garden  well  supplied 
with  garden  produce  of  every  kind.  At  most  they  are  four  in  number,  and  are  of  the  greatest 
help  and  comfort  to  travellers  who  are  vi.siting  Palestine  and  returning  thence  to  their  homes. 
One  can  scarcely  say  how  great  a  consolation  it  is  to  strangers,  genei-ally  ignorant  of  the 
(xreek  and  Turkish  tongues,  weary  and  welliiigh  e.xhausted  by  long  journey.s,  to  find  in  the 
land  of  the  Turks  men  of  our  own  faith,  who  receive  (jue  hospitably,  treat  one  liberally,  soothe 
the  spirits  of  tho.se  in  trouble,  and  give  every  assistance  to  such  as  need  it.  Besides  the  safe 
shelter  which  they  offer  to  })ilgnnis,  they  tend  the  sick,  jjrovide  the  Jiecessities  of  life,  expedite 
business,  comfort  the  afflicted,  cheer  the  an.viou.s  and  despairing.  But  let  no  one  think  that 
these  hospitable  and  humane  offices  are  to  be  rendered  gratis  by  the  Fathers.  For  although 
for  their  food,  their  laboui-,  their  cares  and  kind  help  they  require  nothing,  they  ask  nothijig, 
a  grateful  heart  ought  to  render  blessing  for  blessing,  to  mete  to  each  with  tliat  measure  with 
which  it  is  measured  unto  you,  to  return  a  kindness  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  given.  So  all 
pilgrims  before  they  leave  are  wont  to  show  their  gratitude,  and  repay  the  benefits  they  havi- 
received,  by  a  suitable  present,  and  let  him  wlio  neglects  to  do  so  know  certainly  that  he  will 
bear  away  the  stamp  of  thanklessnes-s,  than  wliich  nothing  is  uKjre  hateful  in  the  sight  of  God 
and  man.  For  they  have  no  goods  or  lands  to  provide  for  their  food  and  the  necessary 
expenses  of  the  convent,  and  an;  thus  conipclled  to  live  on  the  alms  of  the  merchants  living 
at  Arnica,  the  bounty  of  seamen  who  put  in  iit  the  lu'ighljouring  port,  and  the  nmnificence  of 
travellers.  Hence  the  custom  has  grown  up  among  the  \'eiu;tians  that  every  one  of  their 
vessels  which  calls  here  pays  a  Venetian  ducat,  or  gold  sequin,  to  the  aid  and  support  of  the 
convent.  They  are  also  at  liberty  to  board  the  ships  in  harbour  to  collect  an  alms  from  the 
sailors  and  passengers,  who  are  liberal  and  even  munificent  to  them;  and  rightly  so,  for  it  is 
very  meet  that  they  who  sow  spiritual  things  should  reap  carnal  things.  Besides  the  kindly 
offices  of  which  I  have  spoken  above  they  celebrate  every  day  the  Divine  Mysteries,  night 
and  day  they  say  the  canonical  prayers,  and  administer  to  those  who  seek  them  the 
Sacraments  of  the  Church.  Wherefore  let  no  one  grutlge  them  the  slender  living  afforded 
by  the  alms  of  the  pious.  As  .saitli  S.  Paul,  "they  wliich  wait  uixm  the  altar  should  have 
their  portion  with  the  altar." 

While  we  were  at  Arnica  we  found  an  opportunity  of  walking  with  the  monks  to  the 
Salines,  situated  near  the  second  milestone  from  the  town.  Here  is  a  wide  valley,  whose 
circuit  reaches  to  six,  or  according  to  others,  nine  miles,  fenced  in  on  every  side  by  mounds. 
A  torrent  which  comes  down  from  Mount  01ynq)us,  and  the  rain-water  running  off  the 
adjoining  hills,  How  into  it,  and  in  winter  till  the  lake  to  a  depth  of  some  four  or  five  feet. 
The  water,  wonderful  to  relate,  which  as  it  is  collected  in  the  lake  from  the  rain  or  springs  is 
sweet,  by  the  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  sun's  heat  gradually  acquires  a  saltness,  and  at  last 
in  the  months  of  May,  June,  and  July,  by  no  art  or  labour  of  any  kind,  but  by  mere  heat, 
and  the  sun's  rays,  thickens,  coagulates  and  hardens  into  the  whitest  salt.    It  is  a  wonderful 


192 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


sight,  and  well  worth  a  visit:  one  might  think  it  a  frozen  sea,  of  snoAvy  whiteness.  In 
August  the  salt  is  fully  formed  and  as  hard  as  marble.  Slaves  dig  it  out  with  iron  picks,  and 
put  it  into  sacks,  which  are  tied  up  and  carried  on  the  backs  of  asses  to  the  higher  ledges 
of  the  valley.  Here  they  are  opened,  and  the  salt  piled  in  huge  heaps.  By  the  end  of 
September  you  would  see  the  whole  valley  cleared  of  salt,  except  these  heaps,  and  these 
remain  sometimes  for  a  year  or  more,  according  as  the  export  of  salt  is  more  or  less.  The 
salt  collected,  which  affords  a  very  large  revenue,  is  an  Imperial  right,  and  belongs  to  the 
Sultan:  the  Emin,  of  whom  we  have  spoken  above,  is  charged  with  the  collection.  For 
greater  convenience  in  disposing  of  the  salt,  collecting  taxes,  and  carrying  out  his  other 
public  duties,  he  comes  down  daily  with  his  clerks  to  Comercio,  and  attends  to  business  until 
late  evening  in  a  small  house  built  on  the  seashore.  The  Grreeks  say  that  less  salt  is  won  now 
than  when  the  Christians  bore  rule  in  Cyprus,  giving  as  a  reason  the  sloth  and  negligence  of 
the  Turks.  For  the  former  brought  art  and  industry  to  the  aid  of  nature :  every  year  they 
cleansed  the  bottom  of  the  lake  from  the  sand  which  collected  there;  if  the  rains  were  scanty 
they  let  in  sea-water,  if  too  copious  they  dammed  them  out,  and  generally  did  what  was 
necessary.  But  the  Turks  do  nothing  at  all,  and  this  I  know  to  be  true;  for  I  saw  the  dams, 
formerly  used  by  the  Christians  for  letting  in  or  shutting  off  the  water,  broken  down  and 
utterly  neglected,  and  the  channels  too,  which  served  to  carry  off  the  superfluous  rain-water, 
blocked  and  barred  with  earth;  hence  a  third  part  of  the  valley  lies  to-day  buried  in  sand, 
barren  and  altogether  waste  and  abandoned,  a  state  of  things  which  grows  worse  every  day, 
so  that  in  a  little  while  it  will  certainly  be  of  little,  probably  of  no  use  at  all.  One  may  infer 
how  great  is  the  negligence,  the  sloth,  of  the  Turks.  Sunk  in  idle  ease,  hating  toil  and 
industry,  they  prefer  to  indulge  their  appetites  and  lusts  rather  than  to  protect  their 
possessions  or  to  extend  them.  If  ever  there  was  a  race  wholly  abandoned  to  laziness  and 
ease,  that  is  the  Turkish!  Hence  it  follows  that  Cyprus,  of  old  a  most  fertile  and  productive 
country,  is  now  in  great  measure  deserted  and  uncultivated.  For  the  Turks  have  no  care 
themselves  for  agriculture,  and  if  they  see  any  of  the  G-reek  natives  occupying  themselves  in 
cultivating  the  soil,  or  amassing  wealth,  they  either  harass  them  with  avanie  (so  the  Italians 
call  the  fraudulent  tricks  of  the  Turks),  or  drain  their  resources  by  exactions,  and  flay  them 
(so  to  speak)  to  the  bone.  So  much  only  remains  to  the  wretched  creatures  from  the  fruits 
of  the  earth  as  allows  them  to  sustain  life,  to  provide  bare  necessaries,  and  sow  their  fields 
anew. 

The  result  of  the  researches  which  I  made  during  our  stay  at  Arnica  and  in  journeys 
to  places  near  it  concerning  the  position,  appearance,  condition  and  fertility  of  this  most 
famous  island,  with  other  things  worthy  of  note,  I  purpose  here  to  set  forth  briefly  for  the 
information  of  my  readers. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

A  descriptdon  of  the  islmid  of  Cyprus. 

Cyprus,  one  of  the  noblest  islands  of  the  globe  and  the  most  fertile  in  all  kinds  of 
produce,  is  of  oblong  shape,  and  remarkable  in  some  parts  for  its  pleasant  and  fruitful  hills, 
in  other  for  its  broad  plain.  It  lies  between  Cilicia,  Syria  and  Egypt.  Its  length  from 
east  to  west  between  the  two  promontories  Acamantha  and  Dinareta  (or  the  Clides  islands 
beyond)  is  220  miles;  some  say  162.  Its  greatest  breadth,  from  Cormachitis  which  looks 
over  the  Cilician  straits  to  the  north  to  the  promontory  of  Phrurium  on  the  southern  side 
of  the  island,  is  60  miles.    It  has  a  circuit  of  650  miles,  which  Strabo  gives  as  3420  stadia, 


COTOVICUS. 


193 


Pliny  3436.  It  is  distant  from  Alexandria  in  Egypt  oOO  miles,  from  Crete  400,  from  Jaffa 
the  port  of  Judaea  200,  from  the  Syrian  Tripoli  100,  from  Satalia  or  Attalia,  a  town  on  the 
sea-coast  of  Pamphylia,  60.  It  was  known  of  old  by  many  names,  Acantida,  Acamantis, 
Cerastis,  Aspelia,  Amathusia,  Crypta  or  Crypton,  Colonia,  and  Minois:  sometimes  Paphia, 
Salamina,  Ceraunia  and  Cytherea,  fi-om  its  chief  cities,  and  Macaria  (or  the  Happy  Island) 
from  the  fertility  of  its  soil,  and  its  many  charms.  In  our  day  it  is  generally  called  Cyprus; 
in  Holy  Scripture  Cethin,  Chitim  or  Chetim.  Pomponius,  Pliny  and  others  make  it  comprise 
nine  kingdoms,  with  these  fifteen  principal  towns,  Paphos,  Palaepaphos,  Cythera,  Curias, 
Cithium,  Corinajum  or  Cerannium,  Salamis  or  Salamina,  Amathus,  Lapithu.s,  Soloe,  Tamasus, 
Chytri,  Arsinoe,  Carpasium,  and  Golgoe  or  Colae.  Every  one  of  these  is  either  entirely 
destroyed  and  effaced,  leaving  nothing  but  a  name,  or  has  sunk  into  an  ob.scure  village. 
These  brief  notes  on  them  will  suffice. 

Paphos  or  Neapaphos,  now  Baffos,  one  of  the  four  cities  which  sur\-ived  to  the  days  of 
the  la.st  kings,  is  a  small  village  on  the  south  coast.  It  was  founded  by  Agapenor,  and  was 
once  famous  for  a  temple  of  Venus,  its  harboui-s  and  royal  palace.  It  is  .sixty  stadia  (so 
Strabo  notes)  from  Pahepaphos.  Here  Paul  and  Barnabas  preached  the  faith  of  Christ,  and 
made  Epaphras  its  bishop. 

Palajpaphos,  founded  by  King  Paphos,  son  of  Pygmalion,  lies  on  the  south  coast  near  the 
promontory  Zephyrium.  This  city,  so  famous  in  poetry,  was  destroyed  by  frequent  earth- 
quakes; traces  of  ruins  show  what  was  its  former  greatness.  Here  was  the  celebrated  temple 
of  Venus  in  which  persons  of  both  sexes  sacrificed  naked  to  Venus :  tradition  holds  that  it 
fell  at  the  prayer  of  the  Apostle  Barnabas.  Here  too  Holy  Writ  says  that  Paul  and  Barnabas 
preached  the  fiospcl  of  Christ,  converted  to  the  I'^iith  the  Proconsul  Sergius  Paulus,  and 
struck  the  Jew  Elymas,  a  sorcerer  and  false  prophet,  with  blindness.  The  remains  of  an 
ancient  church  are  still  shown,  and  beneath  it  a  vault  where  the  Apostles  Avere  imprisoned. 
The  natives  say  that  diamonds  are  found  on  the  adjacent  shore. 

Cithera,  also  a  city  of  X'enu.s,  from  which  she  took  the  name  Cytherea,  is  not  far  from 
Paphos  on  the  same  coast ;  some  say  it  was  once  called  Porphirusae :  now  it  is  a  Anllage,  by 
name  Couclia,  whose  well-watered  fields  abound  in  grain,  cotton  and  sugar. 

Curium  or  Curias,  a  royal  residence  and  famous  for  its  temple  of  \'enus  Acrea,  is  now 
the  village  of  Limissus,  mentioned  above;  others  however  place  Curium  at  the  ninth  mile- 
stone from  Limissus,  on  the  site  of  the  modern  village  of  Piscopia. 

Amathus,  a  very  ancient  town  and  royal  residence,  was  built  by  the  Assyrians  in  the 
reign  of  Ninus,  and  gave  the  name  Amathusia  to  the  island.  It  is  levelled  with  the  ground, 
and  marked  only  by  heaps  of  debris  at  the  sixth  milestone  east  of  Limissus, 

Cithium  or  Citto,  the  oldest  town  in  the  island,  was  founded,  it  is  said,  bj-  Cithin  or  Cethin, 
the  great-grandson  of  Noah,  It  is  situated  on  the  south  coast,  eight  miles  from  Salines,  and 
now  called  Chiti,  An  old  and  half-ruined  tower  and  .some  lowlj'  buildings  are  all  that  can 
be  seen,  Zeno  Cittieus  the  founder  of  the  Stoic  sect,  and  Ai)ollonius  the  physician,  are  said 
by  Strabo  to  have  been  born  here. 

Salamis  or  Salamine  was  built  by  Teucer  the  son  of  Telamon,  and  was  afterwards 
named  Constantia  from  a  king  Costa.  It  is  now  a  small  village  about  two  miles  from 
Famagosta,  and  called  Old  Famagosta,  It  is  said  to  have  been  the  birthplace  of  Asclepiades, 
and  of  Solon  the  philosopher  and  Athenian  legislator. 

Carpatium  or  Carpasium,  a  very  ancient  town,  placed  by  Strabo  near  the  promontory 
Sarpedon,  is  now  an  iiisignificiint  village,  called  bj-  some  Carpa.sso,  by  others  S.  John. 

CoriniXMim  or  Ceraunium,  built  by  Cyrus  on  a  lofty  rock  on  the  north  coast,  once  gave 

c.  25 


194 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  name  to  the  island.  It  is  now  called  Cerines.  It  has  many  inhabitants,  and  is  remarkable 
for  a  solid  and  impregnable  fortress  built  by  the  Lusignan  kings,  which  still  holds  a  strong 
Turkish  garrison. 

Lapheto  or  Lapithus,  a  royal  residence,  built  by  the  Lacedaemonians,  and  famous  for  its 
port  and  docks,  about  twelve  miles  from  Ceraunium.  A  small  village,  with  most  fruitful 
soil,  abounding  in  cotton,  sugar,  lemons  and  oranges,  keeps  the  old  name. 

Soloe,  a  royal  capital,  built,  as  some  say,  by  Solon,  is  now  a  village  called  Solia,  situated 
on  the  north  coast  half-way  between  Cormachiti  and  the  point  of  Alexandreta.  Strabo  says 
it  was  formerly  called  Solum,  that  it  had  a  river  and  harbour,  and  a  shrine  of  Venus  and 
Isis:  that  the  Athenians  Phalerus  and  Acamas  founded  it,  and  that  its  inhabitants  were 
called  Solii. 

Arsinoe  took  its  name  from  Arsinoe,  sister  of  Ptolemaeus  Lagus,  king  of  Egypt.  The 
modern  village  is  called  Crusocus.  It  was  chiefly  noted  for  its  mines  of  gold,  chrysocolla 
(carbo7iate  of  copper  ?)  and  vitriol.  Others  suppose  that  the  village  of  Lefcara  occupies  the 
site  of  Arsinoe. 

The  sites  of  the  other  cities  are  unknown  or  uncertain.  Besides  those  we  have  mentioned 
Aphrodisium,  Idalium,  Centria,  Tremithus,  Cyniria,  Acte,  Macaria,  were  notable  towns,  and 
many  others.  All  of  them  are  turned  to  dust,  so  that  scarcely  any  memory  of  them  survives. 
In  our  day,  of  so  many  towns  two  only,  Leucosia  and  Famagosta,  are  standing.  So  has 
nature  ordained  that  change  and  chance  reign  always  and  everywhere :  nothing  under  the 
sun  is  stable  and  lasting,  what  is  born  must  die.  So  that  it  need  not  seem  wonderful  to 
anyone  that,  as  in  the  other  islands  of  the  Mediterranean,  so  in  Cyprus  also,  few  or  no  traces 
are  left  of  the  cities  which  were  once  so  famous.  These  have  sunk  into  obscurity,  and  others 
have  taken  their  places  and  survive,  as  is  the  case  with  Leucosia  (commonly  called  Licosia  or 
Nicosia)  and  Famagosta,  supposed  to  be  the  old  Leucata  and  Arsinoe.  And  as  the  face  of 
the  land  has  changed  so  have  its  fortune  and  its  masters  often  varied.  The  kings,  of  whom 
tradition  says  there  were  nine,  were  expelled,  and  the  island  seized  by  Cyrus,  king  of  the 
Assyrians.  Then  it  fell  to  G-reek  tyrants.  It  remained  long  under  the  sway  of  Ptolemasus 
and  Demetrius,  kings  of  Egypt  and  Syria.  P.  Clodius  the  tribune  wrested  it  without  blood- 
shed from  Ptolemaeus,  and  added  it  to  the  Roman  Empire.  When  that  tottered  to  its  fall 
Cyprus  passed  to  the  Greek  Emperors,  who  set  up  Dukes  there  and  ruled  it  for  many  years. 
Their  tyranny  long  oppressed  it  until  Richard,  king  of  England,  who  with  his  fleet  was  on 
his  way  to  fight  the  Saracens  at  Jerusalem,  was  refused  by  the  Duke  Isaac  Comnenus  the 
shelter  of  its  ports,  and  otherwise  insulted.  Incensed  at  these  indignities  Richard  landed  in 
force,  seized  the  island,  harried  it  in  every  quarter,  and  with  extraordinary  speed  subjected 
the  whole  to  his  victorious  arms,  and  placed  strong  garrisons  of  his  own  men  in  the  captured 
cities.  Later  he  sold  it  to  Gruy  de  Lusignan,  king  of  Jerusalem,  who  had  been  expelled  by 
the  Saracens,  and  assumed  in  exchange  the  royal  title  of  Jerusalem,  which  he  handed  down 
to  his  successors  on  the  English  throne.  Lusignan  brought  a  suite  of  French  nobles,  and 
made  Cyprus  a  French  colony.  Then  it  was  made  tributary  to  the  Sultans  of  Cairo ;  and  on 
the  extinction  of  the  Lusignan  kings,  who  had  ruled  it  for  283  years,  it  passed  to  the 
Venetians.  It  is  said  that  they  received  annually  from  salt  and  taxes  50,000  scudi,  and 
gained  as  much  again  from  merchandise  taken  in  exchange  and  carried  to  Venice.  But  the 
Venetians  were  expelled  in  1571  by  the  Turks,  and  Cyprus  fell  under  the  Ottomans,  who 
still  rule  there. 

It  was  formerly  divided  into  four  regions,  called  from  Salamis,  Paphos,  Amathus  and 
Lapithos,  but  now  into  ten  districts,  Paphos,  Aydimo,  Limisso,  Masoto,  Salines  and  Messarea. 


COTOVICUS. 


195 


These,  speaking  generally,  look  to  the  .south  and  are  on  the  sea-coast:  a  continuous  mountain 
chain  divides  them  from  the  districts  on  the  north,  Carpasia,  Pentalea,  Ceraunia,  and  Crusoco. 
One  district  called  the  Vicomte  occupies  the  central  plain  between  Ceraunia  and  Salines. 
The  mountains  are  of  gentle  slope,  and  not  very  high.  The  highest  of  all  is  :\rount  OljTiipus, 
now  called  by  the  Greeks  Trohodos  or  Trochodos,  four  thousand  feet  in  height  and  fifty-four 
thousand  in  circuit.  It  was  once  famous  for  a  temple  of  Venus  Acrsea,  which  (Strabo  says) 
women  might  neither  see  nor  approach.  Some  think  that  here  too  stood  the  city  Olympia. 
The  mountain  is  now  dedicated  to  the  Archangel  Michael,  and  a  chapel  which  bears  his 
name  stands  on  the  summit.  Greeks  devoted  to  a  monastic  life  l)egan  to  settle  upon  it,  and 
founded  eighteen  convents,  so  that  in  course  of  time  vineyards,  gardens  and  orchards  sprung 
up,  and  this  part  of  the  island  became  noted  for  its  pleasantness,  beauty  and  excellent 
cultivation.  For  it  is  full  of  streams  of  purest  water,  and  everywhere  clothed  with  forest. 
Yet  after  a  while,  for  nothing  in  nature  is  stable,  the  monks  were  driven  from  the  place  by 
the  barbarians,  desolation  followed,  and  now  it  lies  mostly  abandoned  and  waste.  Beyond 
Trohodos  stands  a  mountain  of  conspicuous  height  commonly  called  Holy  Cross.  On  its 
summit  was  a  temple  of  J upiter,  now  it  is  dedicated  to  the  Cross.  When  S.  Helena  came  to 
the  island  she  left  here  a  piece  of  the  Cross,  and  built  a  fine  church,  and  gave  the  mountain 
its  name.  It  lies  about  twenty  miles  from  Salines,  the  road  is  difficult  and  irksome  by  reason 
of  the  many  hills.  On  the  topmost  peak  is  a  small  and  nnich  frequented  chapel,  for  some 
believe  that  even  now  a  fragment  of  the  Cross  is  preserved  there. 

The  island  has  many  promontories :  those  on  the  west,  south  and  east  we  have  already 
set  down  in  their  order,  so  it  were  superfluous  to  repeat  their  names  here.  On  the  north  are 
Crommion  or  P.  Croimniorum,  now  Cape  Cormachiti  or  Cornachietti,  Callinusa,  now  Limnito, 
and  Delenum. 

We  mentioned  two  cities  as  surviving,  one  of  them  is  on  the  coast,  the  other  inland. 
That  on  the  coast  was  the  seat  of  a  bishopric,  an<l  has  a  remarkable  and  most  safe  harbour. 
It  is  situated  on  the  extreme  eastern  shore,  near  the  ruins  of  ancient  Salamis,  and  took  its 
name  from  King  Costus,  father  of  S.  Catharine,  or  from  Augustus,  in  commemoration  of  his 
victory  at  Actium  over  Antony  and  Cleopatra,  thus,  as  some  saj-,  Kama  Augusti,  Famagosta, 
whereas  it  was  formerly  called  after  Arsinoe,  whom  many  assert  to  be  its  foundress.  It  is 
fairly  spacious  and  populous,  nearly  triangular  in  sliape,  and  the  only  defence  which  Cyprus 
has.  On  the  land  side,  fortifications  of  very  great  strength,  built  bj-  the  Venetians,  make  it 
most  secure;  it  is  founded  on  the  hardest  rock,  and  sate  against  mines  and  such-like  devices, 
yet  through  the  carelessness  and  negligence  of  the  barl)anans  the  walls  are  now  full  of 
breaches,  and  like  to  fall. 

The  second  was  once  the  seat  of  the  kings  jaf  the  hou.se  of  Lusignan,  and  called  first 
Leucata  from  Leucas  the  son  of  the  first  Ptolemy,  now  Leucosia  or  Nicosia.  It  is  in  the  very 
middle  of  the  island,  in  an  extensive  plain  called  Messarea,  seventy-eight  miles  long  by  thirty 
broad :  the  position  is  a  very  pleasant  one,  cultivated  hills  surround  it,  water  is  plentiful  and 
the  soil  rich.  The  Cathedral  Church,  once  dedicated  to  S.  Sophia,  is  a  fine  building:  near  it 
is  the  palace  of  the  Archbishop,  where  dwelt  the  Metropolitan  and  Primate  of  all  Cyprus, 
who  was  also  pontificial  legate.  Now  the  church  is  profaned  bj-  the  Turks,  turned  into 
a  mosque  and  devoted  to  the  foul  faith  of  Moliannnadans,  which  is  followed  throughout  the 
island.  The  city  is  veiy  large,  round  in  .shape,  fortified  with  eleven  bastions  and  surrounded 
with  a  broad  ditch.  In  size  and  situation  it  is  certainly  the  chief  city  of  the  island,  but  is 
full  of  ruins,  s(|ualid  and  defenceless,  for  the  walls  are  breached  or  decayed,  and  could  not 
witlistand  a  regular  attack  or  siege.   The  Pedcus,  a  river  or  torrent,  flows  by.   Stone  bridges 

25—2 


196 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


mark  its  course,  and  sometimes  it  is  full  and  violent,  but  we  found  it  dry  from  the  heat. 
This  royal  city  was  conquered  in  the  year  of  Christ  1423  by  the  Cairene  Sultans,  who  imposed 
a  yearly  tribute  of  twelve  thousand  sequins,  and  bestowed  it  on  the  Lusignan  kings.  Then 
it  enjoyed  fifty  years  or  more  of  peace,  until  Jacques  the  natural  son  of  King  Jean  drove  out 
his  sister  Carulota,  the  rightful  heir  to  the  realm,  who  had  married  the  Duke  of  Savoy,  and 
with  the  armed  help  of  the  Sultan  of  Egypt  took  it  by  force.  He  died  not  long  after,  having 
married  Catharina,  a  Venetian  lady  of  the  noble  family  of  the  Cornelii,  whom  the  Venetian 
Senate  had  adopted  into  the  family  and  wardship  of  S.  Mark  with  a  dowry  from  the  public 
funds  of  one  hundred  thousand  ducats.  His  wife  brought  forth  a  posthumous  son  who  lived 
barely  a  year,  and  at  the  instance  of  her  family  she  made  over  her  kingdom  to  the  Republic. 
Cyprus  thus  became  a  possession  of  Venice  and  remained  under  her  rule  until  1571,  in  which 
year  the  Ottoman  Emperor  Selim  II.,  claiming  to  have  succeeded  to  the  rights  of  the  Egyptian 
Sultans,  declared  war  against  Venice  for  its  recovery.  During  forty  days  it  endured  many 
and  fierce  attacks,  but  the  greatness  of  the  enemy's  host,  which  is  said  to  have  numbered 
eighty  thousand  soldiers,  prevailed,  the  island  was  taken  and  ravaged,  its  nobility  extirpated, 
its  magistrates,  captains  and  guards  slain,  and  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants  enslaved.  So  it 
fell  under  the  rule  of  the  barbarians,  its  royal  state  and  lustre  and  old  magnificence  vanishing 
under  Turkish  tyranny.  In  the  hands  of  savages  regal  glory  and  high  renown  sink  and  fall, 
while  the  authority,  pomp  and  wealth  of  dependencies  concentrate  themselves  at  the  seat  of 
Empire. 

A  like  fate  befell  Famagusta.  After  the  capture  of  Leucosia,  the  Turks  rapidly  moved 
their  camp  and  hastened  to  the  siege  of  Famagusta.  They  took  it,  but  not  with  the  same 
ease,  and  only  after  a  year's  siege,  in  which  they  lost  seventy  thousand  of  their  men.  Want 
and  hunger  drove  the  inhabitants  to  surrender,  after  they  had  first  bargained  with  the 
Turkish  general  Mustafa  for  the  lives  of  all.  But  when  Marcantonio  Bragadino  and  Astorre 
Baglione  the  generals,  with  a  following  of  many  captains  and  nobles  went  forth  from  the  city 
to  his  camp  to  present  the  keys  of  the  gates  and  to  ask  (as  had  been  agreed)  for  leave  to 
depart,  he  caused  them  at  first  to  be  brought  to  his  tent,  received  them  kindly,  and  praised 
their  courage  and  their  zeal  in  defending  for  their  Prince  so  noble  a  city.  Then  a  sudden  fit 
of  rage  seized  the  cruel  savage,  and  in  violation  of  his  plighted  word  and  of  the  common  law 
of  nations  he  not  only  ordered  Astorre  Baglione,  a  man  of  noble  birth  and  a  distinguished 
soldier,  and  other  leaders  to  be  beheaded,  while  their  followers  were  attacked  and  massacred 
by  the  arms  of  his  guards  and  the  spears  of  the  janissaries,  but  caused  Marcantonio  Bragadino, 
the  general  in  command  of  the  city,  a  man  illustrious  among  the  nobles  of  Venice  for  his 
passion  for  arms  and  singular  courage,  after  his  ears  were  cut  off,  to  be  brutally  flayed  alive 
by  a  Jewish  hangman — a  spectacle  of  hideous  and  unparalleled  barbarity.  In  the  sight  of 
the  whole  city,  amidst  the  sharpest  torments,  his  courage  and  constancy,  and  the  calmness  of 
his  bearing  and  look  shone  so  fairly  forth  that  he  seemed  rather  to  rejoice  than  sulfer.  But 
the  barbarian  monster  was  still  unsatisfied,  and  bade  them  stulf  his  skin  with  straw,  and  hang 
it  on  a  mast,  and  so  bear  it  to  Constantinople.  After  many  years  had  passed,  his  brother 
and  sons  bought  it  for  a  great  price,  carried  it  to  Venice,  and  saw  it  laid  in  a  marble  urn  in 
the  church  of  SS.  Griovanni  e  Paolo,  with  tliis  inscription  to  the  memory  of  a  most  fond  father, 
and  a  leader  of  undying  fame. 


COTOVICUS. 


197 


D.  0.  P. 

M.  Antonii  Bragadeni  dum  pro  fide  et  patria 
Bello  Cyprio  Salamin^  contra  Turcas  constaj^ter 
fortiterq,  curam  principem  sustineret  longa 
obsidione  victi  a  perfida  hostis  manu  ipso  vivo  ac 
intrepide  sufferexte  detracta 

PELLIS 

Axx.  Sal.  CIO.Io.LXXI.  XV.  Kal.  Sept.  Antox.  fratris 

OPERA  ET  IXPEXSA  BYZAXTIO  HUC 
ADVECTA 

ATQUE  HIC  A  MaRCO  HerMOLAO  AnTOXIOQUE  FILIIS 
PIENTISSIMIS  AD  SUMMI  DeI  PATRIyE  PATERXIQUE  XOMIXIS 
GLORIAM  SEMPITERXAM 
POSITA 

AXX.  Sal.  CIO.TO.LXXXXVI.  vixit  axx.  XLVI. 

To  God  the  Best  ami  Mightiest. 

The  skin  of  Mark  Antony  Bragadino,  torn  from  him  while  alive  and  suffering  fearlessly, 
hy  the  faithless  hand  of  the  enemy,  mi  the  eighteputh  day  of  August,  in  the  year  of  our 
Salvation  1671,  u-hen,  in  the  Cyprian  war  u  aged  agaimt  the  Turks  for  faith  and  fatherland, 
he  was  overborne  in  the  long  siege  of  Salamis,  where  he  commanded  with  constancy  and  valour, 
ivas  brought  hither  from  Byzaidirim  by  the  care  and  at  the  cost  of  his  brother  Antony,  and 
laid  here  by  his  devoted  sons  Mark,  Hi  rmolaus  and  Antony,  to  the  eternal  glory  of  God  most 
High,  of  their  country,  and  their  father's  name,  in  the  year  of  our  Salvation  1596.  He  lived 
forty-six  years. 

When  Lciicosia  and  Faniagosta  wore  taken,  an<l  the  citadel  of  Ceraum'a  surrendered, 
access  to  the  other  towns  and  villages  was  easy  enough.  They  had  neither  fortifications  nor 
garrisons,  and  being  unable  to  offer  resi.stance  yielded  without  parley  to  the  Turks.  They 
are  all  now  under  the  rule  of  one  Pasha,  who  resides  at  Leucosia  and  exercises  the  chief 
authority  with  a  rank  somewhat  like  our  Viceroys.  Not  only  is  he  supreme  over  the 
islanders,  but  over  all  their  magistrates,  Sanjaqs,  Qadis,  Subashis  and  soldiers,  both  horse 
and  foot,  and  rules  nil  iiccordinj;  to  the  laws  of  the  Turks.  While  we  were  in  Cyprus  the 
Governor  was  Jatt'ev  Pasha,  a  Cahibrian,  of  low  birth  and  a  renegade  from  Christianity,  and, 
like  all  such,  inten.sely  hostile  to  Christians.  Besides  the  towns  I  have  mentioned  it  is  said 
there  are  still  850  villages  (casali).  These  were  popidous  enough  in  old  times,  and  rich  and 
prosperous,  now  the  Turkish  tyranny  has  left  them  deserted  or  thinly  jjeopled.  The  principal 
are  Lapithus,  Cilurus,  Carpa.ssus,  Lefcara,  Constantinum,  Limnati,  Silica,  Arnica,  Pellendria, 
Chilani,  Colossus,  Piscopia,  Salines,  Conuclia,  Orima,  Serines,  Arzus,  Omodus,  Crnsocus, 
Solia,  ^lorfu,  Limissus  and  Lefca.  Besides  Turks,  Moors  and  a  few  Jews  the  majority  of  the 
inhabitants  are  Greeks,  who  use  the  Greek  language  ami  written  character,  their  dialect 
differing  somewhat  from  that  of  Crete  :  they  are  Christians  of  the  Greek  rite.  There  are  also 
Maroiiites,  Nestorians,  Jacobites  and  Copts,  fugitives  from  Palestine,  who  were  driven  from 
the  realm  of  Saladin  after  the  capture  of  Jerusalem,  and  settled  liere,  each  sect  still  observing 
its  own  rites.  'J'he  Turks,  according  to  the  statements  of  persons  worthy  of  credit,  number 
scarcely  six  thousand  males,  the  Christians  (always  excepting  women  and  children)  twenty- 


198 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


eight  thousand.  The  Cypriots  bear  the  Turkish .  yoke  unwillingly  enough,  still  they  bear  it, 
since  they  have  no  hope  of  aid  from  the  princes  of  Christendom,  fi'om  whom  so  great  a 
distance  shuts  them  off.  They  think  however  that,  were  there  any  chance  of  aid,  their  arms, 
their  courage  and  numbers  would  suffice  to  set  them  free.  But  such,  alas,  is  the  present 
deplorable  attitude  and  temper  of  the  Christian  princes,  such  their  mental  blindness,  so 
fierce  the  bitterness  of  their  mutual  hatreds,  so  cold  their  faith  and  love,  that  they  have  no 
thought  for  the  good  of  all,  or  the  cause  in  which  they  should  be  ever  vigilant !  They  allow 
general  confusion  to  reign,  they  refuse  help  to  the  tottering  Chi*istian  commonwealth ; 
Christian  blood  is  shed  unavenged.  Christians  draw  their  swords  upon  one  another,  when 
they  should  be  bringing  aid  to  those  who  groan  under  the  infidel  yoke,  and  waging  war 
against  their  savage  foe  until  they  have  crushed  that  impious  Turkish  tyrant,  and  brought 
his  strength  to  the  ground.  With  daily  tears  the  wretched  Cypriots  deplore  this  state  of 
things,  and  see  no  hope  of  liberty,  unless  it  should  flash  upon  them  from  Heaven.  But  they 
frankly  confess  that  their  own  faults  and  those  of  their  ancestors  deserve  these  things,  and 
worse  than  these,  inasmuch  as  they  loathed  the  just  rule  of  the  Venetians,  deeming  themselves 
to  bear  a  heavy  yoke  because  they  were  subject  to  men  of  another  race,  and  often  wishing 
to  put  themselves  under  the  Turkish  flag,  preferred  their  tyranny  to  the  government  of  the 
Christian  princes,  now  indeed,  as  the  chief  men  of  the  island  have  assured  me,  their  troubles 
and  trials  have  at  last  shown  how  grievously  they  were  mistaken.  Long  use  has  taught 
them  plainly  the  difference  between  the  principles  and  system  of  the  Turks,  how  opposite 
they  are.  Among  Christians,  reason,  equity  and  love  have  their  proper  place.  Among  the 
Turks  they  are  wholly  wanting,  tyranny  is  all  in  all.  This  by  the  way,  I  resume  my  account 
of  the  state  and  condition  of  Cyprus. 

Under  the  last  kings  and  the  Venetian  Republic  the  islanders  were  divided  into  six 
distinct  classes,  Parici,  Levteri,  Perpirarii,  Albanians,  white  Venetians  and  Nobles.  The 
Parihi  or  Parici,  like  the  Latin  Goloni,  were  men  of  the  lowest  or  servile  condition,  and  so 
completely  under  the  power  of  their  lords  that  these  had  over  them  all  but  the  power  of  life 
and  death.  For  besides  the  annual  tax  which  they  were  bound  to  pay  to  their  lords,  they 
had  to  give  in  each  week  two  days'  labour,  and  a  third  of  their  crops.  The  lords  too  were 
free  to  sell,  exchange,  release,  auction,  flog,  torture,  and  inflict  any  corporal  punishment 
except  death,  which  was  reserved  to  the  kings.  This  only  consolation  and  hope  remained 
to  these  wretched  creatures  that  by  a  payment  of  sixty  gold  crowns  they  could  redeem  their 
personal  freedom,  but  their  land  remained  in  all  cases  subject  to  the  duties  exacted  from  the 
Parici.  Next  to  them  were  the  Levteri  or  Elef teri,  freemen  or  freedmen,  who  were  really  of 
the  Parici  class,  but  by  payment,  or  by  their  lords'  favour,  or  other^vise  had  obtained  their 
liberty.  But  these  were  not  all  on  the  same  footing.  Some,  for  instance,  were  freed 
absolutely,  others  obtained  their  personal  liberty,  but  their  mastei's  still  kept  a  lien  on  their 
property,  and  compelled  them  to  pay  yearly  some  fifteen  or  sixteen,  some  more  some  less, 
perpira  or  hyperpira :  hence  Coloni  of  the  third  class  got  the  name  of  Perpirarii  or  Hy per- 
pirarii. The  Albanians,  originally  from  Albania  or  Epirus,  were  free  men,  and  under  the 
kings  and  Venetians  received  pay  from  the  state.  They  patrolled  the  coast  day  and  night, 
took  turns  as  sentries,  and  guarded  the  island  from  corsairs  and  pirates.  They  settled  by  and 
by  in  the  country,  and  were  called  Albanians.  The  white  Venetians  were  also  reckoned  free 
men,  but  they  were  obliged  to  pay  a  yearly  tax  to  the  princes  or  magnates.  The  Nobles, 
divided  into  two  classes,  ranked  before  all  these.  The  Princes,  Barons,  and  (so  called)  Lords 
came  first,  after  them  the  other  patricians.  For  while  the  Venetians  ruled  the  island  it  was 
not  only  the  Venetian  nobles  who  enjoyed  the  rights  of  nobility,  but  these  were  granted  also 


COKJVICUS. 


199 


by  license  of  the  Senate  to  all  citizens  of  the  Republic  who  could  prove  that  for  five  years  at 
least  they  had  lived  in  Leucosia.  Now  under  the  tyranny  of  the  barbarians  all  Christians 
are  of  the  same  condition ;  there  is  no  difference  between  noble  and  plebeian,  all  are  slaves, 
and  esteemed  as  the  vilest  of  such :  master  and  man,  rich  and  poor,  old  and  young,  mistress 
and  maid,  all  and  everyone  feel  the  same  yoke.  They  have  even  fallen  long  since  into  the 
ways  of  their  conquerors,  and  acquired  their  vices;  they  are  however  gentler  and  more 
civilized  than  others  of  Greek  race  who  are  subject  to  the  Turks.  They  are  kind  and 
courteous  to  strangers,  quick-witted  and  deft  of  tongue  and  hand :  strong  and  spirited,  and 
apt  soldiers,  but  the  extreme  fertility  of  the  soil  inclines  them  to  be  self-indulgent  and 
voluptuous.  Their  women  are  generally  lascivious,  true  to  the  character  of  their  ancestors, 
who  (as  Justin  tells  us),  before  they  contracted  a  lawful  marriage,  prostituted  themselves  to 
foreign  sailors.  The  ancients  had  reason  then  for  telling  us  that  the  island  was  dedicated  to 
Venus,  especially  as  it  produces  abundantly  all  that  ministers  to  lust. 

Let  us  now  touch  on  its  fertility.  It  abounds  in  silk,  cotton,  flax,  wool,  grain,  oil,  honey, 
cheese,  butter,  and  wine  of  excellent  (luality  and  most  wholesome.  It  will  keep,  we  were 
told,  eighty  or  more  years  intact.  It  is  naturally  red,  but  (strange  to  say)  it  grows  paler  and 
whiter  with  age.  It  has  the  virtue  of  a  balsam,  and  taken  in  moderation  is  of  great  serxnce 
in  sickness.  But  whether  old  or  new  it  is  hardly  palatable  to  persons  not  accustomed  to  the 
pitchy  taste  which  it  acquires  by  being  kept  in  pitched  jars:  this  gives  it  a  rough  flavour, 
but  preserves  it  to  a  wonderful  age.  Cirapes,  purposely  dried  and  shrivelled,  which  they  call 
Zibiho,are  produced  in  great  quantity,  the  best  are  black  and  large:  also  grain,  and  different 
vegetables.  One  could  hardly  exaggerate  the  richness  of  the  soil,  but  it  must  not  want  water 
through  the  long  summer  heat,  but  be  diligently  irrigated.  On  this  matter  they  spare  neither 
money  nor  labour,  for  when  the  rivers  or  torrents  fail  they  have  deep  and  wide  wells  from 
which,  by  means  of  large  wheels  driven  by  horses,  they  draw  up  in  earthen  vessels  abundance 
of  water  for  the  use  of  their  fields. 

Their  .seasons  seem  extraordinary  compared  with  those  of  our  latitude.  In  summer 
everything  is  so  dried  and  scorched  by  the  sun's  heat  that,  except  where  irrigation  is  used, 
you  will  scarcely  find  a  blade  of  grass.  Then  in  winter,  after  the  copious  autumn  rains,  the 
fields  are  soaked,  and  the  whole  is  a  pleasant  expanse  of  green  :  you  would  rather  call  it 
summer.  'To  travellers,  plough nicn  and  workers  generally,  even  to  sick  people,  the  winter  is 
far  more  comfortable  than  the  sunniier;  they  are  not  molested  by  the  cold,  except  during  a 
north  wind,  and  the  season  is  so  soft  and  temperate  that  the  cattle  seek  the  green  of  pastures 
and  groves  as  though  spring  were  beginning.  Summer  is  a  very  different  thing,  the  heat  is 
great  and  trying,  and  a  general  torpor  prevails :  it  is  not  safe  for  strangers  or  natives  to 
travel  under  the  mid-day  smi,  so  they  stay  at  home,  and  avail  themselves  as  best  they  can  of 
the  slaelter  of  walls  and  roofs  against  the  deadly  heat.  They  are  up  before  the  sun,  and 
make  the  most  of  the  twilight,  fortifying  themselves  against  the  weakness  which  grows  on 
them  with  a  healthy  breakfast.  Labourers  sleep  in  the  open  without  covering,  the  well-to-do 
lie  on  quilts,  but  exposed  to  the  air,  or  just  covered  with  a  linen  sheet. 

Enough  about  the  seasons:  let  us  return  to  the  fertility  of  the  island.  One  remarkable 
product  is  the  canna  ehosia  or  canna  mellis,  a  reed  as  tall  as  the  cotton  plant,  from  which 
they  make  sugar.  Others  are  alum  {alnmen  .sr/W/c),  white  and  black,  pitch,  resin,  gypsum, 
which  they  quarry  out  of  the  earth,  and  in  many  places  abundance  of  nitre,  jasper,  agate, 
emerald,  crystal,  red  and  white  coral,  other  precious  stones,  and  diamonds,  though  inferior 
in  hardness  and  value  to  those  of  the  Kast.  It  is  rich  in  mines  of  gold,  iron  and  copper,  in 
the  best  possible  vitriol,  in  verdigris  useful  in  medicine,  and  marchasite  both  white  and  red. 


200 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Near  a  village  Amiantus  is  found  the  stone  of  the  same  name,  very  like  the  alumeii  scissile 
or  plumosuvi.  It  is  impervious  to  fire,  and  was  well  known  to  the  ancients,  who  made  from 
it  shrouds  and  wrappings  for  the  dead.  These  were  cleaned  by  passing  them  through  the 
fire,  washing  only  made  them  hard.  Corpses  destined  to  cremation  were  enveloped  in  these 
for  the  greater  ease  in  preserving  the  ashes  apart  from  the  fuel.  But  cloth  of  this  kind  is  no 
longer  used.  Then  ladanum,  frankincense,  storax,  manna,  scammony,  saffron,  coriander, 
sesame,  sumach,  mastic,  rhubarb,  colocynth,  thyme,  marjoram,  hyssop,  with  many  other 
plants  of  singular  virtue  in  medicine.  Gourds,  melons,  cucumbers,  cauliflowers,  the  colocas 
of  Egyptian  bean,  and  other  useful  vegetables.  Near  Calopsida  there  grows  in  great  quantity 
the  herb  soda,  from  whose  ashes  they  make  soap,  as  Avell  as  others  used  in  washing  and 
bleaching  the  delicate  crinkled  cloth  (called  in  Italy  Zaabelota)  which  the  natives  weave  in 
great  quantity  of  goat's  hair.  The  powder  called  Cyprian,  so  fragrant  and  so  much  valued 
in  Italy,  is  made  of  sweet  smelling  herbs,  or  (as  some  say)  of  a  certain  green  dew  which  falls 
on  stones  and  plants  and  is  dried  to  whiteness.  All  kinds  of  trees  abound,  except  cheri'ies, 
chestnuts  and  sorbs,  and  bounteous  nature  supplies  their  place  with  others  of  better  quality. 
Others  again  which  are  hardly  known  to  our  western  world,  bananas,  dates  and  carobs,  not 
to  speak  of  oranges,  lemons,  apricots  and  pomegranates.  There  are  whole  woods  of  cyj^ress, 
and  many  pine  trees.  From  these  last  oozes  the  best  and  most  fragrant  resin  or  turpentine, 
of  the  greatest  use  in  affections  of  the  stomach  and  spitting  blood.  The  number  of  different 
birds  is  very  large :  wood-pigeons,  quails,  partridges,  pheasants,  ducks  and  geese  abound, 
while  turtle  doves  are  as  plentiful  as  sparrows  with  us,  and  are  so  tame  as  to  seem  to  share 
with  men  roofs,  gardens  and  public  squares.  The  tiny  birds  which  the  Cypriots  call  Italian — 
they  are  not  unlike  the  ortolans  of  Italy — are  very  common,  and  so  plump,  especially  during 
the  vintage  when  they  feed  on  grape  stones  and  mastic  seed,  that  infinite  numbers  of  them 
are  preserved  in  jars  with  vinegar  and  savoury  herbs,  and  sent  for  sale  to  Venice,  making  a 
dainty  dish  greatly  in  request  with  princes  and  lords  throughout  Italy.  There  are  many 
eagles  and  hawks,  even  merlins  and  peregrines  which  do  not  breed  here  are  caught  as  they 
follow  their  prey.  Wild  in  the  woods  are  found  gazelles,  deer,  herbs,  rabbits  and  many 
other  such  animals,  but  none  dangerous  or  savage.  There  are  sheep  of  enormous  bulk  and 
wonderfully  fat,  with  tails  of  a  cubic's  length,  and  so  broad  and  thick  that  they  not  only 
cover  the  hinder  parts  of  the  animal,  but  often  weigh  over  twelve  pounds.  Here  too  is  bred 
the  four-footed  beast  called  chamasleon,  a  hideous  and  uncanny  creature.  When  we  were 
staying  at  Arnica  with  the  Father-guardian  of  the  Minorites  we  saw  one,  and  again  at  the 
house  of  a  certain  Greek :  they  were  alive,  and  we  handled  them,  for  they  are  harmless.  It 
is  a  palm  in  height,  and  not  more  than  a  palm  and  a  half  in  length,  spotted  like  a  pard,  ■with 
a  muzzle  like  a  frog,  and  a  very  long  thin  tail  ending  in  a  point  and  sinuous  as  a  viper, 
straight  legs,  crooked  claws  like  a  bird's ;  the  skin  rough  like  a  crocodile's,  the  belly  soft  and 
narrow,  the  backbone  and  the  way  the  sides  join  the  belly  remind  one  of  a  fish,  its  back 
humped  like  a  camel,  its  motion  sIoav  like  that  of  a  tortoise.  The  eyes  are  deeply  set,  close 
together,  very  large,  of  a  like  colour  with  the  body,  and  always  open :  to  look  round  it  turns 
the  whole  eye,  not  the  pupil  only :  the  mouth  is  always  open.  The  belly  is  never  purged  for 
it  has  no  vent,  and  alone  of  all  creatures  it  lives  on  neither  food  nor  drink,  but  on  air  only. 
Its  colouring  is  a  still  more  wonderful  feature,  for  it  changes  Avith  the  greatest  ease  to  match 
any  hue,  except  red  and  yellow,  to  which  it  may  be  near :  the  skin  only  changes,  not  the 
black  spots  upon  it.  Hence  the  common  proverb,  "more  changeable  than  a  chamasleon," 
Avhich  is  used  in  reproach  to  an  inconstant  or  slippery  person. 

The  island  has  no  navigable  river,  only  a  few  streams  and  torrents :  the  chief  are  the 


COTOVICUS. 


201 


Pedeus,  which  flows  past  Leucissia,  the  Lycus  which  descends  from  Olympus,  and  the  Tenus. 
When  these  are  in  flood  the  water  is  drawn  off  with  wheels  to  water  the  adjacent  farms  and 
flelds.  The  crops  have  often  failed  for  want  of  water,  especially  in  the  days  of  Helena,  mother 
of  the  Emperor  Constantine  the  Great,  when  as  a  popular  tradition  avers,  the  island  was  left 
uninhabited  for  more  than  thirty  years.  For  the  springs  were  dry,  the  earth  gaped  with  the 
heat,  and  the  soil  was  so  parched  that  the  natives  could  not  till  it,  and  went  forth  in  a  body 
to  some  other  place.  At  length  Helena,  who  landed  in  Cyprus  on  her  return  from  Jerusalem, 
inquired  the  cause  of  its  desolaticm,  and  touched  to  the  heart  with  compassion  obtained  from 
(jrod  by  prayer  that  rain  should  fall,  the  old  sources  be  filled,  that  its  inhabitants  should 
return  from  the  continent,  and  tlie  island  resume  its  former  populousness  and  well-being. 

Cyprus  suffers  yet  another  plague,  that  now  and  then  a  certain  in.sect  infe.sts  it.  About 
every  third  year,  if  the  seasons  are  dry,  they  grow  slowly  in  the  likeness  of  locusts,  and  in 
March,  Vieing  now  winged  and  as  thick  as  a  finger,  with  long  legs,  they  begin  to  fly.  At  once 
they  come  down  like  hail  from  heaven,  eat  everything  voraciously,  and  are  driven  before  the 
wind  in  such  huge  flights  that  they  seem  dense  clouds.  They  devour  every  green  herb,  and 
dying  at  last  of  hunger  leave  behind  them  a  terrible  stench,  which  infects  the  air  and  the 
soil  and  breeds  a  fearful  plague.  The  natives  seek  out  their  eggs  diligently,  and  destroy 
them  with  their  nests  and  lurking  places.  Unless  they  did  so  the  insects  would  increase  in 
that  torrid  soil  beyond  all  reckoning  or  belief. 

But  although  it  is  infested  with  these  creatures,  and  suffers  from  scorching  heat,  and  in 
some  places  from  a  certain  unlicaltliiuess  of  the  air,  yet  in  richness  of  soil,  in  beauty  of 
scenery  and  natural  wealth  the  island  is  self-sufficing  and  blessed.  Witness  Ammianus 
Marcellinus,  "  So  rich  and  varicnis  is  the  fertility  of  Cyprus  that  without  the  help  of  strangers 
it  can  build  a  cargo-boat  from  keel  to  truck  from  its  own  resources,  and  send  it  fully  fitted 
with  sails  and  gear  to  sea."  Not  undeservedly  was  it  called  of  old  ilacaria  or  the  Blest. 
So  rich  was  it,  so  fruitful  and  lu.xurious,  that  here  oiu'  might  see,  p<jssess  and  enjoy  all  that 
could  be  imagined  to  gratify  every  desire.  Lucius  Florus  writes  of  its  vast  riches,  "The 
wealth  of  Cyprus  brought  by  Forcius  Cato  in  Ijiburnian  ships  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tiber 
filled  a  larger  room  in  the  treasury  of  Rome  tlum  any  triumph  had  ever  done."  The  present 
condition  and  appearance  (jf  the  island  is  far  different,  oppressed  by  barbarian  rule  and 
stripped  of  its  old  grace  and  glory  much  of  it  is  uncultivated,  neglected,  deserted.  Cities 
once  famous  and  populous,  and  full  of  stately  buildings,  are  now  ruinous,  squalid  and  thinly 
peopled :  towns  and  villages  lie  desolate  and  forsaken,  for  it  is  the  way  of  the  Turks  to  lay 
waste  city  and  field,  to  destroy  ancient  splendour.    So  nnich  for  the  description  of  Cyprus. 


c. 


26 


202 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


LITHGOW. 

William  Litligow  (1582 — 1645.  See  Diet,  of  Nat.  Biography,  xxxiii.  359)  published  in  crown  4to, 
London,  1632,  Tlie  total  Discourse  of  the  Rare  adventures,  and  painefull  Peregrinations  of  long  nineteen 
years  Travailes  etc.  His  visit  to  Cyprus  fell  between  1609  and  1621.  He  reckons  his  "  goings,  traversings 
and  returnings  "  at  thirty-six  thousand  and  odd  miles. 

I  transcribe  from  pp.  182 — 189  of  the  edition  of  1640.    A  twelfth  issue  appeared  at  Leith,  1814. 

Twelve  days  I  was  between  Rhodes  and  Limisso  in  Cyprus,  where  arrived  I  received 
more  gracious  demonstrations  from  the  Islanders,  than  I  could  hope  for,  or  wish,  being  far 
beyond  my  merit  or  expectation;  onely  contenting  my  curiosity  with  a  quick  minde,  I 
redounded  thanks  for  my  imbraced  courtesies. 

The  people  are  generally  strong  and  nimble,  of  great  civility,  hospitality  to  their 
neighbours,  and  exceedingly  affectionated  to  strangers.  The  second  day  after  my  arrivall, 
I  took  with  me  an  Interpreter,  and  went  to  see  Nicosia,  which  is  placed  in  the  midst  of  the 
kingdom.  But  in  my  journey  thither  extream  was  the  heat  and  thirst  I  endured;  both  in 
respect  of  the  season,  and  also  want  of  water :  and  although  I  had  with  me  sufficiencie  of 
wine,  yet  durst  I  drink  none  thereof,  being  so  strong,  and  withall  had  a  taste  of  pitch ;  and 
that  is  because  they  have  no  barrels,  but  great  jars  made  of  earth,  wherein  their  wine  is  put. 
And  these  jars  are  all  inclosed  within  the  ground  save  onely  their  mouthes,  which  stand 
always  open  like  to  a  source  or  cistern,  whose  insides  are  all  interlarded  with  pitch  to 
preserve  the  earthen  vessels  unbroke  asunder,  in  regard  of  the  forcible  wine;  yet  making 
the  taste  thereof  unpleasant  to  liquorous  lips ;  and  turneth  the  wine,  too  heady  for  the  brain 
in  digestion,  which  for  health  groweth  difficult  for  strangers,  and  to  themselves  a  swallowing 
up  of  diseases. 

To  cherish  life  and  blood,  the  health  of  man, 
Give  me  a  Toast,  plung'd  in  a  double  kan. 
And  spic'd  with  ginger:  for  the  wrestling  grape. 
Makes  man  become  from  man  a  sottish  ape. 

Nicosia  is  the  principal  city  of  Cyprus,  and  is  invironed  with  mountains,  like  unto 
Florence  in  ^truria ;  wherein  the  Beglerbeg  remaineth ;  the  second  is  Famagusta,  the  chief 
strength  and  sea-port  in  it :  Selina,  Lemisso,  Paphos,  and  Fontana  Morosa,  are  the  other  four 
speciall  towns  in  the  Island. 

This  isle  of  Cyprus  was  of  old  called  Achametide,  Amatusa,  and  by  some  Marchara,  that 
is  happy.  It  is  of  length  extending  from  East  to  West,  210,  large  60,  and  of  circuit  600  miles. 
It  yieldeth  infinite  canes  of  Sugar,  Cotton-wooll,  Oile,  Honey,  Comes,  Turpentine,  Allom, 
Verdegreece,  Grograms,  store  of  Metals  and  Salt ;  besides  all  other  sorts  of  fruit  and  com- 
modities in  abundance.  It  was  also  called  Cerastis,  because  it  butted  towards  the  East  with 
one  horn,  and  lastly  Cyprus,  from  the  abundance  of  Cypresse  trees  there  growing.  This 
island  was  consecrated  to  Venus,  where  in  Paphos  she  was  greatly  honoured,  termed  hence, 
Dea  Cypri. 

Festa  dies  Veneris  tota  celeberrima  Cypro 
Venerat,  ipsa  suis  aderat  Venus  aurea  festis. 
Venus  feast  day  through  Cyprus  hallowed  came, 
Whose  feasts  her  presence  dignified  the  same. 


LITHGOW. 


203 


Cyprus  lyeth  in  the  Gulfe  between  Cilicia  and  Syria  h&ving  ^gypt  to  the  West,  Syria 
to  the  South,  Cilicia  to  the  East,  and  the  Pamphylia  sea  to  the  North.  It  hath  foure  chief 
capes  or  headlands,  first  westward  the  promontory  of  Acanias,  modernly  Capo  di  Santo 
Epiphanio:  to  the  south  the  promontory  Phtenria,  now  Capo  Bianco:  to  the  east  Pedasia, 
modernly  Capo  di  Graeco  :  to  the  north  the  high  foreland  Cramenion,  now  Capo  di  Cormathita: 
these  foure  are  the  chiefest  promontores  of  the  Island,  and  Cape  di  S.  Andrea  in  the  furthest 
point  eastward  toward  Cilicia.  Uiodore  and  Pliny  say  that  anciently  it  contained  nine 
kingdomes,  and  fifteen  good  townes,  Cerania  now  Selina,  was  built  by  Cyrus  who  subdued 
the  nine  petty  kings  of  this  isle.  Nicosia  is  situate  in  the  bottom  or  plain  of  Massara,  and 
thirty  four  miles  from  Famogusta :  and  the  town  of  Famogusta  was  formerly  named  Salamus, 
I  was  informed  by  some  of  sound  experience  here  that  this  kingdom  containeth  about  eight 
hundred  and  forty  villages,  besides  the  six  capitall  towns,  two  whereof  are  nothing  inferior 
for  greatness  and  populosity  to  the  towns  in  Candy,  Sycily  or  Greece. 

The  chiefest  and  highest  mountaines  in  this  isle  is  by  the  Cypriots  called  Trohodos,  it  is 
of  height  eight,  and  <jf  compass  forty  eight  miles,  whereon  there  are  a  number  of  religious 
monasteries,  the  people  whereof  are  called  Colieros,  and  live  under  the  order  of  S.  Basil. 
There  is  abundance  here  of  coriander  seed,  with  medicinable  rubarb  and  turpentine.  Here 
are  also  mines  of  gold  in  it,  of  chrysocole,  of  calthante,  of  allome,  iron  and  exceeding  good 
copper.  And  besides  these  mines,  there  are  divers  precious  stones  found  in  this  isle,  as 
emeralds,  diamonds,  chrystall,  corall  red  and  white,  and  the  admirable  stone  amiante, 
whereof  they  make  linneii  clotli  that  will  not  burn  being  cast  into  the  fire,  but  serveth 
to  make  it  neate  and  white. 

'i'lie  greatest  imperfection  of  tliis  isle  is  scarcity  of  water,  and  too  much  ])Ienty  of 
scorcliing  heat  and  sabulous  grounds.  'I'he  inhabitants  are  very  civill,  courteous  and  afl'able, 
and  notwithstanding  of  tlu-ir  delicious  and  delicate  fare  they  are  much  subject  to  melancholy, 
of  a  robust  naturi'  and  godd  wai-riours,  if  they  might  carry  arms.  It  is  recorded  that  in  the 
time  of  Constantine  the  (ii-ciit  tliis  isle  was  all  utterly  abandoni'd  of  the  inhal)itants,  and  that 
because  it  did  not  rain  for  the  space  of  six  iind  thirty  years.  After  which  time,  and  to 
replant  this  region  agiiin,  the  chiefest  colonies  came  from  /Egypt,  Judea,  Syria,  Cilicia, 
Pairiphylia,  Tliracia  and  certain  territories  of  (ireece.  And  it  is  thought  in  the  year  1193, 
after  that  Guy  of  Lusingham,  the  last  Christian  king  of  Jerusalem,  had  lost  the  Holy  Land, 
a  numl)er  of  Frenchmen  stayed  and  iidujbited  here,  of  wh<un  sprung  the  greatest  race  of  the 
Cyprian  gentility,  and  so  from  theiu  are  de.scendi'd  the  greatest  families  of  the  Phoenician 
Sydonians,  moderidy  Drusians;  though  ill  divided  and  worse  declined,  yet  they  are  sprung 
both  from  one  originall ;  the  distraction  iirising  from  conscience  of  religion,  the  one  a 
Christian,  the  others  'i'urks. 

'i'he  three  isles  of  Cyprus,  Candy  and  Sicily  are  the  only  monarchall  Queenes  of  the 
Mediterranean  Seas:  and  semblable  to  other  in  fertilitie,  length,  breadth  and  circuit,  save 
only  that  Candy  is  somewhat  more  narrow  tii;m  the  other  two  and  also  more  hilly  and 
sassinous:  yet  for  oils  and  wines  she  is  the  mother  of  both  the  other.  Sicily  being  for  grain 
and  silks  the  Empresse  of  all,  and  Cyprus  for  sugar  and  cottoji-wooll  a  darling  sister  to  both. 
Oidy  Sicily  being  the  most  civil  isle  and  nobly  gentilitate,  the  Cypriots  indifferently  good,  and 
the  Candiots  the  most  ruvid  of  all. 

The  chief  rivers  are  'i'eneo  and  Pedesco.  Cypi  us  was  first  by  Teucer  made  a  kingdome, 
who  after  the  Trojan  war  came  and  dwelt  here:  and  afterwards  being  divided  between  nine 
pettie  princes  it  was  subdiu'd  by  Cyrus  the  first  monarch  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  .\fter 
the  subversion  of  whicli  empire  tliis  isle  was  givi'n  to  the  Ptolemies  of  yEgypt,  from  whom 
Cato  conquered  it  to  the  benefit  of  the  Romans.    The  Dukes  of  Savoy  were  once  Kings  of 

26—2 


204 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Cyprus,  but  the  inhabitants  usurping  their  authority  elected  kings  to  themselves  of  their  own 
generation :  and  so  it  continued  till  the  last  king  of  Cyprus,  James  the  Bastard  (marrying 
with  the  daughter  of  a  noble  Venetian,  Catherina  Cornaro)  died  without  children,  leaving 
her  his  absolute  heir.  And  she  perceiving  the  factious  nobility  too  headstrong  to  be  bridled 
by  a  female  authority,  like  a  good  child,  resigned  her  crown  and  scepter  to  the  Venetian 
Senate,  anno  1473.  Whereupon  the  Venetians  embracing  the  opportunity  of  time  brought 
her  home,  and  sent  governors  thither  to  bear  sway  in  their  behalf,  paying  only  as  tribute  to 
the  Egyptian  Sultans  40000  crownes,  which  had  been  due  ever  since  Melecksala  [Melek  el 
Ashraf,  Seif-ed-Din]  had  made  [Janus]  of  Cyprus  his  tributary. 

It  was  under  their  jurisdiction  120  years  and  more,  till  that  the  Turks,  who  ever  oppose 
themselves  against  Christians  (finding  a  fit  occasion  in  time  of  peace  and  without  suspition  in 
the  Venetians)  took  it  with  a  great  Armado,  anno  1570,  and  so  till  this  day  by  them  is 
detained.  Oh  great  pitty !  that  the  usurpers  of  Grod's  Word,  and  the  world's  great  enemy, 
should  maintain  (without  feare)  that  famous  kingdom,  being  but  one  thousand  and  fifty 
Turks  in  all  who  are  the  keepers  of  it.  Unspeakable  is  the  calamitie  of  that  poor  afflicted 
Christian  people  under  the  terrour  of  these  infidels,  who  would,  if  they  had  armes  or  assistance 
of  any  Christian  Potentate,  easily  subvert  and  abolish  the  Turks,  without  any  disturbance ; 
yea,  and  would  render  the  whole  Signiory  thereof  to  such  a  noble  actor.  I  do  not  see  in  that 
small  judgment  which  by  experience  I  have  got  but  the  redemption  of  that  country  were 
most  facile,  if  that  the  generous  heart  of  any  Christian  Prince  would  be  moved  with  condign 
compassion  to  relieve  the  miserable  afflicted  inhabitants.  In  which  work  he  should  reap 
(questionless)  not  only  an  infinite  treasure  of  worldly  commodities,  that  followeth  upon  so 
great  a  conquest,  but  also  a  heavenly  and  eternal  reward  of  immortal  glory.  The  which 
deliverance  Ferdinando,  Duke  of  Florence  thought  to  have  accomplished  (having  purchased 
the  good  will  of  the  islanders)  with  five  gallonnes  and  5000  souldiers.  Who  being  mindful 
to  take  first  in  the  fortress  of  Famogusta,  directed  so  their  course  that  in  the  night  they 
should  have  entered  the  haven,  disbark  their  men  and  scale  the  walls. 

But  in  this  plot  they  were  far  disappointed  by  an  unhappy  pilot  of  the  vice  admii-al,  who 
mistaking  the  port  went  into  a  wrong  bay :  which  the  Florentines  considering  resolved  to 
return  and  keep  the  sea  till  the  second  night,  but  by  a  dead  calm  they  were  frustrated  of 
their  aymes,  and  on  the  morrow  discovered  by  the  castle.  Whereupon  the  Turks  went 
presently  to  arms,  and  charged  the  inhabitants  to  come  to  defend  that  place.  But  about 
four  hundred  (xreeks  in  the  westpart,  at  Paphus,  rebelled,  thinking  that  time  had  altered 
their  hard  fortunes  by  a  new  change :  but  alas  they  were  prevented,  and  everyone  cut  off  by 
the  bloody  hands  of  the  Turks ;  this  massacre  was  committed  in  the  year  1607.  Such  alwayes 
are  the  torturing  flames  of  Fortune's  smiles,  that  he  who  most  alfecteth  her,  she  most  and 
altogether  deceiveth.  But  they  who  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  stable  as  Mount  Syon, 
which  cannot  be  removed :  and  questionless  one  day  God,  in  his  all  eternall  mercie,  vdW 
relieve  their  miseries,  and  in  his  just  judgments  recompence  these  bloody  oppressors  with  the 
heavy  vengeance  of  His  allseeing  Justice. 

In  my  return  from  Nicosia  to  Famogusta  with  my  Trench-man  we  encountered  by  the 
way  with  some  Turks,  who  needs  would  have  my  mule  to  ride  upon,  which  my  interpreter 
refused.  But  they  in  a  revenge  pulled  me  by  the  heels  from  the  mule's  back,  beating  me  most 
pitifully  and  left  me  almost  for  dead.  In  this  meanwhile  my  companion  fled,  and  escaped  the 
sceleratness  of  their  hands ;  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  some  compassionable  Greeks,  who  by 
accident  came  by,  and  relieved  me,  I  had  doubtless  immediately  perished. 

From  the  Fort  and  Citie  Famogusta  I  embarked  in  a  Germo,  and  arrived  at  Tripoly, 
being  88  miles  distant. 


LITHGOW.  SANDYS. 


205 


SANDYS. 

George  Sandys,  son  of  Edwin,  Arclibishop  of  York,  was  born  1577  and  died  1644.  He  published  in 
small  folio,  London,  1615,  A  Relation  of  a  journey  begun  An.  Doni.  1610.  The  first  book  deals  with  the 
Turkish  Empire,  its  manners,  forces  etc.:  the  second  with  Egypt,  the  third  with  Palestine, and  the  fourth 
with  the  journey  home  from  Acre,  by  Cyprus.  Crete,  Malta,  Sicily  and  Italy.  He  does  not  make  it  at  all 
clear  that  he  landed  in  Cyprus,  but  lie  has  collected  with  diligence  what  was  known  in  his  time  about  the 
island,  and  his  quaint  narrative  seems  worthy  of  a  place  among  our  Excerpta.  From  the  number  of 
early  editions  of  the  Relation  it  must  have  been  very  popular.  We  transcribe  from  Book  iv.  pp.  218 — 222 
of  the  first  edition. 

For  Salamis  see  Velleius  Paterculus  i.  1,  "  Teucer,  non  receptus  a  patre  Telamone  ob  segnitiam  non 
vindicatae  fratris  injuriae,  Cyprum  adpulsus  cognominem  patria^  suae  Salamina  constituit." 

Now  shape  we  our  course  for  Fhiglaiid.    Beloved  Soile:  as  in  site  (Virg.  Eel.  I.  67.) 

"  Wholly  from  all  the  world  disj(jyned,"  so  in  thy  felicities.  The  smniner  burnes  thee 
not,  nor  the  winter  benums  thee :  defended  by  the  sea  from  wastf ull  incursions,  and  by  the 
valour  of  thy  sonnes  from  hostile  invasions.  All  other  couTitries  are  in  some  things  defective, 
when  thou  a  provident  parent  devest  minister  unto  thine  whatsoever  is  u.sefull :  forrein 
additions  but  only  tending  to  vanity  and  luxury.  Vertue  in  thee  at  the  least  is  praised,  and 
vices  are  branded  with  their  names,  if  not  pursued  with  punishments.  That  Ulys.ses  (Hom. 
Od.  I.  1.) 

"  Who  knew  many  mens  manners,  and  saw  many  cities,"  if  as  sound  in  judgement  as 
ripe  in  experience,  will  confesse  this  to  be  the  land  that  Howeth  with  milk  and  lumey. 

Our  sailes  now  swelling  with  the  first  breath  i)f  May,  un  the  right  hand  we  left  Cyprus, 
aacred  of  old  unto  Venus,  who  (as  they  faiiic)  was  here  first  exhibited  to  mortals  (Homer,  in 
Hymnis,  V.  1 — 4.) 

I  sing  of  Venus  crownd  with  golfl,  rcnownd 
For  faire :  that  Cyprus  guards,  by  N't'iituno  bound. 
Her  in  soft  fonie  mild-breathing  Zophyre  bore 
On  murmuring  waves  unto  that  fruitfull  shore. 

Thither  said  to  be  driven,  in  regard  to  the  fertility  of  the  soile,  or  beastly  lusts  of  the 
people,  who,  to  purchase  portions  for  their  daughters,  accustomed  to  prostitute  them  on  the 
shore  unto  strangers;  an  offering  besides  held  acceptable  to  their  g()ddes.se  of  N'iciousnesse. 
Some  write  that  Cyprus  was  so  named  of  the  Cypre.sse  trees  that  grew  therein,  others  of 
Cyrus,  who  built  in  it  the  ancient  city  of  Aphrodisia,  but  grossely,  for  Cyrus  lived  six  hundred 
yeares  after  Homer,  by  whom  it  was  so  named:  but  more  probable  of  Cryptus,  the  more 
ancient  name,  in  that  often  concealed  by  the  surges.  It  stretches  from  Kast  into  West  in 
forme  of  a  fleece,  and  thrusteth  forth  a  number  of  promontories :  whereupon  it  was  called 
Cerastis,  which  sigiiifieth  horned;  so  terming  the  i)rom(intories,  as  in  I'hillis  to  Demoplion 
(Ov.  Her.  11.  1:31.) 

A  bay  there  is  like  to  a  bow  when  l)ent 
Steeple  homes  advancing  on  the  shores  extent, 

the  occasion  of  that  fable  of  Veinis  her  metamorphosing  the  cruel  sacrifices  of  that  island 
into  oxen;  or  else  of  the  tumors  that  grew  in  many  of  their  foreheads.    It  is  in  circuit. 


206 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


according  unto  Strabo,  foure  hundred  twenty  seven  miles,  sixty  miles  distant  from  the  rocky 
shore  of  Cilicia ;  and  from  the  maine  of  Syria  an  hundred :  from  whence  it  is  said  to  have 
bin  devided  by  an  earthquake.  Devided  it  was  into  foure  provinces,  Salamina,  Amathusia, 
Lapethia  and  Paphia,  so  named  of  their  principall  cities.  Salamina  was  built  by  Teucer 
in  memoriall  of  that  from  whence  he  was  banished  by  his  father  Telamon,  for  not  revenging 
the  death  of  his  brother  (Hor.  I  Od.  VII.  21.) 

When  Teucer  fled  from  Sire  and  Salamine 
Crownd  with  a  wreath  of  poplar  dipt  in  wine, 
He  thus  his  sad  friends  cheares :  Go  we  lovd  mates 
Which  way  soever  Fortune  leades;  the  Fates 
Are  kinder  than  my  Father:  nor  despair 
When  Teucer  guides  you.    He  whose  answers  are 
Most  sure,  Apollo,  in  another  land 
Did  say  another  Salamine  should  stand. 

being  assigned  to  him  by  Belus,  if  Didoes  relation  may  be  beleeved  (Virg. 

Teucer,  exiled  Greece,  to  Sidon  came: 
Who  a  new  kingdom  sought  by  Belus'  aide. 
My  father  Belus  then  did  Cyprus  tame, 
And  that  rich  country  tributory  made. 

This  city  was  afterwards  called  Constantia;  but  destroyed  by  the  Jewes  in  the  daies 
of  the  Emperor  Trajan,  and  finally  by  the  Saracens  in  the  reigne  of  Heraclius.  Upon  the 
ruins  thereof  the  famous  Famagosta  was  erected  by  King  Costa,  as  they  say,  the  father 
of  Saint  Kathei'ine.  Eternized  by  the  unfortunate  valour  of  Signior  Bragadino,  who  with 
incredible  fortitude  withstood  the  furious  assaults,  made  by  the  populous  army  of  Selimus 
the  second,  conducted  by  Mustafa;  and  after  surrendered  it  upon  honourable  conditions, 
infringed  by  the  perjured  and  execrable  Pasha,  who  entertaining  at  his  tent  with  counterfeit 
kindness  the  principall  of  them,  suddenly  picking  a  quarrel,  caused  them  all  to  be  murdered, 
the  Governor  excepted,  whom  he  reserved  for  more  exquisite  torments.  For  having  cut 
off  his  eares,  and  exhibited  him  by  carrying  of  earth  on  his  backe  to  the  derision  of  the 
infidels,  he  finally  fleyed  him  alive,  and  stuffing  his  skin  with  chafte,  commanded  it  to  be 
hung  at  the  maine  yard  of  his  galley.  Famagosta  is  seated  in  a  plain  between  two 
promontories;  in  forme  welnigh  quadrangular,  whereof  two  parts  are  washt  with  the  sea; 
indifferent  strong,  and  containing  two  miles  in  circumference.  It  standeth  almost  opposite 
unto  Tripoly  having  a  haven  which  openeth  South  East,  the  mouth  thereof  being 
straightened  with  two  rocks  which  defend  it  from  the  weather.  There  was  Saint  Barnaby 
borne,  there  suffered  martyrdome  under  Nero,  and  there  buried,  to  whom  the  Cathedral 
Church  was  dedicated.  This  greatly  ruined  city  is  yet  the  strongest  in  the  Island,  the 
Seate  of  the  Sanjaq:  late  put  into  such  an  affright  upon  the  approch  of  the  Florentine 
ships,  that  he  fully  purposed,  as  is  credibly  reported,  to  have  surrendered  it  upon  their 
landing  who  (perhaps  posest  with  a  mutuall  terrour)  forbare  to  attempt  it.  The  aforesaid 
region  of  Salamine  (which  lieth  on  the  East  of  the  Island)  contained  also  the  celebrated 
cities  of  Aphrodisium,  Tamassus  abounding  with  vitriol  and  verdigrease;  Arsinoe,  Idalium, 
and  the  neighbouring  groves  so  chanted  off :  the  Olympian  promontory  (where  Venus  had 
her  Temple,  into  which  it  was  lawfull  for  no  woman  to  enter)  with  the  hill  on  the  opposite 
Pedasium,  square  on  the  top  like  a  table,  and  sacred  unto  her,  as  all  the  aforenamed.  In  the 
territory  of  Lapathia  comprehending  the  north  part,  where  once  stood  Tremitus,  in  the  heart 


The  Island 
^n.  I.  619.) 


SANDYS. 


207 


almost  of  the  Island,  and  midst  of  a  goodly  plaine,  stands  the  late  regall  city  of  Nicosia : 
circular  in  forme,  and  five  miles  in  circumference :  not  yeelding  in  beauty  (before  defaced  by 
the  Turks)  unto  the  principall  cities  of  Italy.  Taken  by  the  foresaid  Mustafa  on  the  ninth 
of  September,  in  the  yeare  1570  with  an  incredible  slaughter,  and  death  of  Dandolus  the 
unwarlike  Governor.  The  chiefe  of  the  prisoners,  and  richest  spoiles,  he  caused  to  be 
embarked  in  two  tall  ships,  and  a  great  gallion,  for  a  present  to  send  unto  Selimus :  when 
a  noble  and  beautifull  Lady,  preferring  an  honourable  death  before  a  life  which  would  prove 
so  repleate  with  slavery  and  hated  pnjtititutioiis,  set  fire  on  certain  barrels  of  powder,  which 
not  only  tore  in  peeces  the  vessels  that  carried  her,  but  burnt  the  other  so  low  that  the  sea 
devoured  their  reliques.  The  Frankes  have  their  factours  resident  in  Nicosia,  partly  in- 
haV)ited  by  the  ancient  Greeke-Cypriots,  and  partly  hy  Turkes  and  Moores.  The  buildings 
are  low,  flat  rooft,  the  entrances  little,  for  the  most  part  ascended  by  staires  for  the  more 
difficult  entry.  North  of  this  and  upon  the  sea,  stood  Ceraunia,  erected  by  Cyrus  (now  of 
great  strength  and  called  Ceriiies:  yet  surreudred  to  the  Turks  Ijefore  it  was  besieged)  and 
at  the  West  and  of  that  Province  the  city  of  the  Suiiiie,  with  the  Temples  of  Venus  and  Isis, 
built  by  Phalerus  and  Achanms  the  Athenians.  The  mountaine  of  Olympus  lies  on  the 
South  of  Lepathia,  high,  and  taking  up  fiftie  miles  with  his  basis,  now  called  the  mountaine 
of  the  Holy  Crosse.  Clothed  with  trees  of  all  sorts,  and  stored  with  fountaines;  whereon  are 
a  number  of  Monasteries  po.ssest  by  the  Greeke  Caloieros  of  the  order  of  Saint  Basil.  South 
of  which  even  to  the  sea,  extendeth  Amathusia, 

"  lieavy  with  myues  of  brasss." 

So  called  of  the  CAty  Amathus,  now  scarcely  showing  her  foundation,  sacred  unto  \'enus, 
and  wherein  tlie  rites  of  her  Adonis  were  iinnnally  celebrated.  Built  perhaps  by  Amasis 
(for  I  do  but  so  conjecture  by  the  name,  and  that  it  lieth  opposite  unto  ^Egypt)  who  was  the 
first  that  conquered  Cyprus.  Mast  thereof  are  the  Salines,  so  named  of  the  abundance  of  salt 
that  is  made  there :  where  the  Turke  did  first  land  his  army :  the  shore  thereabout  being  fit 
for  that  purpose.  On  the  west  side  of  Amathus  there  is  a  promontory  in  forme  of  a  peninsula, 
called  formerly  Curias  (of  the  not  far  distant  city  built  by  the  Argives,  at  this  day  named 
Episcopia,  where  Ajx)llo  had  a  grove  hard  by  a  promont(jry,  from  whence  they  were  throwne 
that  but  presumed  to  touch  his  altar)  now  called  the  cape  of  Cats:  whereon  are  the  ruins  of 
a  monastery  of  Greeke  Caloieros,  faire  when  it  flourished,  with  a  sumptuous  temple  dedicated 
to  Saint  Nicholas.  The  Monkes,  as  they  say,  being  obliged  to  foster  a  number  of  cats  for 
the  destruction  of  the  abundance  of  serpents  that  infested  those  quarters  ;  accustoming  to 
return  to  the  Convent  at  the  sound  of  a  bell  when  they  had  sufficiently  hunted.  Pajjhia 
conipreliendeth  the  west  of  Cyprus,  so  called  of  the  maritime  city  built  by  the  sonne  of 
Pigmalion,  by  his  Ivory  Statue :  such  said  to  be  in  regard  of  her  beauty ;  of  whom  (haN-ing 
long  lived  a  single  life  in  detestation  of  those  lustfull  women)  he  became  enamoured,  (Ovid. 
Met.  X.  2<J7.) 

"She  Paphus  bare,  whose  name  tliat  Hand  Ijcares."  Hut  Papliiis,  according  to  others, 
was  built  by  Cinyras  (both  father  and  grandfather  to  Adonis)  who  called  it  so  in  remembrance 
of  Paphus  his  father.  This  Cinyras  having  sworne  to  assist  Menelaus  with  fiftie  ships,  sent 
him  only  one,  with  the  models  of  the  others  in  claj',  to  colour  his  perjury.  No  place  there 
was  through  the  whole  earth  where  Venus  was  more  honoured.    (Virg.  .^n.  I.  416.) 

"  An  hundred  tiers  Sabean  gums  consume.  There  in  her  fane,  which  fragrant  wreathes 
perfume."  Five  miles  from  thence  stands  the  City  of  BafFo,  called  new  Paphos  heretofore, 
and  built  by  Agapenor,  frequented  from  all  parts  both  by  men  and  women,  who  went  from 


208 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


thence  in  a  solemn  procession  unto  the  old,  to  pay  their  vowes  and  celebrate  her  solemnities. 
But  her  Temples  both  in  the  one  and  in  the  other  (as  throughout  the  whole  Hand)  were 
razed  to  the  ground  by  the  procurement  of  Saint  Barnaby.  West  of  this  stood  Cythera, 
a  little  village  at  this  day  called  Conucha,  sacred  also  unto  Venus,  and  which  once  did  give 
a  name  unto  Cyprus.  That,  and  not  the  Hand  that  lies  before  Peloponnesus,  being  meant 
by  this:  (Virg.  ^n.  X.  51.) 

Mine  Amathus,  high  Paphos,  Cythera 
Idahan  groves. 

The  uttermost  promontory  that  stretcheth  to  the  west,  with  the  supereminent  mountaine, 
now  called  Capo  Saint  Pifano,  bore  formerly  the  name  of  the  Athenian  Acamas :  East  of 
which  stood  the  Citie  of  Arsinoe  (at  this  day  Lescare)  renowned  for  the  groves  of  Jupiter. 

This  Hand  boasts  of  the  births  of  Q5sclapiades,  Solon,  Zeno  the  Stoicke,  and  author  of 
that  sect,  Apollonius  and  Xenophon. 

At  the  first  it  was  so  overgrowne  with  wood  that  besides  the  infinite  waste  made  thereof 
in  the  melting  of  metals  it  was  decreed  that  every  man  should  inherite  as  much  as  he  could 
make  champion.    A  country  abounding  with  all  things  necessary  for  life,  and  thereof  called 
Macaria,  whose  wealth  allured  the  Romanes  to  make  a  conquest  thereof,  a  prey  that  more 
plentifully  furnished  their  coffers  then  the  rest  of  their  triumphs.    It  affordeth  matter  to 
build  a  ship  from  the  bottome  of  the  keele  to  the  top  of  her  top  gallant,  and  to  furnish  her 
with  tackling  and  munition.    It  produceth  oyle,  and  graine  of  several  sorts,  wine  that  lasteth 
until  the  eight  yeare;  grapes  whereof  they  make  raisins  of  the  sunne,  citrons,  oranges, 
pomgranats,  almonds,  figs,  saffron,  coriander,  sugar  canes :  sundry  hearbs  as  well  physicall 
as  for  food,  turpentine,  rubarbe,  coloquintida,  scammony  &c.    But  the  staple  commodities 
are  cotton  woolles  (the  best  of  the  Orient)  chamolets,  salt  and  sope  ashes.    They  have 
plentifull  mines  of  brasse,  some  small  store  of  gold  and  silver,  greene  soder,  vitrioll,  allume, 
orpiment,  white  and  red  lead,  iron  and  diverse  kinds  of  precious  stones,  of  inferiour  value, 
amongst  which  the  emerald  and  the  turky.    But  it  is  in  the  summer  exceeding  hot  and 
unhealthy,  and  annoyed  with  serpents.    The  brookes  (for  rivers  it  hath  none)  rather  merite 
the  name  of  torrents,  being  often  exhausted  by  the  sunne,  insomuch  as  in  the  time  of 
Constantine  the  Great  the  Hand  was  for  sixe  and  thirtie  yeares  together  almost  utterly 
abandoned,  raine  never  falling  during  that  season.    It  was  first  possesed  by  the  sonnes  of 
Japhet,  payed  tribute  first  to  the  Egyptian  Amasis ;  then  conquered  by  Belus,  and  governed 
by  the  posteritie  of  Teucer,  untill  Cyrus  expulsed  the  nine  Kings  that  there  ruled.    But  after 
the  Grecians  repossest  the  soveraigntie,  and  kept  it  untill  the  death  of  Nicocles,  and  then 
continued  under  the  government  of  the  Ptolemeis,  till  the  Romanes  tooke  it  from  the  last  of 
that  name ;  restored  againe  to  Cleopatra  and  her  sister  Arsinoe  by  Antonius.    But  he  over- 
throwne,  it  was  made  a  province  of  Rome,  and  with  the  transmigration  of  the  Empire 
submitted  to  the  Bizantine  Emperours :  being  ruled  by  a  succession  of  Dukes  for  the  space 
of  eight  hundred  yeares,  when  conquered  by  our  Richard  the  first,  and  given  in  exchange 
for  the  titular  kingdom  of  Jerusalem  unto  Guy  of  Lusignan,  it  continued  in  his  familie  until 
in  the  yeare  1473  it  was  by  Catherina  Cornelia,  a  Venetian  Lady,  the  widow  to  king  James 
the  bastard,  who  had  taken  the  same  by  strong  hand  from  his  sister  Carlotte,  resigned  to  the 
Venetians,  who  ninetie  seven  years  after  did  lose  it  to  the  Infidels,  under  whose  yoke  it  now 
groneth.    But  is  for  the  most  part  inhabited  by  Grecians,  who  have  not  long  since  attempted 
an  unfortunate  insurrection.    Their  Ecclesiasticall  estate  is  governed  by  one  Archbishop  and 
three  Bishops :  the  Metropolitan  of  Nicosia,  the  Bishops  of  Famagosta,  Paphus  and  Amathus, 
who  live  upon  stipends. 


SANDYS.  BEAUVAU. 


209 


BEAUVAU. 

A  short  account  of  Cyprus  is  here  translated  from  pp.  86 — 92  of  the  Relation  journaliere  du  voyage 
fill  Levant  faict  et  deHcrit  par  Haut  et  piiixxant  Seigneur  Henry  de  Beavvav,  Baron  du  diet  lieu  et  de 
Manonville  etc.  The  second  edition  of  this  work,  enriclied  with  quaint  maps  and  cuts,  was  printed  in  4to, 
at  Nancy,  161.5.  M.  de  Beauvau  left  Venice  witli  the  Baron  de  Salif^nac,  ambassador  from  Henry  IV.  of 
France  to  Sultan  Ahmed,  on  All  Saints',  16()4.  He  dwells  at  lenf^th  on  the  Court  of  Constantinople,  and 
the  sights  of  Jerusalem,  more  cursorily  on  Cairo,  Alexandria,  Malta,  Syracuse  and  Naples. 

Fifteen  miles  from  Satalia  we  passed  the  point  of  the  island  of  Cyprus  which  sailors  tall 
Piphanie,  and  coasting  along  we  fronted  the  city  of  BafFo,  anciently  called  l^aphos,  now 
pretty  well  in  ruins.  It  is  situated  on  the  sea-coast,  near  its  port,  on  a  fertile  and  pleasant 
hill,  in  which  are  found  diamonds  almost  as  beautiful  as  the  true.  In  this  city  S.  Paul  was 
bound  as  he  was  going  to  Jerusalem,  as  you  may  see  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles:  and  pagan 
histories  tell  us  that  the  goddess  Venus,  as  (jueen  of  the  .siiid  i.sland,  held  hen;  her  royal  seat, 
and  that  the  first  temple  dedicated  in  her  name  was  here,  where  men  and  women  sacrificed 
to  her  all  naked  :  but  at  the  jirayer  <jf  the  apostle  Barnabas,  a  native  (jf  Cypi'us,  the  temple 
and  id(jl  of  the  sai<l  lady  fell  and  were  overthrown  together.  Men  called  the  goddess  of  old 
(Jypria,  on  account  of  the  island,  and  Paphia,  on  account  of  this  temple.  A  mile  hence  are 
the  grottos  where  it  is  said  the  seven  sleepers  slept  for  more  than  three  hundred  years 
without  awaking. 

But  before  entering  on  the  peculiarities  of  the  island  1  ought  first  to  describe  it  to  you 
generally.  Its  ancient  nanu's  were  Carastoni,  Achamatitle,  Spelia,  Amatusa  and  Macharia^ 
or  the  happy.  Its  length  is  two  hundred  luiles,  its  breadth  one  hundred  and  si.\ty-five,  and 
its  circumference  five  hundred  and  fifty.  It  is  very  fertile  in  all  kinds  of  grain,  olive  trees, 
oranges,  leinons,  carobs,  capers,  salt,  cotton  and  other  neces.sary  products.  It  was  long  under 
the  rule  of  kings,  particularly  of  the  house  of  Lusignan,  until  the  last  queen  of  the  Cornars 
family  gave  it  after  her  husband's  death  to  the  Venetians,  from  whom  it  was  taken  by  the 
'I'uiks  in  loTO.  Then  it  was  fully  inhabited,  but  now  is  greatly  dei)opulated,  though  it  bring-si 
in  yearly  three  huiulred  thousand  crowns  to  the  (irand  Signor,  who  takes  a  fifth  of  the 
revenue  of  the  island. 

Its  chief  towns  are  Nicosia  and  Fannigusta,  the  first  is  about  thirty  miles  from  the  coast, 
almost  round,  and  fortified  by  good  bastions;  it  is  the  residence  of  the  Pa.sha  of  the  island, 
and  of  the  Consid  of  the  Fianks.  The  other  is  nuu  h  stronger,  and  has  a  port  not  far  away, 
but  it  is  not  always  that  any  but  small  vessels  can  enter  it  :  it  is  the  same  with  all  the  ports 
of  the  island,  with  the  exception  of  certain  roadsteads,  such  as  you  find  at  I'Ampso  and  the 
Salines. 

Hut  let  us  continue  our  voyage  from  Baffo.  Coasting  along  we  passed  Capo  Bianco,  so 
named  from  its  wlnteness,  then  Capo  delle  Gatte,  which  is  the  point  of  a  fine  rich  plain 
stretching  well  into  the  sea,  and  so  called  from  certain  cats,  behjnging  t<j  the  abbey  of 
S.  Nicolas  not  far  off,  which  were  said  to  be  trained  to  catch  the  snakes,  of  which  there  were 
nuitiy  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  were  so  well  taught  that  they  returned  on  hearing  a  bell. 
Nowadays  there  are  no  more  of  them.  But  in  the  church  there  are  some  Caloyeres,  or  Greek 
nionks.  Thence  we  sailed  to  Limiso,  where  there  is  a  small  fort,  and  excellent  land  round 
about.  Here  formerly  was  the  port  to  which  ves.sels  came  to  load  cotton  and  other  produce 
of  the  island  :  now  they  go  fifty  miles  further  on  to  a  place  called  the  Salines  from  a  small 


210 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


lake  about  three  miles  in  circuit  which  lies  near.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  salt  here  comes 
without  man's  toil,  for  of  its  own  accord,  and  with  no  other  help  than  heaven,  it  forms  and 
congeals,  and  in  August  of  every  year  men  gather  enough  to  load  thirty-four  large  vessels. 
In  the  same  town  are  several  Flemish  merchants,  and  a  church  served  according  to  the 
Roman  rite  by  three  monks  who  belong  to  Jerusalem.  There  are  other  churches  where  there 
are  Greek  Caloiers,  notably  a  chapel  belonging  to  the  said  monks  between  the  town  and  the 
shore,  where  they  show  a  hole  said  to  be  the  tomb  of  Lazarus. 

Eight  miles  inland  is  the  famous  M.  Olympus,  now  called  the  Mount  of  the  Cross,  because 
it  is  said  that  S.  Helen  on  her  return  from  Jerusalem  was  forced  by  stress  of  weather  to  land, 
and  having  withdrawn  to  a  spot  near  the  mountain  she  fell  asleep  with  her  head  on  the  Cross 
of  our  Saviour,  which  she  never  left  alone.  It  befell  that  the  Cross  was  borne  away  to  the 
top  of  the  mountain,  whereon  the  saint  awoke,  and  finding  the  precious  relic  gone  grew 
mightily  sad,  knowing  not  how  to  recover  it ;  at  last  searching  everywhere  she  came  to  the 
said  mountain,  and  found  that  which  she  loved  so  much :  and  judging  by  this  hap  that  our 
Lord  would  be  worshipped  in  that  spot  she  caused  a  church  to  be  built  there,  and  left  in  it  a 
piece  of  the  true  Cross,  which  is  there  preserved  with  much  reverence  bj^  the  ministers  who 
are  Greek  priests. 

Continuing  our  voyage  we  pass  C.  de  Greco,  behind  which  lies  the  city  of  Famagusta, 
between  which  and  the  shore  is  the  spot  where  S.  Catherine  was  beheaded,  and  the  prison  of 
her  father.  We  passed  hence  to  Cape  S.  Andrew,  the  most  salient  point  of  the  island : 
leaving  it  on  our  left  and  crossing  the  sea  we  reached  Tripoli  June  20. 


BELLA  VALLE. 

Pietro  della  Valle,  a  Roman  of  patrician  birth,  left  Venice  for  Constantinople  on  June  8,  1614,  and 
returned  to  Naples  February  6,  1626.  Our  extracts  are  translated  from  the  third  part  of  the  friendly 
letters  in  which  he  describes  his  journeys,  published  in  quarto  at  Rome,  1663,  pp.  439 — 453. 

The  author,  if  not  one  of  the  liveliest  of  the  travellers  of  the  seventeenth  century,  is  among  the  most 
trustworthy.  Gibbon  (in.  201)  found  him  the  most  intelligent  spectator  of  Persia.  "  He  is  a  gentleman 
and  a  scholar,  but  intolerably  vain  and  prolix."  Hallam  {L.  H.  in.  450)  did  not  think  him  so  tedious,  and 
was  pleased  with  the  air  of  romance  thrown  over  his  adventures  by  the  Lady  Ma'ani,  who,  alive  or  dead, 
followed  his  wanderings  for  ten  years.  She  was  a  Nestorian  of  Mardin,  born  of  an  Assyrian  father  and 
Armenian  mother,  whom  della  Valle  married  in  1616  at  Baghdad.  She  died  at  Mina,  on  the  Persian  Gulf, 
in  1621,  in  her  twenty-third  year.  Her  body  roughly  embalmed  was  carried  to  Italy,  and  laid  at  last  to 
rest  ill  the  Church  of  Ara  Cseli  at  Rome,  where  he  too  was  buried  in  1652.  Tiraboschi  (viii.  101)  tells  us 
he  was  a  traveller  not  exempt  from  credulity,  or  from  the  desire  to  recount  things  marvellous  or 
impossible,  but  a  scliolar,  linguist  and  musician,  and  above  all  a  man  endowed  with  the  old  Roman  virtues. 

The  minerals  of  which  della  Valle  was  so  anxious  to  procure  specimens  were  known  as  of  Cypriot 
origin  to  Dioscorides  and  Pliny :  o-wpv  is  probably  sulphate  of  iron,  h'ktv,  yellow  vitriol,  fxiKavrr^pia,  oxide  of 
copper,  and  ica8fjLeia  (yfj)  calamine. 

On  September  2,  1625,  late  in  the  evening,  we  descried  the  island  of  Cyprus,  where  we 
intended  to  touch  and  stay  some  days.  On  the  morning  of  the  3rd  we  found  we  had  passed 
Cape  S.  Andrea,  and  were  making  for  the  south  of  the  island,  for  on  that  side  lies  the 
harbour  or  roadstead  of  the  Salines,  where  we  were  to  anchor,  this  being  the  chief  and  most 
frequented  port  of  Cyprus.    A  little  after  noon  on  the  4th  we  touched  Cyprus  for  the  first 


BEAUVAU.    DELLA  VALLE. 


211 


time  at  this  very  port  of  the  Salines.  I  call  it  a  port,  though  it  is  a  roadstead,  comprised  in 
a  wide  bay,  protected  nearly  on  every  side  by  land,  but  large,  roomy  and  safe  for  craft  of  all 
kinds.  It  is  in  fact  the  usual  port  and  anchorage  of  the  island.  It  lies  on  the  south  coast, 
200  miles  from  Alexandretta,  and  is  the  place  where  the  Turkish  forces  landed  when  they 
took  Cyprus.  Immediately  on  my  arrival  there  came  off  to  call  on  me  Signor  Demetrio 
Todorini,  a  leading  (xreek  merchant,  not  a  Cypriot,  who  offered  me  his  house,  and  Sr.  Giovan 
Francesco  I'arente,  a  Venetian,  an  old  friend  with  whom  I  used  to  correspond  in  Aleppo. 
Some  misfortune  had  befallen  him  there,  and  for  the  moment  he  was  living  in  Cyprus. 
Besides  his  own  greetings  he  bore  me  those  of  Sr.  Alcssaiidro  (ioneme,  Venetian  consul,  who 
excused  hims(?lf  on  account  of  some  business  to  which  he  was  summoned  by  the  Qazi,  and 
promised  to  come  later.  The  next  morning  early  Sr.  Goneme  came,  with  Sr.  Parente  and 
others  of  his  household,  and  although  I  was  incliiied  to  remain  on  board  in  spite  of  their 
prayers  and  entreaties  they  were  determined  not  t(j  return  to  tlie  shore  without  me.  I  landed 
therefore  with  a  single  servant,  leaving  on  the  ship  Padre  Orsino,  the  women  and  others.  I 
found  on  the  seashore  a  few  houses  and  stores,  just  those  which  are  called  "the  Salines," 
from  the  salt-works  not  far  oft",  'i'he  Turks  have  here  a  small  fort,  square,  with  a  platform 
and  a  few  pieces  of  artillery.  It  stands  on  the  seaside,  but  the  protection  it  affords  is 
insignificant.  Here  horses  awaited  us,  and  we  mounted  and  rode  a  short  mile  inland  to 
another  town  called  Larnaca,  where  most  of  the  Franks  live.  We  went  to  the  house  of  the 
consul,  the  V)est  in  the  place,  and,  as  it  was  still  early,  after  a  little  rest  went  to  the  little 
church  of  the  Franciscan  monks,  called  S.  Maria,  a  little  behind  the  town,  and  there  heard 
mass  and  the  funeral  office  sung  for  the  soul  of  Sr.  (riovan  Maria  Parente,  brother  of 
Sr.  Giovan  Francesco,  who  passed  on  the  day  before  to  a  better  life.  Late  in  the  evening 
I  called  at  the  house  of  Sr.  D.  Todorini,  and  slei)t  the  night  at  the  consul's.  I  should  not 
omit  to  say  that  the  Venetians  have  always  a  consul  here:  he  is  not  one  of  their  nobles,  but 
a  man  of  that  class  of  hcmourable  citizens  which  often  supplies  the  Republic  with  Secretaries. 
So,  although  the  consul  in  Cyprus  is  not  under  that  of  Aleppo,  as  a  vice-consul  would  be,  yet 
the  consul  in  .\lei)po,  being  a  noble  and  of  wider  iiiHuence  in  those  parts,  has  a  certain 
precedence  over  his  Cyprian  colleague. 

[The  in-ifcr  goea  hack  to  his  ahip  to  post  Ji-ttfrs,  and  lands  a(jai)i  on  fJtc  morning  of 
Scptembftr  7  to  licar  mass  and  to  return  some  vifiits.] 

In  the  house  of  Sr.  Rocco  Andreani,  a  Venetian  merchant,  I  saw  and  examined  a  live 
chanueleon  which  one  of  the  children  of  the  house  had  tamed,  and  kept  for  his  amusement 
tied  to  a  string.  In  India  there  are  many  such ;  they  go  climbing  about  the  trees,  but  as  I 
am  shortsighted,  and  never  had  one  in  my  hands,  I  did  not  o]>serve  the  animal  well  in  that 
country.  Here,  however,  1  took  it  in  my  hands  (it  is  a  ipiiet  pleasing  beast)  and  saw  that  it 
was  of  the  size  of  a  racano,  and  very  much  the  same  shape,  but  uglier,  with  a  misformed  head 
and  cloven  feet,  with  two  paws  between  which  rises  its  leg:  each  paw  has  two  fingers  or 
claws,  so  close  as  to  be  hardly  separated  one  from  the  other:  its  colour  greyish,  but  unevenly 
marked  and  shaded.  I  was  told  it  sometimes  changed  colour,  not  indeed  as  the  vulgar  say 
according  to  what  you  put  near  it,  but  as  it  may  chance  to  be  hot  or  cold,  or  walking  and 
resting,  and  the  like.  I  did  not  see  it  change,  though  J  tried  in  several  ways  to  make  it 
do  so. 

On  the  8th  the  c(msul  took  me  for  a  ride  to  another  village  about  two  leagues  or  six 
miles  from  Larnaca.  It  is  still  called  Kiti  or  Citium,  and  was  anciently  a  city  and  bishopric, 
now  it  is  ruinous,  consisting  of  a  few  huts  only.  We  wished  particularly  to  see  a  (ireek 
doctor,  Sr.  Aluise  Cucci,  who  lived  there  in  a  garden  of  his  own.     He  had  considerable 

27—2 


212 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


reputation  for  learning,  and  spoke  Italian  well.  We  were  to  see  his  garden  too,  whicli  though 
half  destroyed,  like  everything  else  in  the  island  since  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Turks,  is 
still  one  of  the  most  beautiful  places  in  the  neighbourhood.  Here  died  Cimon,  that  most 
valorous  and  virtuous  Athenian  general,  son  of  the  no  less  famous  Miltiades.  See  ^milius 
Probus,  in  the  life  of  Cimon,  who  says,  "  in  oppido  Citio  est  mortuus,"  after  conquering  the 
greatest  part  of  Cyprus.  We  left  on  horseback  about  two  or  three  in  the  afternoon,  passing 
the  Salines,  not  the  houses  only  on  the  seashore  of  which  I  spoke,  but  the  actual  place  where 
they  make  the  salt.  The  Turks  are  too  negligent  to  clean  and  clear  it  properly,  and  every 
day  it  gets  smaller,  and  will  eventually  be  filled  up.  Nevertheless  when  I  was  there  it 
yielded  a  yearly  revenue  of  about  ten  thousand  piastres.  Nearly  every  ship  takes  it  for 
ballast ;  Venetian  vessels  especially  are  bound  to  take  at  least  one  load  each,  but  they  often 
take  more,  for  it  is  worth  a  good  deal  at  Venice,  and  the  trade  in  it  is  reserved  to  the  Prince. 
We  turned  inland  to  a  village  called  Bromolaxia,  and  at  last  reached  Kiti,  which  stands 
almost  on  the  seashore,  the  coast  trending  from  the  Salines  towards  the  west.  We  called  on 
Sr.  Aluise  Cucci,  whom  we  found,  in  true  philosopher  fashion — for  this  is  his  line — living  in  a 
house  which  was  once  large  and  beautiful,  but  is  now  half  a  ruin.  We  saw  the  garden  too, 
with  its  running  water,  fishponds  and  the  like,  all  neglected  and  in  disorder :  nothing  in  short 
was  left  of  its  beauty  but  a  great  quantity  of  orange  trees  planted  in  regular  rows,  of  one 
height,  which  formed  a  kind  of  shady  grove  really  pleasant  and  pretty.  I  had  a  long  talk 
with  Sr.  Aluise,  who  seemed  an  intelligent  man,  but  he  was  either  ill  or  convalescent,  and  so 
weak  that  he  could  hardly  speak,  and  I  could  not  learn  so  much  from  him  as  I  had  wished. 
I  asked  him  about  Cadmia  and  its  different  kinds,  and  about  the  other  minerals,  which,  as 
you  write  to  me,  you  wished  to  procure  from  Cyprus.  I  have  entrusted  your  commission  to 
several  persons,  and  written  also  to  Nicosia,  the  capital  of  the  island  and  residence  of  the 
Pasha  :  also  about  Gralen's  book.  He  said  they  existed  still,  but  that  it  would  be  hard  to  find 
anyone  who  knew  them  well,  and  could  find  them :  the  people  were  all  very  stupid ;  the 
Christians  had  long  ago  given  up  working  the  mines,  so  as  not  to  tempt  the  Turks  to  covet 
the  island,  and  the  Turks  had  let  them  alone  on  account  of  their  ignorance.  After  talk  on 
these  and  like  matters  we  took  our  leave  of  Sr.  Aluise  and  returned  in  the  evening  to  Larnaca 
by  another  road  which  took  us  when  about  half-way  home  through  another  village  called 
Menego.  All  these  villages  which  were  of  old  fully  peopled  are  now  very  small,  the  houses 
few  and  ruinous,  and  the  inhabitants  very  few  in  number. 

September  9.  I  returned  to  the  ship  to  see  something  of  my  people,  and  on  the  10th 
wdth  my  astrolabe  I  took  in  the  harbour  the  sun's  altitude :  I  found  its  declination  fi*om  the 
zenith  at  midday  to  be  29°  50'...  The  13th  I  landed  again:  after  breakfast  the  consul 
ivished  me  to  go  to  see  a  place  noted  for  its  sacred  character  and  natural  beauty ;  the  Greeks 
called  it  Agia  Nappa  (S.  Nappa).  It  lies  about  eight  leagues  distant  from  Larnaca,  almost 
on  the  sea,  on  the  east  coast  near  Cape  della  Grreca.  Here  is  a  church  built  in  a  grotto, 
where  was  found  a  wonder-working  image  of  the  Virgin.  At  three,  or  a  little  before, 
we  mounted.  The  consul  was  too  unwell  to  come,  but  we  had  Sr.  G.  F.  Parente  and  two 
other  Venetians,  Messer  Bernardino  Drogogna,  and  Messer  Giacinto  Greco,  a  clerk  on  the 
Cacciadiavoli,"  a  vessel  belonging  to  a  Venetian  noble  of  the  family  of  Viario,  then  in 
harbour,  a  Greek  called  Manoli,  my  servant  Michel,  and  a  consular  janissary  as  escort.  We 
rode  all  the  afternoon  along  the  shore,  reaching  the  village  of  Ormidia  at  dark,  and  there  we 
rested  most  of  the  night.  We  rose  the  next  morning  more  than  an  hour  before  the  dawn, 
passed  Xilofago,  then  Cape  S.  Giorgio,  and  a  stream  which  runs  into  the  sea  west  of  the  cape, 
where  many  vessels,  especially  pirates,  touch  to  get  water,  and  the  day  was  still  young  when 


DELLA  VALLE. 


213 


we  got  to  the  village  called,  like  the  church,  Agia  Nappa.  This,  like  all  which  I  have  seen 
in  Cyprus,  was  almost  destroyed,  partly  by  the  usual  tyranny  of  the  Turks,  partly  through 
the  great  pestilence  which  had  wasted  the  island  a  few  years  before,  killing  most  of  its 
inhabitants.  The  church  itself,  built,  perhaps  out  of  respect  to  the  pirates,  somewhat  like  a 
square  castle,  is  still  standing.  There  is  a  large  quadrangle  with  rooms  round  it,  the  church 
being  on  the  left  as  you  enter,  reached  by  many  steps,  as  well  as  the  underground  chapel 
which  is  formed  out  of  the  very  grotto  in  which  the  sacred  image  was  found.  A  Papas  or 
Greek  priest  takes  care  of  the  church,  and  officiates  in  it,  and  there  are  certain  Calogrie  or 
nuns,  who  have  abandoned  the  world  and  devoted  themselves  to  the  service  of  (Jod :  they  are 
decently  clad  in  black,  but  are  not  cloistered.  In  the  middle  of  the  courtyard  is  a  fountain 
of  spring-water,  built  up  as  we  might  build  one,  and  not  badly,  of  marble.  Over  this  at  no 
great  height  they  have  placed  a  dome  on  four  pillars,  with  raised  seats  or  platforms  of 
Eastern  fashion  right  round  it,  a  c<jo1  and  shady  resting  place.  Here  we  settled  down,  ate 
there  by  day  and  slept  at  night,  when  the  murmur  of  the  water  was  particularly  pleasant. 
We  did  not  wish  to  disturb  anyone,  even  supposing  we  could  have  done  so,  for  the  rooms 
were  full  of  people,  men  and  women,  Greek  Christians  with  a  few  Turks  among  them,  who 
were  there  before  us.  They  were  playing,  singing,  dancing,  drinking,  amusing  themselves, 
and  we  amused  ourselves  likewise.  Next  morning  mass  after  the  (ireek  rite  was  sung  in  the 
church,  at  which  I  assisted  as  far  as  the  end  of  the  Gospel.  Within  the  church  in  a  corner 
apart  is  an  altar  where  our  Latin  priests,  if  any  should  come  here,  say  mass.  The  church  is 
just  a  small  grotto,  the  image  ancient,  the  altar  ad(jrned  after  the  Greek  rite  in  the  usual 
way.  We  found  and  ate  in  this  place  a  large  quantity  of  beccafichi,  called  by  the  Greeks 
nycalidia,  which  at  this  season  are  caught  in  such  abuTidance  that  l)esides  the  numbers  that 
are  consumed  in  the  island  itself  thousands  are  exported,  preserved  in  vinegar,  to  Venice  and 
elsewhere.  Those  of  Agia  Nappa  are  now  and  then  unwholesome,  when  they  have  eaten 
scammony.  They  must  have  found  this  food  elsewhere,  for  the  herb  does  not  grow  about  the 
village. 

September  16.  We  left  Agia  Nappa  at  daybreak,  and  as  we  passed  Xilofago  dismounted 
to  see  the  church  dedicated  to  8.  George.  Among  the  other  saints  painted  therein  we  found 
Agios  Mapeas  or  San  Mama.  He  is  greatly  venerated  by  the  (Jreeks,  who  say  he  was  a 
martyr  buried  in  Cyprus,  and  have  some  story  to  explain  why  he  is  painted  riding  on  a  lictn. 
We  broke  our  fast  at  Ormidia,  and  rested  for  some  hours  in  the  porch  of  the  church  dedicated 
to  Constantine,  whom  the  (ireeks  reckon  among  their  saints,  ami  so  rode  back  in  the  dark  to 
dine  at  Larnaca  with  the  consul. 

September  17.  I  returned  early  to  our  vessel,  and  stopped  on  the  way  to  see  a  (ireek 
church  in  the  Marina,  called  S.  Lazarus.  It  belonged  originally  to  the  Armenians,  and  in  a 
buttress  of  its  outer  walls  all  the  stones  are  inscribed  with  Armenian  letters.  Why  it  is  held 
now  by  the  Greeks  is  possibly  because  there  are  no  Armenians  here,  as  there  nmst  have  been 
formerly.  It  is  very  ancient,  entirely  of  stone,  its  arrangement  fantastic  though  common 
among  the  Greeks,  for  there  are  three  aisles  with  a  roof  supported  on  four  piers  only,  and 
three  domes  in  a  row  over  the  middle  aisle,  and  three  apses  without.  Within,  the  space 
between  the  piers  is  used  by  men,  the  aisles  on  either  side  by  women  only.  Behind  the  altar 
they  show  underground  a  tomb  like  a  snuill  grotto,  which  can  be  entered  through  a  square 
opening  like  the  mouth  of  a  vault.  This,  they  say,  is  the  grave  of  Lazarus  who  was  restored 
to  life  by  Christ:  adding  that  he  built  the  church,  of  which  he  was  bishop;  that  he  died 
here,  and  that  his  body  was  carried  later  to  Constantinople  and  thence  to  Marseille,  the  truth 
of  this  being  proved  by  the  miracles  which  are  daily  worked  at  the  tomb,  the  sick  are  healed, 
and  the  like.    But  this  is  contrary  to  history,  as  we  have  it  in  the  Breviary,  Martyrology,  «fec. 


214 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


September  20.  I  landed  again.  The  consul  gave  me  a  piece  of  virgin  Ladanum,  pure 
and  unadulterated,  as  it  is  gathered.  It  is  found  plentifully  in  Cyprus,  and  as  I  wished  to 
know  what  it  is  and  how  collected,  I  asked  well  informed  persons  and  learned  that  ladanum 
is  secreted  from  the  dew  of  heaven,  exactly  like  manna,  and  is  found  and  gathered  on  the 
leaves  of  a  small  plant,  which  is  generally  not  higher  than  a  palm  and  a  half  or  two  palms, 
with  small  leaves.  They  boil  the  stuff  they  collect,  and  when  boiled  it  is  flexible  like  wax, 
and  is  rolled  out  between  the  palms  into  lengths  like  tapers,  and  these  they  twist  together 
into  the  shape  of  the  piece  which  I  keep  by  me  as  a  specimen.  Ladanum  is  black,  with  a 
pleasant,  strongly  aromatic  odour :  in  our  countries  it  is  mixed  with  other  substances  to  make 
an  excellent  perfume,  and  is  perhaps  used  in  medicine. 

September  21.  Signer  Cicach  gave  me  a  piece  of  Amianthus,  the  stone  which  can  be 
spun  into  thread,  and  from  which  the  ancients  made  a  cloth  said  to  be  incombustible,  which 
was  cleaned  by  fire  like  other  cloth  by  water.  Of  it  they  made  the  shrouds  in  which  they 
burned  dead  bodies,  so  that  the  human  ashes  should  not  be  mixed  with  those  of  the  fuel,  but 
remain  by  themselves  within  the  cloth,  which  was  not  consumed.  No  one  knows  now  how 
to  make  the  cloth  or  the  thread ;  still  you  can  clearly  see  a  white  substance  like  cotton  detach 
itself  from  the  stone,  and  this  might  be  spun.  The  stone  itself  while  intact  is  a  darkish  green, 
or  nearly  black,  but  lustrous,  almost  like  talc :  when  it  is  broken  the  filaments  come  out 
white.  In  the  laboratory  of  .Ferrante  Imperato  of  Naples,  a  man  of  most  curious  learning, 
among  the  innumerable  simples  and  strange  things  he  had  collected  I  remember  seeing  both 
the  stone  and  the  cloth  woven  from  it. 

[September  22 — 25  seem  to  have  been  spent  in  jollity,  on  various  ships  in  the  roadstead,  or 
at  the  Venetian  Consid's  house.l 

September  26.  I  landed  and  slept  in  Larnaca.  A  new  Pasha  was  expected  to  take  up 
the  government  of  the  island.  The  old  one  had  left  immediately  on  the  arrival  of  one  of  his 
successor's  officers,  a  musellim,  who  came,  as  is  their  wont,  to  prepare  things  for  his  master. 
The  new  nominee  had  not  reached  Nicosia  when  a  fresh  order  came  from  the  Gran  Signor 
depriving  him  of  the  post  which  he  had  not  yet  taken  up,  and  reinstating  the  old  Pasha,  who 
had  already  left.  The  Defterdar  and  other  officials  were  changed  at  the  same  time.  These 
sudden  and  unforeseen  changes  among  officials,  a  practice  which  has  now  for  some  years 
prevailed  at  Constantinople,  arise  from  bad  administration,  and  because  all  offices  are  sale- 
able and  distributed  for  uncertain  periods  to  the  highest  bidders.  The  confusion  is  growing 
every  day,  and  I  make  a  point  of  recording  this  incident  to  show  in  what  an  evil  plight  the 
Turkish  commonwealth  is,  marching,  as  one  can  see,  to  its  own  deliberate  ruin. 

[September  28.  More  entertainments.  The  vessel  sails,  and  at  midnight  on  the  29th 
anchors  off  Limassol,  but  well  out,  to  escape  payment  of  port  duss.l 

September  30.  I  landed  early,  and  walked  abovit  the  town,  which  is  fairly  large  and 
populous.  I  saw  the  great  mosque,  which  is  near  the  sea  in  a  fine  broad  street  running  along 
the  shore,  quite  full  of  carobs  (guaianelle)  in  which  Limisso  does  a  great  trade,  loading  whole 
ships  for  Venice  and  elsewhere.  More  among  the  houses  stands  the  Fort,  a  small  square 
stone  building,  more  like  a  thick  squat  tower,  or  a  cavalier,  than  a  fortress.  It  has  however 
on  the  top  some  small  pieces  of  artillery.  Still  farther  on  I  found  the  cathedral  church,  for 
Limisso  has  a  Greek  bishop,  whose  authority  extends  over  four  so  called  Eparchies,  those  of 
Limisso,  Salines  and  two  other.  The  whole  island  is  divided  into  four  sees,  each  of  which 
includes  several  eparchies.  The  cathedral  church  of  Limisso  is  small,  dedicated  to  Our  Lady, 
and  built  in  the  usual  style  of  the  country.  As  the  seat  of  a  bishop  it  is  called  among  them 
the  Catholic  or  Universal  Church. 

Here  I  found  a  certain  schoolmaster  Matthew,  a  Greek  monk,  who  spoke  Italian  well, 


DELIA  VALLE.  STOCHOVE. 


215 


for  lie  had  been  many  years  in  Venice,  and  who  professed  to  have  a  knowledge  of  minerals, 
chemistry  and  the  like.  His  home  was  at  Nicosia,  and  from  Ijarnaca  I  had  written  to  him, 
as  to  others,  to  use  all  diligence  to  find  me  some  Cadmia  and  other  minerals,  hoping  that  he 
would  know  all  about  them.  My  letters  did  not  find  him  in  Nicosia,  and  we  learned  he  was 
k'aving  for  Mount  Sinai.  Now  that  1  lighted  on  him  here  I  conferred  with  him  on  these 
matters.  He  told  me  he  knew  a  good  many  of  the  minerals,  and  that  they  were  found  in 
Cj-prus  in  places  known  to  him,  particularly  Sory,  Misy,  Melanteria  and  Cadmia.  Had  he 
known  in  time  he  would  have  procured  them  for  me,  but  now  it  was  too  late,  he  was  on  the 
point  of  starting,  and  the  places  were  far  off.  He  gave  me  bits  of  silver  or  gold,  found  in 
Cyprus,  which  he  had  with  him.  As  to  the  rest  he  promised  to  do  his  best  when  he  returned 
from  Mount  Sinai  some  three  months  hence.  Tliereupon  1  wrote  to  tlie  consul  at  Larnaca  to 
beg  him  when  he  went  to  Nico.sia — he  was  bound  to  go  there  soon  to  greet  the  new  Pasha, 
for  in  virtue  of  fresh  vacillation,  and  a  third  order  from  Constantinople,  the  new  Pasha  was 
again  confirmed,  and  the  old  one  again  removed — to  seek  out  a  renegade  (jlennan,  in  practice 
there  as  a  doctor,  whom  Matthew  had  indicated  as  possibly  knowing  and  being  able  to  get 
me  the  said  minerals.  While  I  was  standing  in  the  courtyard  of  the  church  talking  with  the 
schoolmaster  the  bishop  passed,  an  old  man  with  a  white  beard,  attended  by  a  monk,  going 
into  the  church  to  recite  his  Hours.  When  I  knew  who  he  was  I  saluted  him,  and  we 
exchanged  nmny  compliments  in  (ireek,  for  he  did  not  know  Italian. 

[October  1 — 8.  Again  merry-making  on  varimui  Dutch  ships.  Li-tfi  rs  (irrivc  from 
Const  ant  inoph;  with  news  of  the  ]i<}stile  progress  of  the  Tartars  and  Cossacks,  irho  were 
tlLreateiiing  the  very  gates.  A  great  pestilence  vas  raging  in  the  city  :  the  Gran  Signor, 
Murad  IV.,  himself  had  sixty  plague  hoils  on  liis  body,  antl  yet  recovered.  At  last,  after  many 
healths  had  been  drunk  and  many  salutes  fired,  the  nutltor  returned  to  liis  own  vessel,  the 
French  caravel  Saiide  Anne,  atui  sailed  mi  Oetuber  4,  lO^o,  fi»-  MnUn.^ 


ST()('H()VE. 

"  Le  Sieiu-  de  Stochove,  Escuyer,  Seigneur  de  Ste  Catherine,"  a  gentleman  of  Bruges,  started  with 
friends  from  Paris  in  Miiroli,  lO.'iO,  and  rctiu-ned  to  Bruges  September  1,  1632.  He  took  ship  at  Genoa, 
saw  Smyrna  and  Constantinople,  and  reached  Cyprus  on  May  20,  1631.  His  stay  was  short:  the  party 
pressed  on  to  Alexandretta,  Aleppo  and  Baghdad,  returned  to  the  Holy  Land,  and  visited  Eg}'pt  an<1 
Mount  Sinai.  His  travels,  under  the  title  WnjiKje  dii  Sieitr  de  Stocliove,  fnict  es  aunees  1630,  16131,  1632, 
1633  (■?),  were  first  printed,  for  his  friends  only,  at  Brussels  in  1643.  From  a  copy  of  this  very  rare  edition 
the  present  translation  is  made,  pp.  263 — 273. 

We  left  Laja,  in  the  ancient  province  of  Caria,  at  midnight  to  anticipate  the  foul  wind 
(ambat)  which  always  prevails  in  the  afternoon:  we  arrived  towards  evening  at  Cape  Nemoury 
and  anchored,  waiting  to  cross  over  to  Cyjn-us,  about  3;")  leagues  away,  during  the  night.  We 
sailed  at  midnight,  and  with  the  dawn  saw  a  i)irat(;  frigate  which  cha.»<ed  us  for  good  three 
hours.  She  could  not  catch  us,  and  turned  back  again.  On  Maj'  20  towards  evening  we 
nuide  Cyprus  and  anchored  about  twelve  miles  ofF  (ierines,  which  we  reached  the  ne.xt 
morning. 

The  island  of  Cyprus  has  always  been  reckoned  the  cliiefest  and  most  fertile  in  the 
Mediterranean.  The  ancient  (xreeks,  by  reason  of  its  pleasantness,  called  it  Maxalia  or 
Macaria,  the  Blest :  also  Crypta  or  Criptan,  because  in  certain  places  the  land  is  so  low  that 


216 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


it  seems  hidden  in  the  waters :  also  Carastis,  on  account  of  the  headlands  jutting  out  like 
horns,  and  lastly  Cyprus,  from  the  abundance  of  Cypress  trees.  The  ancients  dedicated  it  to 
Lust,  and  poets  feigned  that  Venus  the  goddess  of  Lust  was  born  there  from  the  sea-foam, 
but  we  moderns  hold  that  Venus  was  Queen  there,  who,  to  cover  her  own  incontinence,  made 
it  lawful  to  all,  and  caused  her  statue  to  be  worshipped  in  a  temple  which  she  built  at  Baphos, 
where  its  ruins  are  still  to  be  seen. 

Cyprus  lies  in  the  fourth  parallel,  its  length  extends  from  Long.  34|  to  36  B.  From 
its  position  follows  the  excessive  heat,  especially  in  summer,  when  the  sun  is  in  the  tropic  of 
Cancer.  Its  shape  is  extremely  fantastic,  on  account  of  the  headlands  which  on  both  sides 
stretch  out  into  the  sea.  Its  length  is  quite  four  times  its  breadth :  its  circuit  reckoned  from 
cape  to  cape,  is  about  180  leagues,  but  following  the  coast  of  its  bays  at  least  220.  The 
Syrian  sea  washes  it  on  the  East,  that  of  Egypt  on  the  S.,  of  Rhodes  W.,  and  Caramania  N. 
The  part  which  looks  towards  the  Caramanian  mainland  is  mountainous,  the  rest  of  the  land 
is  low  and  level — a  great  defect,  because  the  water  finding  no  outlet  makes  it  in  many  parts 
marshy,  and  hence  the  air  is  corrupt  and  unwholesome.  There  are  no  rivers,  only  some 
torrents  which  are  dry  in  summer :  springs  are  few,  but  what  there  are  are  wholesome  and 
good. 

The  island  has  suffered  greatly  from  drought,  and  has  often  on  this  account  been 
abandoned  by  its  inhabitants.  Its  annals  record  that  in  the  year  300  it  remained  deserted 
for  thirty-six  years,  during  which  time  no  rain  fell.  But  it  has  become  thickly  peopled 
since,  and  could  show  fifteen  fine  towns  and  quite  eight  hundred  villages  and  hamlets.  The 
Emperors  of  Constantinople  held  it  seven  hundred  years,  then  it  came  under  the  rule  of 
the  kings  of  the  house  of  Lusignan  who  reigned  until  the  year  1473,  when  Marie  de  Cornare 
after  the  death  of  her  husband  gave  it  to  the  Republic  of  Venice,  which  kept  it  until  1571, 
when  Sultan  Soliman  wrested  it  from  them,  to  the  great  detriment  of  Christendom  at  large. 

We  stayed  a  day  at  Gerines  which  was  once  one  of  the  finest  and  most  important  towns 
in  the  island,  it  is  now  chiefly  ruinous.  The  larger  part  of  the  inhabitants  are  Greeks.  A 
square  castle  commands  the  port,  to  which  the  Turks  retire  at  night.  The  harbour  is  small, 
and  suitable  for  boats  and  small  craft  only.  In  all  the  island  there  is  only  one  good  harbour, 
capable  of  sheltering  vessels  of  all  sizes,  it  is  called  the  port  of  Salines,  from  the  quantity  of 
saltpans  in  the  neighbourhood.  All  trading  vessels  coming  from  Christian  countries  bring 
up  here,  and  on  this  account  the  Consuls  of  France,  England  and  Venice  reside  here. 

On  account  of  the  heat  we  left  Gerines  at  night  for  Nicosia  the  capital  of  the  island, 
which  we  reached  before  day,  just  as  the  gate  was  opened,  and  went  straight  to  the  lodging 
of  the  French  Consul,  who  was  then  residing  there.  The  city  of  Nicosia,  formerly  the  seat 
of  the  King  of  Cyprus,  is  a  most  delightful  place,  situated  in  the  middle  of  the  island  on  a 
fair  and  pleasant  plain  anciently  called  Massare.  The  air  is  good  and  temperate,  better 
indeed  than  that  of  any  other  place  in  Cyprus.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  fine  fortification  of 
regular  form  with  twelve  wide  royal  bastions.  It  was  thus  strengthened  by  the  Venetians, 
who  reduced  its  size  by  a  third  to  make  it  more  defensible ;  but  the  Turks,  who  are  careless 
enough  in  keeping  up  the  works,  allow  the  walls  to  fall  and  fill  up  the  ditches ;  but  for  this 
it  would  be  the  finest  fortress  in  all  Tui'key.  It  has  three  gates  only,  those  of  Paphos, 
Gerines  and  Famagousta :  on  all  you  may  still  see  the  arms  of  the  Republic  of  Venice,  and  of 
many  private  persons  who  were  governors  of  the  city.  The  walls  may  have  a  circuit  of 
a  league.  There  are  many  grand  houses  built  of  cut  stone,  the  streets  are  fine  and  wide, 
there  is  nothing  Turkish  about  them,  nor  in  the  buildings,  which  are  for  the  most  part  of 
Venetian  work. 


STOCHOVE. 


217 


The  Palace,  formerly  the  residence  of  the  Kings  of  Cyprus,  is  large  and  beautiful :  above 
the  entrance  you  see  the  arms  of  the  house  of  Lusignan,  crowned,  and  cjuartered  with  those 
of  Savoy.  The  Pasha  or  Viceroy  lives  there.  In  front  is  a  spacious  and  fine  square,  in  the 
midst  of  which  is  a  pyramid  or  obelisk  like  those  one  sees  at  Rome.  The  Turks  exercise 
their  horses  here  every  Friday. 

The  great  church,  once  dedicated  to  S.  Sophia,  is  very  large  and  fine,  all  built  of  cut 
stone.  The  Turks  have  in  no  way  altered  the  building,  they  have  contented  themselves  with 
making  it  their  chief  mosque.  On  the  entrance  here  also  are  the  arms  of  Lusignan,  quartered 
with  those  of  Jerusalem  and  Sicily,  together  with  the  arms  of  ^'^enice  and  S.  Mark,  with 
their  device  Pa,r  tlhi  Marce  Evaiigelinta  in  words  issuing  from  the  mouth  of  a  lion. 

The  city  is  licli  in  gardens  full  chiefly  of  date  palms:  the  number  of  crows  is  incredible, 
the  trees  are  black  with  them:  they  are  useful  as  an  alarum,  for  at  dawn  their  croaking 
makes  it  impossible  to  sleep.  The  Turks  through  some  superstition  will  not  have  them 
killed.  One  of  our  party  could  not  bear  with  their  noise,  and  with  a  shot  from  his  arquebus 
brought  down  several.  This  caused  us  a  deal  of  bother,  for  all  the  Turks  of  the  quarter 
came  shouting  njund  our  house  as  if  we  had  done  them  a  great  wrong,  and  the  consul  had 
some  trouble  in  quieting  them,  V^esides  having  to  give  them  money. 

We  stayed  tw<j  days  in  Nicosia,  and  left  towards  evening  for  Famagousta,  a  good  daj^'s 
journey  away.  W  e  had  travelled  about  two  hours  when  we  saw  on  the  plain  to  our  right 
five  rocks  entirely  hollowed  out  and  carved  into  chambers,  well  worth  seeing.  We  went  on 
throughout  the  night  pleasantly  enough  over  an  open  and  level  country,  always  accompanied 
by  the  delightful  song  of  nightingales,  whose  pleasant  nnisic  never  failed  us.  As  the  previous 
day's  heat  had  been  very  trying  so  tlu'  breeze  and  freshness  of  the  night  were  ineffably 
soothing. 

At  daylight  we  arrived  iit  tlic  sMl)urbs  of  Famagousta,  where  we  went  to  look  for  a 
Greek,  to  whom  we  had  letters  of  introduction,  that  he  might  assist  us  in  entering  the  city. 
He  di.ssuaded  us  altogether,  saying  that  it  was  almost  inipo.ssible  to  go  in  without  meeting 
some  unpleasantness,  for  the  I'asha  who  connnaiided  there  was  an  unreasonable  brutal 
creature,  and  above  all  Turks  a  sworn  enemy  to  the  Christians.  No  man  could  take  another 
into  the  city  without  his  privity  aiul  consent  under  pain  of  death.  The  great  risk  we  should 
run  took  away  all  our  wish  to  go  inside,  and  we  were  satisfied  with  viewing  it  from  outside, 
and  with  walking  along  the  fosse,  whence  we  saw  the  whole  city  and  the  harbour.  'ITiis 
last  is  divided  into  two,  one  for  galleys,  the  other  for  vessels:  it  is  commanded  by  a  fort,  the 
rest  of  the  town  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  with  several  towers  and  two  long  ramparts,  but  not 
fortified  on  any  regulai-  plan. 

We  sj)ent  the  rest  of  the  day  at  this  Greek's  house,  left  in  the  evening,  and  arrived  the 
next  morning  at  Nicosia,  where  we  stayed  just  long  enough  to  thank  our  host,  and  left  for 
Gerines  to  rejoin  our  boat  and  go  to  Alexandretta.  We  did  not  return  by  the  road  by  which 
we  came  in  order  to  see  a  convent  of  (ireek  monks  situated  among  the  mountains.  We  were 
told  it  was  very  beautiful,  but  we  repented  of  our  curiosity  on  account  of  the  badne.ss  of  the 
path  which  was  all  rocks  and  stones :  most  of  the  time  we  had  to  travel  on  foot,  and  could 
scarcely  drag  our  h(n-ses  after  us.  The  night  overtook  us  before  we  reached  the  monastery, 
and  we  were  forced  to  halt  and  sleep  among  the  hills,  for  we  dared  not  travel  on  in  the  dark 
on  account  of  the  steep  rocks  and  precipices  which  beset  our  every  step.  With  the  next 
daybreak  we  continued  our  painful  journey,  and  it  was  quite  midday  before  we  arrived  at 
the  convent,  suffering  from  the  extraordinary  heat,  for  the  glare  from  the  rocks  was  as  fierce 
as  the  rays  of  the  sun. 


218 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


This  monasteiy  is  built  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  enjoying  a  very  fine  \ae\v  towards 
the  sea  and  the  mainland  of  Caramania.  It  is  partly  destroyed,  and  judging  by  the  ruins  it 
must  have  been  a  large  and  beautiful  building.  It  is  inhabited  now  by  about  twenty  monks 
who  are  extremely  poor.  In  many  parts  of  the  church  you  see  the  arms  of  Lusignan  and  of 
several  noble  Venetian  families.  We  halted  there  long  enough  to  rest,  and  returned  the 
same  evening  to  Grerines,  where  we  found  the  wind  favourable  and  embarked  at  once.  We 
coasted  along  all  night,  and  in  the  morning  found  ourselves  at  Cape  S.  Andre,  at  the 
extremity  of  the  island,  looking  towards  Syria  and  thirty  leagues  distant  from  Grerines. 


SYNAXARIA. 

After  the  volume  containing  the  Liturgies,  the  most  important  among  the  service  books  of  the 
Orthodox  Eastern  Church  are  the  M-qviala,  "  which  approach  more  nearly  to  the  Breviary,  or  rather  to  its 
Proprium  Sanctorum,  than  anything  else :  though  containing  much  that  is  not  in  that,  and  omitting  much 
that  is." 

If  we  take  one  of  these  twelve  volumes,  and  look  through  the  office  of  any  particular  saint,  we  find 
that  after  the  sixth  Ode  with  its  Theotokion  and  Heirmos  comes  a  Stichos,  "  two  iambics,  containing  the 
kind  of  martyrdom,  with  a  hexameter,  setting  forth  the  day.  These  lines,  which  are  always  unmetrical, 
nearly  always  contain  some  conceit,  often  enough  far-fetched  and  untranslatable.    For  instance, 

'HXiav  irrTToi,  rov  fie  dnrXovv  'HXiai' 
Etf  ovpavovs  avfjyov  oas  nrtroi  vofs' 
lIoTfiov    EXio"0"(itoy  SfKar;;  Xdx^ev  T]8f  TfrdpTrj." 

After  the  Stichos  follows  the  Synaxarion,  or  extracts  from  the  Menologion,  containing  a  short  history 
of  the  saint  commemorated.    (See  J.  M.  Neale's  History  of  the  Holy  Eastern  Cliurch,  vol.  ii.  p.  838.) 

The  offices  of  certain  saints  honoured  especially  or  exclusively  in  Cyprus  were  printed  at  Venice  in 
the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century.  These  little  volumes  are  exceedingly  rare,  and,  as  the  value 
of  the  Synaxaria  has  been  recognised  by  the  editors  of  the  Archives  de  V Orient  Latin,  translations  will 
hold  a  fitting  place  in  the  Excerpta. 

In  one  volume,  edited  by  Chrysauthos,  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  8vo,  Venice,  1779,  are  the  \\Ko\ovdlai 
tS}v  6(Ti<iiv  Ava(rTacriov,Ti.aplT(ovos,  Av^fVTWv  koi  Kfvdea — roC  'Att.  kul  Kvayy.  Aouxa,  rov  'Ay.  Ar/firjTpidvov  Kvdrjprjs, 
Koi  Kcava-TavTivov  pciprvpos.  In  another,  by  the  same  editor,  8vo,  Venice,  1774,  are  the  'AKoXou^i'at  of 
SS.  Heracleidios  and  Mnason,  both  Bishops  of  Tamasus. 

In  the  Synaxaristes,  ed.  Sergios  Ch.  Kaphtane,  3  vols.  4to,  1868,  will  be  found,  imder  their  several 
feast-days,  short  lives  of  other  Cypriot  saints :  February  7,  9,  17,  Aprion,  Philagrios,  Auxibios.  March  2, 
Theodotos.  May  4, 12, 14,  Lazaros,  Epiphanies,  Therapon.  June  11,  16, 17,  23,  Barnabas,  Tychon,  Philon- 
eides,  Aristocles.  September  20,  21,  Meletios,  Isaac.  November  12,  loannes  Eleemon.  December  12, 
Spyridon.  The  services  proper  for  January  24  and  September  25,  the  days  on  which  is  commemorated  the 
Paphian  Hermit,  S.  Neophytes,  were  printed  at  Venice  in  1778,  and  reprinted  at  Nicosia  in  1893  (cf.  De  Mas 
Latrie,  Tresor  de  Clironologie,  1889,  c.  911,  912).  Philon  (Feb.  6),  Synesios  (June  8),  and  Thyrsos  (Aug.  5), 
all  Bishops  of  Carpasia,  and  Photeine  (Aug.  15 — possibly  the  Samaritan  woman  of  S.  John  iv.)  have 
Acolouthiai  still  preserved  in  a  MS.  of  1733  in  the  church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  Rhizo-Carpas.  They  enjoy 
some  fame  in  that  neighbourhood. 

S.  Onesiphoros  is  commemorated  at  Anarita,  in  the  District  of  Paphos,  on  July  18.  I  have  seen 
extracts  from  a  faulty  and  mutilated  copy  of  his  Synaxarion.  He  was  born  at  Constantinople  of  high- 
placed  Christian  parents:  is  styled  Augustalis  and  chief  captain  of  the  fleet.  Saved  from  shipwreck  he 
lived  a  hermit  life,  and  both  aUve  and  dead  worked  miracles  of  healing. 

S.  Rheginos — his  earlier  name  was  Bonomilex — who  with  his  fellow-soldier  Orestes  is  commemorated 
on  August  20,  was  of  Chalcedon,  a  Christian  from  his  childliood,  and  a  Tyro  or  Centurion.    He  was 


STOCIIOVE.  SYNAXARIA. 


219 


tortured  witli  scourge  and  fire  by  a  military  governor,  Persentinos,  sealed  in  a  Back  and  thrown  into  the 
8ea,  saved  by  two  dolphins,  and  eventually  led  by  an  angel,  together  with  Orestes,  to  the  island  of  Cyprus. 
They  preached  Christ  at  Neapolis  Nemeson,  and  were  beheaded  by  idolaters  at  Phasoulleia,  where  their 
spirits  appeared  later  to  a  pious  priest,  to  whom  tliey  revealed  tlie  place  of  their  burying.  Their  feast  is 
celebrated  there,  and  at  Apleke  in  the  District  of  Nicosia.  Their  aid  is  esixjcially  invoked  in  chills  and 
fevers.  I  have  seen  a  MS.  copy,  dated  August  18,  1837,  of  their  Acoloitthiu.  It  was  printed  at  Limasol, 
1902.    A  Hheginus  was  Metropolitan  of  Constantia  a.d.  431. 

S.  Hcrmogenes,  commemorated  on  October  .'5,  was  a  native  of  Asia  Minor,  and  Bisliop  of  Samos,  where 
lie  was  tortured  and  beheaded  by  the  governor  Saturninus.  His  remains  were  stolen  by  liis  fellow- 
Christians  and  committed  in  a  box  to  the  waves,  wliicli  cast  them  on  tlie  shore  of  Cyprus  near  Curion. 
Miracles  followed,  and  a  church  was  raised  over  the  place  of  his  burial.  Macarios,  Bishop  of  Cition, 
published  his  Acolouthia  at  Venice  in  1772. 

September  17.    Commetnoraticjii  oi  onv  holy  father  AnastaSIOS,  tlie  wtjiider-worker. 

Anastasios,  who  on  earth  glorified  Christ, 

Came  to  Him,  and  received  in  rtjturn  more  glory  still. 

Kejoicing  lie  found  an  inlu^ritiince  in  heaven. 

This  our  holy  father  Aiia.staKios  lived  in  the  days  of  the  King  of  the  Christians,  Alexius 
Comnenus  and  his  son  John,  together  with  the  rest  of  the  CCC  Orthodox,  who  were  from 
Germany,  and  in  (Cyprus  (which  was  then  subject  to  the  Orthodo.x  sovereign)  lived  the  life  of 
hermits.  For  when  the  so-called  Holy  \\  lu;  which  arose  concerning  the  Holy  Places,  burst 
forth,  these  too  came  as  soldiers  with  the  rest.  And  when  they  saw  that  in  the  affrays  the 
Orthodox  were  ill  ti-eated  liy  the  Latins  they  left  that  earthly  annanient,  and  joined  the 
service  of  the  Heavi-nly  King,  taking  up  a  monastic  life  in  Cyprus,  where  they  lived  in 
deserts  and  mountains,  oppre.ssed,  ill-used  and  tempted  of  devils;  and,  by  the  grace  of  Christ 
strengthening  them,  having  overcome  every  temptation,  by  tlieir  own  exceeding  virtue  they 
were  deemed  wortliy  (;f  working  many  miracles,  not  only  during  life,  but  after  their  deaths, 
so  that  even  now  to  those  who  approach  his  tomb  with  reverence  this  divine  Anastasios  is 
proved  to  be  an  excellent  physician,  and  speedily  answers  them  who  invoke  him  in  faith. 

'riirough  his  intercession,  ()  Christ  our  (iod,  in  Thy  love  to  man  have  mercy  upon  us. 
Amen. 

September  28.  Connncmoratiiui  of  our  holy  and  godly  father  AUXEXTIOS,  the  wonder- 
worker. 

Auxentios  with  the  highest  praise 

I  praise,  wlio  increased  the  God-given  talent. 

On  the  tweuty-eightli  day  Auxentios  was  taken  up  to  heaven. 

This  our  holy  father  Auxentios  was  by  race  a  German,  as  the  story  concerning  him 
shows.  But  of  what  parents,  and  what  religion,  and  in  what  age,  I  cannot  say  precisely. 
But  what  1  know  concerning  him  this  I  begin  to  narrate.  From  his  earliest  youth  he  gave 
himself  to  forays  and  wars  and  won  great  praise,  showing  himself  to  his  enemies  most  terrible, 
and  to  the  soldiers  with  him  gentle,  kind  and  most  beloved.  But,  as  they  tell  of  him,  through 
some  God-given  impulse  he  renounced  the  world  and  its  delights,  and  reckoning  all  glory  as 
a  dream,  he  hastened  to  break  away  from  them.  Hence,  as  some  say,  he  opened  his  thoughts 
to  those  about  him  (for  he  had  three  hundred  soldiers  under  his  command)  and  found  them 
all  amenable,  and  even  thirsting  aft(>r  that  for  which  he  himself  thirsted  :  wherefore  he  was 
not  heedless,  but  starting  with  this  purpose  he  came  to  a  certain  sea  shore,  and  there  found 

28—2 


220 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  ship,  and  on  this  he  embarked  with  the  soldiers  mentioned  above,  and  reached  the  famous 
Cyprus,  by  Grod's  guidance  as  I  ween,  and  arriving  there  they  left  the  ship,  and  all  the 
soldiers,  one  here,  one  there,  were  scattered  abroad,  and  where  each  chose  his  dwelling-place 
there  he  followed  in  all  strictness  the  life  of  a  monk.  But  himself,  our  holy  father  Auxentios, 
reached  Carpas,  a  village  so  called  which  is  a  part  of  the  said  island,  and  finding  a  cave  in 
a  place  called  by  the  natives  loution,  dwelt  therein.  He  gave  himself  up  to  the  severest 
fasting  and  discipline,  until,  having  cleansed  his  soul  and  body  from  lusts  he  made  them 
a  temple  of  the  Holy  Grhost,  and  receptacle  of  His  gifts,  and  with  unceasing  prayer,  and 
sleepless  entreaty,  speaking  with  God  alone,  he  received  from  Him  the  gifts  of  healing, 
and  became  a  worker  of  not  a  few  miracles.  But  the  wonders  wrought  by  him  we  have  not 
set  forth  in  this  history,  as  it  is  for  those  who  must  be  brief,  but  we  shall  mention  one  only, 
which  shall  give  credit  to  the  rest. 

After  he  had  passed  some  time  in  the  cave  which  we  spoke  of,  he  went  to  his  rest 
in  peace,  and  flew  up  to  his  much  loved  Lord,  and  received  from  Him  rewards  in  due 
recompense  of  his  labours,  and  joined  with  the  angelic  hosts  in  their  dances  and  rejoicings. 
After  the  lapse  of  many  years  his  sacred  corpse  was  found  in  the  said  cave,  exhaling  perfume, 
and  full  of  a  marvellous  sweet  smell,  by  certain  faithful  persons  from  both  the  inland  village 
and  that  by  the  seashore  (for  men  from  the  two  villages  were  assembled  together),  whence 
no  small  strife  arose  among  them,  who  of  them  should  take  the  relic,  for  those  of  the  sea- 
side village  said,  "  It  is  meet  that  we  should  take  it,  for  it  was  found  near  our  vnllage."  But 
those  of  the  inland  village  replied,  "  Nay,  but  we  will  take  it  to  our  village,  for  there  were 
most  of  us  among  those  who  found  it."  This  being  so  they  agreed  to  bring  a  cart  and  oxen, 
one  from  the  one,  and  one  from  the  other  village,  and  to  put  the  sacred  and  precious  body 
thereon,  and  then  to  let  the  oxen  start  without  a  guide,  that  they  might  go  whither  they 
should  be  led  bj^  instinct  given  from  above,  as  the  saint  might  desire.  So  did  they,  and 
ceased  their  strife :  they  brought  the  cart  and  laid  upon  it  the  holy  and  sweet-  smelling 
corpse,  being  yet  whole  and  incorrupt.  They  brought  the  oxen  also,  and  yoked  them  to  the 
cart,  and  loosing  them  they  walked  without  a  guide,  and  the  men  followed  them.  They  went 
until  they  reached  the  spot  where  now  is  to  be  seen  the  church  built  to  the  saint,  and  there — 
O  Christ  our  King,  what  wonder  is  this ! — the  oxen  stood  firm  and  still.  And  when  the 
people  saw  this  strange  and  wondrous  thing,  they  lifted  up  their  voices,  and  for  a  long  time 
kept  saying,  "  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  us."  They  took  down  the  most  precious  relic  from  the 
cart,  and  raised  a  fair  and  goodly  shrine,  to  the  glory  of  the  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Spirit, 
the  one  and  only  God,  who  had  made  His  saint  a  wonder-worker.  From  this  miracle  then, 
as  I  said  before,  let  credence  be  given  to  those  worked  daily  by  the  saint  upon  all  who 
approach  with  faith  his  holy  body,  and  celebrate  year  by  year  his  honoured  and  light-giving 
feast. 

By  the  intercession  of  Thy  Saint  Auxentios,  O  Christ  our  God,  free  Thy  people  from 
every  kind  of  danger  and  injury;  give  peace  to  Thy  world,  crown  Thy  churches  with  unity, 
and  have  mercy  upon  us  all,  as  Thou  art  good  and  gracious.  Amen. 

October  6.    Commemoration  of  our  holy  father  Kendeas,  the  wonder-worker. 

This  Saint  Kendeas  at  eighteen  years  of  age  leaves  his  country  Germany,  and,  going  to 
Jerusalem,  becomes  a  monk.  Then  he  went  to  the  deserts  of  Jordan,  and  finding  there  a 
cave  in  a  precipitous  and  inaccessible  spot,  dwelt  therein,  feeding  himself  on  the  tips  of  the 
trees  which  were  near.    Him  God  willed  to  glorify,  and  revealed  him  thus.    There  was  a 


SYXAXARIA. 


221 


man  Ananias,  a  famous  ascetic :  to  this  great  man  a  certain  ruler  sent  his  son,  who  was 
tormented  by  an  unclean  spirit.  But  the  holy  man,  in  his  humility,  received  him  not,  and 
sent  them  away  to  go  right  into  the  desert  to  seek  for  Kendeas,  called  the  German.  And 
they  searched  through  the  deserts,  and  found  him  whom  they  scjught.  And  when  they  told 
him  the  reason  why  they  came  hither,  at  first  he  was  not  persuaded  to  olfer  prayer;  but  they 
besought  him  greatly,  and  wept,  and  he  prayed,  and  turned  to  the  devil  and  said,  "The 
servant  of  God,  Ananias,  bids  thee  through  me,  thou  unclean  spirit,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  go  out  of  the  child."  And  when  the  unclean  spirit  heard  these  words  of  S.  Kendeas 
it  went  forth  without  doing  any  harm.  And  when  this  strange  wonder  became  noised  abroad 
he  was  against  his  will  persuaded  to  receive  ordination  as  a  priest,  and  to  enter  the  monastery. 
And  for  that  he  was  not  able  to  continue  there  his  quiet  and  .solitary  life,  he  left  Palestine 
and  fled  again  to  the  wilderness.  But  the  treasure  did  not  escape  the  notice  of  a  labourer, 
for  he  too  had  a  little  .son  tormented  by  a  devil ;  he  carried  it  to  a  certain  door,  and  covering 
the  child  over  with  grass  placed  it  near  the  door  of  the  saint,  and  went  away  thence.  And 
as  the  child  cried  the  saint  arose,  and  looking  at  it  knew  the  unclean  spirit  which  possessed 
it,  and  drove  it  out,  and  healed  the  child.  But  the  apo.state  rested  not,  and  compelled  the 
chief  of  the  Blemmii,  and  drove  out  all  the  holy  men  that  were  in  that  de.sert.  But  the 
saints  sailed  away,  and  reached  the  harbour  of  I'aphos.  Bj'  what  chance  the  Lord  knows, 
the  ship  was  rent  asunder  and  .scattered  abroad;  yet  the  saints  renuiined  unhurt,  aiid  were 
dispersed  over  different  parts  of  the  island. 

Kendeas  got  out  of  the  sea  on  the  beach  near  Paphos,  and  built  a  hut  on  the  cliff  above 
the  beach,  and  dwelt  there,  and  one  day,  as  the  saint  went  forth  from  his  hut  in  the  dark, 
the  devil  in  the  form  of  a  man  fell  at  his  feet,  and  begged  from  him  a  blessing.  The  saint, 
alarmed  at  the  sudden  vision,  his  feet  tnppcd,  and  he  fell  headlong  to  the  verj'  bottom  of  the 
clift',  but  by  God's  grace  remained  unhurt.  Another  time  the  tyrant  gave  him  into  the 
hands  of  a  murderous  robber,  and  sometimes  he  beat  him,  and  sometimes  tore  from  him 
the  old  rags  which  he  wore,  and  another  time  burnt  his  hut.  The  saint  bore  all  this  and  said 
from  his  heart,  "If  Thou,  my  Lord,  art  plea.sed  so,  I  thank  Thee."  And  the  Lord  heard 
from  on  high  the  saint's  prayer,  and  delivered  that  robber  into  the  hands  of  the  ruler;  and 
they  slew  Ihtu,  and  the  saint  found  great  rest.  Again  as  the  saint  was  going  to  the  town  to 
visit  the  brethren,  the  enemy  appeared  in  the  form  of  a  wonum,  and  touching  his  feet 
besought  him  that  he  would  go  aside  with  her  from  the  road  to  where  she  had  her  house, 
that  he  would  enter  in  and  give  it  his  blessing.  The  saint  yielded  to  her  tears  and  entered  her 
house.  But  she  bared  her  body,  and  strove  hard  to  defile  him.  He  fell  on  the  ground  and 
prayed,  and  routed  that  instrument  of  the  fieiul,  and  went  out  unharmed.  Now  the  blessed 
Kendeas,  hearing  of  his  fellow-ascetic  Jonas,  how  he  dwelt  at  New  Justiniane,  desired  to  see 
him :  and  as  he  journeyed,  in  every  village  and  place  he  healed  many  of  their  sicknesses. 
And  coming  to  a  spot  called  Mandres,  near  Trachias,  he  found  a  cave  and  dwelt  there, 
binding  himself  bj'  an  oath  that  he  would  never  leave  it  to  go  to  another  place.  But  he  did 
not  see  the  holy  Jonas,  and  was  much  grieved  that  he  might  not  break  his  vow.  Consider 
what  a  wonder  was  here  worked  by  the  all-seeing  Providence  of  God  !  an  angel  of  the  Lord 
lifted  up  the  holy  Jonas  high  above  his  cell  without  noi.se  or  tumult,  and  set  him  down  in  the 
cell  of  the  blessed  Kendeas.  They  greeted  one  another  and  took  their  fill  of  godly  talk. 
Then  said  S.  Kendeas,  "(ilory  to  God,  Who  hath  deemed  me  worthy  to  see  my  dearest 
Jonas,"  and  straightway  Jonas  was  caught  up  by  the  angel,  and  was  lost  to  the  sight  of 
S.  Kendeas.  This  threw  the  saint  into  sundry  doubts,  and  setting  at  nought  his  bond  he 
went  out  of  this  cave  and  walked  on  the  road  to  the  cell  of  this  wondrous  man.    For  he 


222 


p]XCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


thought  that  which  he  had  seen  was  a  vision.  And  when  he  went  and  heard  the  blessed 
Jonas,  and  called  him  by  name,  and  heard  the  manner  of  his  translation,  he  was  glad  at 
heart  and  rejoiced,  and  they  saluted  one  another,  and  he  returned  again  to  his  dwelling. 
And  what  shall  I  more  say !  He  drove  out  many  evil  spirits  from  men,  and  healed  unhealable 
sicknesses.  He  caused  waters  to  spring  up  in  dry  places,  and  by  his  prayers  often  brought 
down  rain  from  heaven.  And  through  his  charms  God  wrought  many  other  wonders,  and 
after  this  he  gave  his  precious  spirit  to  God  in  peace  and  in  a  good  old  age. 

By  the  intercession  of  Thy  saint,  0  Christ  our  God,  have  mercy  upon  us.  Amen. 

November  6.  Commemoration  of  our  saintly  father  Demetrianos,  Bishop  of  Ketheria 
in  Cyprus,  the  wonder-worker. 

This  man  of  God,  who  was  born  in  the  days  and  under  the  rule  of  the  Christ-hating 
King  Theophilos,  and  from  his  swaddling  clothes,  like  a  second  Samuel,  was  numbered 
among  the  chosen  ones  of  God,  was  a  Cypriot  by  race,  from  the  district  of  Ketheria,  and  a 
village  called  Syca,  from  a  virtuous  and  God-fearing  father,  the  priest  of  the  village,  and 
a  pious  and  God-loving  mother.  His  parents  took  counsel  together  to  have  him  married, 
but  he  would  not :  at  last  they  persuaded  him  and  married  him  with  a  maiden  of  gentle 
birth,  very  beautiful,  and  of  one  mind  and  heart  with  the  saint.  And  when  by  the  grace  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  they  were  joined  in  wedlock,  for  three  months  they  guarded  their  virginity 
unstained :  then  his  wife  went  to  rest  in  the  Lord,  and  was  translated  to  eternal  mansions,  a 
virgin  unspotted,  a  blameless  wife,  pure  in  the  Lord,  and  deemed  worthy  to  share  with  the 
wise  virgins  the  peace  of  heaven.  Thereon  the  saint,  giving  himself  up  to  the  sternest 
austerities  and  self-denial,  and  taking  on  him  the  garb  of  monkhood,  for  his  virtues  and 
heaven-pleasing  qualities,  at  the  entreaty  of  the  sainted  bishop  Eustathios,  became  a  priest ; 
and  later,  on  account  of  his  gentle,  calm,  meek,  quiet,  tender  and  modest  bearing — I  might  say 
for  his  signal  and  imposing  virtue — by  God's  will  shone  out  as  Bishop  of  the  city  Ketheria, 
leading  in  holiness  and  God-pleasing  ways  the  flock  divinely  entrusted  to  him,  according  to 
the  fitting  rule  of  episcopal  perfection. 

But  the  Barbarians  of  Babylonia  came  to  the  island  of  Cyprus  and  overran  it  all,  and 
reached  to  the  saint's  diocese,  ravaged  his  flock  and  carried  away  many  Christians  prisoners 
to  Babylon.  But  the  saint  was  exceeding  grieved  to  be  deprived  of  his  flock,  and  like 
another  wonderful  leremias,  followed  the  Barbarians  and  their  captives  even  to  Babylon,  and 
with  toils  and  vigils,  with  nightlong  prayers  to  God  and  tears  that  flowed  as  a  fount,  again 
he  freed  the  people  of  the  Lord,  and  led  them  back  to  Cyprus,  blessing  and  glorifying  God. 
And  thus  the  saint  after  a  blameless  and  holy  life  reached  extreme  old  age,  and  went  in 
peace  to  his  Lord,  performing  constantly  miracles. 

Through  his  saintly  intercession,  0  God,  have  mercy  upon  us.  Amen. 

July  1.    Commemoration  of  the  blessed  martyr  Constantine,  the  wonder-worker. 

Even  though  thou  strikest  Constantine  with  the  sword 
His  dead  body  shall  smite  the  enemy  of  the  Lord. 
On  the  first  of  July  Constantine  was  beheaded. 

These  saints  were  from  different  places,  and  altogether  in  number  three  hundred.  They 
went  to  worship  at  the  Holy  City  Jerusalem,  and  when  they  had  adored  all  the  Holy  Places, 
they  went  to  the  desert  of  Jordan,  and  there  abode.  On  a  certain  day  they  all  came  to  the 
seashore,  they  found  a  ship  and  entered  therein,  and  sailed  and  came  to  the  famous  island 


SYXAXARIA. 


223 


Cyprus,  to  the  harbour  of  Paphos.  The  ship,  however,  driven  by  a  strong  and  mighty-  wind, 
was  broken  up,  but  the  saints,  by  the  grace  of  God,  were  all  saved  unhurt,  and  were  scattered 
over  all  the  island  of  Cyprus.  But  S.  Constantine,  with  three  others,  came  to  a  place  called 
Trachias,  and  they  walked  after  the  pattern  of  the  Apostles,  and  preached  that  Christ  was 
true  God.  And  when  the  ruler  of  Cyprus,  Sabinus  by  name,  heard  this,  he  set  the  men 
before  him,  and  examined  them,  and  they  confessed  that  Christ  was  true  God.  And  when 
they  denied  it  not,  they  were  beaten  with  raw  ox-hides,  and  thrown  into  prison.  And  on  the 
morrow  he  ordered  them  to  be  brought  before  him,  and  again  they  would  not  consent  to 
sacrifice  to  a  strange  god,  and  he  ordered  them  to  be  hanged  with  their  heads  downwards, 
and  their  flesh  to  be  torn  off  them,  so  that  the  ground  was  red  with  their  blood.  Then  they 
were  stretched  on  iron  plates  made  hot  with  fire ;  and  for  all  this  by  the  grace  of  Christ  the 
Life-giver  they  remained  unhurt.  And  yet  again  they  nailed  their  feet  with  nails,  and 
compelled  them  to  run  quickly.  Then  they  were  cast  into  prison.  And  after  some  days  had 
passed,  at  the  command  of  the  ruler  they  led  them  to  the  judgment  seat,  and  he  examined 
them  strictly,  and  finding  them  unshaken,  and  even  firmer  than  ever  in  the  Christian  faith, 
he  gave  the  order,  and  they  beheaded  them.  But  certain  devout  Christians  took  by  night 
the  bodies  of  the  saints  and  buried  them  reverently  in  a  village  called  ( )nnidia.  And  after 
many  years  their  holy  remains  were  discovered,  as  a  stream  rich  in  numberless  cures,  so  that 
daily  they  worked  endless  miracles,  and  healed  many  kinds  of  sickness  and  hurt,  and  the 
deaf  received  instant  cure  by  the  power  of  the  holy  relics.  Moreover  the  then  ruler  of 
Cyprus,  being  afflicted  with  dysentery  and  deafness,  went  in  faitii  to  the  relics  of  the  saints, 
and,  lo,  what  a  miracle !  at  once  he  received  his  cure,  and  glorified  them  who  glorified  Him, 
and  had  shed  their  blood  for  Him.  And  this  ruler,  after  he  had  been  cured  from  both 
sicknesses,  his  dj  sentery  and  his  deafness,  built  from  the  foundations  a  large  church,  in  the 
name  of  S.  Constantine  the  wonder-worker,  as  his  tomb  testifies,  which  is  on  the  right  hand 
of  the  Holy  Table  of  the  church,  to  the  glory  and  praise  of  our  Lord  aiul  God,  and  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  Moreover  know  ye,  pious  Christians,  that  as  nuuiy  sick  as  approach 
with  great  and  true  devotion  are  healed  of  every  kind  of  sickness,  through  the  intercession 
and  prayers  of  the  holy  and  glorious  juartyr  Constantine. 

By  whose  holy  intercession  have  niercj-  upon  us,  ()  (Jod,  and  save  us.  Amen. 

September  17.  Commemoration  of  our  saintly  father  H KKACLKIDIOS,  Bishop  of  Tamasus, 
the  wonder-worker. 

A  sacrifice  was  offert-d  on  Tliy  Table,  O  Word, 
Tlie  sacriticcr  Heracleidios,  slain  by  tlu;  sword. 
On  tlic  seventeenth  fate  snatclied  away  Heracleidios. 

This  man  was  a  Cypriot  b)^  race,  the  son  of  a  certain  priest  of  the  Hellenes,  called 
Hierocleos;  and  when  those  archers  of  the  truth,  Barnabas  and  ^fark,  together  with  Paul, 
came  at  last  to  Cyprus,  they  began  to  preach  the  saving  word  of  righteousness  without 
hesitation  or  fear,  waiulering  from  place  to  place.  And  so  doing  they  reached  Solea,  and  in 
a  certain  village  called  Lampatiston  they  found  this  Hierocleos  going  round  and  inviting 
strangers  to  feast  with  him,  for  he  was  given  to  hospitality.  And  as  his  custom  was, 
Hierocleos  invites  them,  and  they  accept  not,  nor  deign  to  eat  with  him  who  was  priest  of  an 
idol  shrine.  They  desire  only  to  learn  from  him  the  way  which  they  sought.  But  Hierocleos 
with  kindly  thought  sent  his  son  Heracleidios  to  show  them  the  way :  for  the  place  was  hard 
to  pass.  Heracleidios  di<l  this  cheerfully,  and  as  he  walked  with  the  apostles  began  to  talk 
with  them  by  the  way  about  the  education  and  religion  of  Greeks.    But  these  wise  follower 


224 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


of  the  Saviour  wondered  to  see  him  so  eager  for  the  life-giving  word,  and  preached  to  him 
Jesus  Christ,  Who  was  incarnate  on  the  earth,  and  suffered  and  rose  again,  as  Very  Grod. 
Whereupon  Heracleidios,  who  doubted  concerning  the  idols,  without  delay  or  hesitation 
believed  in  Christ,  and  was  baptised  by  the  apostles,  and  was  ordained  first  pastor  of  the 
church  in  Tamasus.  And  his  own  parents  he  drew  to  him  by  exhortation,  and  baptised; 
and  he  built  churches,  and  converted  to  the  knowledge  of  God  the  practice  of  the  Greeks. 
And  he  cured  sundry  diseases,  raised  the  dead,  cast  out  devils,  and  worked  other  wonders 
innumerable.  But  him,  together  with  Myron,  the  idolaters  burned  with  fire,  and  so  he 
departed  unto  the  Lord.  But  from  his  precious  urn  flow  streams  of  miracles  on  those  who 
visit  his  church  with  desire  and  faith,  as  the  history  concerning  him  sets  forth. 

Moreover  in  our  own  days,  in  the  year  of  Salvation  1769,  this  marvellous  saint  wrought 
an  awful  and  most  wonderful  miracle.  A  child  called  John,  the  son  of  Haji  Savas  of  the 
Phaneromene  quarter  of  the  city  of  Levcosia,  was  driven  by  a  savage  devil,  and  tormented 
incessantly  every  day.  But  his  parents  in  their  great  tribulation  brought  him  to  the  holy 
shrine  of  the  wonder-worker  Heracleidios,  on  a  day  when  his  commemoration  was  celebrated. 
And  at  the  time  of  the  Holy  Mysteries — lo,  what  a  wonder ! — the  evil  spirit  convulsed  him 
sorely,  and  he  began  to  vomit.  And  as  he  vomited  he  cast  forth  from  his  mouth  a  snake  a 
span  long,  and  two  crabs,  and  he  was  healed  from  that  hour.  And  all  wondered  exceedingly 
at  this  awful  miracle,  and  with  loud  voices  glorified  God,  and  His  wonder-working  bishop 
Heracleidios.  And  these  reptiles  are  even  now  preserved  hung  on  high  in  his  church,  to  bear 
witness  to  the  miracle.  And  many  other  cures  does  he  work  daily  on  those  who  bring  their 
longings  to  him  in  his  holy  church. 

Through  his  intercession,  0  Christ  our  God,  have  mercy  on  us  and  save  us.  Amen. 

October  19.   Commemoration  of  our  saintly  father  Mnason,  Bishop  of  Tamasus  in  Cyprus. 

Enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord, 

Bringing  Mnason,  a  gain  of  thy  talents. 

On  the  nineteenth  died  Mnason,  of  the  city  Tamasus. 

This  our  father  Mnason,  great  in  godliness  and  virtue,  was  of  the  island  of  Cyprus,  from 
a  place  called  the  city  of  Tamasus,  and  (it  seems)  of  idolatrous  parents.  The  city  of  Tamasus, 
so  his  Life  shows,  produced  this  heavenly  man,  this  earthly  angel,  as  a  young  plant  by  the 
watercourses.  After  the  ascension  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  heaven,  the  holy  apostles, 
great  Paul  and  divine  Barnabas,  with  Mark,  came  to  Cyprus  and  worked  great  wonders. 
And  they  caught  first  in  their  net  S.  Heracleidios,  and  arriving  at  this  city  of  Tamasus,  and 
finding  out  all  who  were  idolaters,  and  working  very  many  wonders,  by  Christ's  divine  grace, 
all  were  led  to  believe,  through  the  grace  of.  the  Holy  Spirit,  with  their  wives  also  and 
children,  and  when  they  had  consecrated  S.  Heracleidios  bishop,  to  shepherd  Christ's  flock 
there,  they  set  forth  again,  and  went  from  village  to  village  teaching  the  Greeks,  and 
ordaining  some  among  the  believers. 

But  S.  Mnason  had  a  friend  named  Theonas,  and  they  took  counsel  together,  and  went 
to  Jerusalem  to  worship,  and  God  so  willed  it  that  they  found  John  the  Divine,  who  taught 
them  in  all  its  fulness  the  mystery  of  the  Incarnation,  the  Baptism,  and  how  that  after  this 
He  was  crucified,  was  buried,  and  rose  again  from  the  dead,  and  shall  come  again  to  judge 
quick  and  dead :  and  he  counselled  them  to  return  again  to  their  home,  for  they  would  find 
the  apostles,  Paul,  Mark  and  Barnabas.  But  they,  filled  with  exceeding  great  joy,  returned 
rejoicing.    And  they  found  the  apostles  teaching  the  people,  together  with  S.  Heracleidios, 


SYXAXARIA. 


225 


and  the  city  of  Tamasus  shining  hke.  another  sun,  for  that  innumerable  crowds  believed 
daily  through  the  preaching  of  that  saint,  and  in  humbleness  of  mind  they  became  his 
disciples.  But  S.  Mnason,  being  learned  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  after  a  little  while  they 
ordained  a  monk,  and  Theonas,  a  reader.  And  they  all  remained  in  the  cave  in  prayer,  the 
Apostles  with  Heracleidios,  Mnason  and  Theodoros,  in  fasting  and  night-long  vigils,  and 
besought  God  that  He  would  utterly  wipe  out  all  idolatry  from  Cyprus ;  and  they  rejoiced 
daily,  as  though  they  were  indeed  in  Paradise. 

One  day  the  saint  went  forth  from  the  cave,  and  as  he  walked  through  the  city,  he  came 
to  an  idol-temple,  dedicated  to  Asclepios.  He  stood  there  and  said,  "  In  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  come  down  and  be  shattered."  And  straightway — how  great  the  miracle ! — the  idols 
fell  and  were  shattered.  But  when  the  false  priests  saw  what  was  done,  they  ran  to  the 
Greeks,  and  told  it  with  tears,  and  when  they  heard  it,  they  ran,  small  and  great,  to  slay  the 
saint,  and  the  saint  blew  upon  their  faces,  and  blinded  them  all.  And  they  wept,  and 
besought  him  to  heal  them,  so  would  they  all  believe  on  the  true  God,  with  their  wives  and 
children.  And  the  saint  pitied  them,  and  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  healed  them  all, 
both  their  souls  and  bodies,  and  baptised  them  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  the  number 
of  three  hundred. 

Now  a  certain  woman  had  an  only  son,  and  as  he  went  out  to  the  field  a  serpent  bit 
him,  and  immediately  he  gave  up  the  ghost :  and  his  mother  wept  for  him,  and  would  not 
be  comforted.  At  last  she  thought  on  the  saint,  and  ran  to  seek  his  help.  He  saith  unto 
her,  "  If  thou  believest  in  Christ,  thou  shalt  receive  that  which  thou  askest."  And  she  cried 
vnth  a  loud  voice,  "  From  to-day  I  believe  in  the  Lord  Christ,  with  all  my  heart  and  soul,  and 
I  anathematise  the  idols."  Then  Heracleidios  prayed,  and — how  great  Thy  mercy,  O  Christ! — 
straightway  he  raised  the  boy  to  life.  But  his  mother  Trophime,  from  her  exceeding  joy, 
fell  dead.  Then  S.  Mnason  lifted  up  his  eyes  to  heaven  and  said,  "  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  my 
God,  Who  didst  come  down  from  lieavcn  for  the  sons  of  men,  raise  up  this  dead  woman,  that 
Thy  mighty  works  may  be  told  among  them  " :  and  innnediately  she  rose  up  as  one  out  of 
sleep,  and  embraced  her  son,  and  glorified  the  Lord  of  all :  and  so  there  were  baptised  on 
that  same  day  to  the  number  of  four  Iniiidrod. 

Now  a  certain  Greek,  by  name  Alexander,  lent  money  to  a  Christian  upon  interest;  and 
when  the  poor  man  could  not  pay  at  the  proper  time  he  vexed  him  sorely  and  beat  him. 
The  saint  saw  him,  and  pitied  the  poor  man,  and  rebuked  the  Greek.  But  he  reviled  the 
saint,  and  called  him  a  deceiver,  and  raised  his  hand  to  strike  him,  and  his  hand  was  withered, 
and  remained  immovable.  And  the  saint  said  unto  him,  "  See,  the  Lord  Whom  I  worship 
hath  punished  thee."  And  all  the  Greeks  who  saw  the  miriicle  believed.  But  Alexander 
remained,  begging  with  tears  that  he  might  be  healed.  Then  said  the  saint  to  him,  "  If  thou 
wilt  forgive  the  poor  man  all  his  debt,  in  the  name  of  Christ  speak  and  hear."  And  straight- 
way he  was  healed,  and  was  baptised  by  the  saint  with  all  his  house.  And  led  by  this 
example  another  called  Gelasios  believed,  with  his  house,  anathematising  the  idols. 

And  at  last  came  the  time  that  his  father  Heracleidios  should  go  to  Him  Whom  he 
sought,  and  he  called  Mnason,  and  said  unto  him,  "  My  child,  the  Master  has  willed  to  give 
me  rest  in  the  eternal  mansions ;  prepare  to  take  my  throne."  But  Mnason  bewailed  sorely 
the  departure  of  the  saint,  and  then  by  the  common  vote  of  the  assembly  he  was  consecrated 
bishop  by  S.  Heracleidios,  when  he  had  instructed  him  for  some  time.  And  the  Orthodox 
and  all  the  multitude  glorified  God,  Who  had  granted  them  such  a  light  to  lead  them  to 
salvation.  The  pirates  beheaded  S.  Heracleidios  on  September  17,  and  destroyed  his  cell. 
But  our  saint  ascended  his  throne,  and  added  fast  to  fast,  ^^gil  to  vigil,  poverty  to  poverty. 
For  brevity's  sake  I  leave  the  rest  of  the  virtues  acquired  by  this  follower  of  Christ. 

c.  29 


226 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


One  day  tlie  saint  went  to  the  village  of  Pera...and  healed  a  blind  youth,  and  stilled 
a  storm :  and  in  a  season  of  drought  at  his  prayer  God  sent  rain.  Again,  when  the  saint  was 
celebrating  the  Holy  Mysteries,  the  fiend  purposed  to  vex  him ;  and  entered  into  a  man,  and 
left  him  half  dead.  But  the  saint  would  not  suffer  the  devil  to  tyrannise  over  his  sheep,  and 
straightway  with  his  pallium  he  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  man,  and  the  evil  one 
departed  like  smoke,  and  they  all  glorified  Grod,  and  revered  the  saint:  and  he  who  was 
healed  went  to  his  house  rejoicing. 

But  the  saint  was  now  in  a  good  old  age,  and  the  time  came  that  he  should  go  to  Christ 
for  Whom  he  yearned ;  and  he  revealed  it  to  his  disciples,  and  bade  them  not  to  sorrow,  for 
he  would  leave  them  a  pastor  like  himself,  a  saving  guide :  and  he  showed  to  them  Rodom, 
and  prophesied  how  he  would,  by  Christ's  grace,  bring  back  to  the  faith  all  the  Creeks.  And 
after  this,  by  the  common  vote  of  the  citizens  of  Tamasus,  he  consecrated  him  bishop.  But 
the  saint  lay  bedridden,  waiting  his  last  hour,  and  on  Tuesday,  September  19,  he  departed 
unto  the  Lord  in  peace.  Small  and  great,  young  and  old,  saluted  his  holy  remains :  and 
blind  men  saw,  lame  men  walked,  and  devils  were  cast  out.  And  his  disciples  buried  him 
honourably  and  devoutly,  near  S.  Heracleidios,  as  the  place  shows  even  now.  And  Rodom 
and  the  rest  prayed  to  the  saint,  that  he  would  help  those  who  with  faith  and  devotion  should 
visit  his  house,  in  this  world  with  the  cure  of  many  and  incurable  diseases,  and  in  the  next, 
through  his  intercession,  make  them  worthy  of  a  blessed  and  everlasting  rest. 

To  which  may  we  all  attain,  through  the  loving  kindness  and  grace  of  Him  to  Whom  is 
due  glory,  honour  and  worship,  now  and  for  ever,  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit. 


To  the  Synaxaria  printed  above,  I  add  that  of  S.  John  Lampadistes,  translated  from  the  Acolouthia 
edited  by  the  Cypriot  monk  Gerasimos  Christophorou,  and  printed  at  Venice,  in  4to,  1667.  Reprinted  at 
Larnaca,  1902. 

The  saint  is  commemorated  on  October  4,  chiefly  at  the  monastery  which  bears  his  name,  on  a  spot 
4500  ft.  high,  in  the  Marathasa  valley  between  Calopanagioti  and  Moiitoulla.  The  buildings  may  occupy 
the  site  of  Lampas,  of  which  there  is  no  trace.  Galata  is  now  a  village  on  the  Caryotis  river,  due  south 
of  Evrychou. 

I  have  seen  a  MS.  copy,  too  mutilated  for  translation,  of  the  aKoXovOla  of  S.  Epictetos,  whose  death  i3 
commemorated  on  October  12  at  the  church  bearing  his  name,  situate  about  four  miles  west  of  Kyrenia. 
He  seems  to  have  been  of  German  origin,  a  soldier  and  companion  of  S.  Auxentios,  and  to  have  lived  the 
life  of  a  hermit  in  a  cave  over  which  the  present  church  stands. 

October  4.  Commemoration  of  our  holy  father  JOHN  Lampadistes,  wise  in  the  things 
of  God. 

John,  with  most  of  the  hues  of  virtue, 
Shone  forth  in  heaven  as  a  new  rainbow. 

On  the  fourth  day  the  corpse  of  John  was  clothed  upon  with  earth. 

This  saint  was  of  the  famous  island  of  Cyprus,  from  a  village  called  Lampas  in  the 
District  of  Galata,  born  of  Godfearing  and  wealthy  parents.  From  his  very  cradle  he 
became  a  most  pure  vessel  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  only  son  of  his  parents,  while  still  quite 
a  child,  just  in  his  fourth  year,  he  gave  himself  to  the  study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  by 
zeal  and  perseverance  made  such  progress  as  to  surpass  all  about  him  in  quickness  of  wit  and 


SYXAXARIA. 


227 


in  learning.  And  continuing  unceasingly  in  meditation  on  the  Word  of  God,  he  reached  and 
kept  the  highest  rank  as  a  disciple  of  the  Divine  Mysteries.  And  when  he  reached  manhood, 
and  by  his  own  parents  was  being  daily  urged  to  have  converse  with  a  woman,  and  utterly 
refusing  so  to  do,  by  the  spite  and  sorcery  of  the  parents  of  her  whom  they  had  betrothed  to 
him,  by  some  Satanic  craft  his  eyes  were  blinded.  Yet  the  saint,  no  wit  vexed  at  his  strange 
misfortune,  said  within  himself,  "  Even  though  I  be  reft  of  my  bodily  sight,  yet  that  which  is 
spiritual  is  left  me,"  took  with  him  one  of  his  own  servants  (he  too  was  called  John)  and 
.entering  joyfully  on  his  new  life,  withdrew  himself  from  his  family,  with  unbending  spirit 
imposed  on  himself  a  still  sterner  discipline,  bid  adieu  to  all,  and  revelling  in  fasting  and  in 
prayers — for  every  three  or  even  four  days  tasting  but  a  little  bread  and  water,  to  tame  his 
spirit,  distressed  by  the  scorching  heat  of  day,  and  by  the  icy  cold  of  night,  and  taking  no 
bodily  rest  whatevei* — under  such  a  rule  he  lived  for  the  space  of  twelve  years.  So  it  was 
that  on  account  of  his  surpassing  virtue  he  won  from  on  high  the  grace  of  miracles,  and 
stood  manifest  as  a  healer  of  every  kind  of  disease,  and  an  expeller  of  evil  spirits,  and  on  a 
time  in  a  dry  place,  when  his  own  servant  was  parched  with  thirst,  by  prayer  he  made  water 
to  flow  forth  which  springs  up  even  to  this  day.  And  three  days  before  his  departure  to  God 
(as  the  story  about  him.  tells)  the  holy  man  saw  three  eagles  hovering  round  him,  and 
knowing  in  his  spirit  that  he  was  soon  to  taste  of  the  better  end,  he  made  clear  to  his  servant 
his  departure  from  hence,  and  thereon  praying  the  customary  prayer  he  ascended  in  peace  to 
Him  Whom  he  longed  for,  by  Whom  he  had  been  called  to  the  blessed  life  of  an  ascetic. 
His  precious  corpse  was  laid  by  his  own  father  with  honourable  and  costly  ceremony  in  the 
place  where  it  now  lies,  and  daily  works  manifold  healings  and  wonders.  The  whole  span  of 
his  life  was  twenty-two  years. 

Through  his  holy  intercession  have  mercy  on  us,  ()  our  God.  Amen. 


From  the  Acolonthia  of  S.  Neophytos,  printed  at  Venice  in  1778,  axid  reprinted  at  Nicosia  in  1893. 
I  translate  the  life  of  the  saint,  whose  feast  is  celebrated  on  January  24.  I  append  a  compressed  account 
of  the  discovery  and  translation  of  his  remains. 

January  24.    Commemoration  of  our  holy  father  Nkopiiytos  the  cloistered  monk. 

The  grave  holds  thee,  but  thy  body  only. 
Thou  art  our  pride,  men  visit  thy  cell. 

On  the  twenty-second  day  thy  soul  entered  the  heavenly  port. 

The  birthplace  of  this  holy  man  was  the  town  of  Levkara  in  Cyprus.  He  was  the  son  of 
pious  parents,  and  tiourishod  in  the  days  of  those  pious  sovereigns  the  Comneni,  what  time 
the  Saracens,  (iod  knows  for  what  sins  of  ours,  made  themselves  masters  of  the  Holy  City  of 
Jerusalem.  This  island  too  suffered  at  their  hands  many  incursions,  as  well  as  from  the 
.Christian  hosts  which,  stirred  by  the  pious  zeal  of  the  sovereigns  of  Europe,  hurried  together 
from  all  sides  to  ransom  the  Holy  Places. 

S.  Neophytos  being  now  eighteen  years  old,  his  parents  wished  him  to  marry,  and  when 
he  learned  that,  according  to  custom,  they  were  arranging  the  preliminaries  of  the  wedding, 
he  fled  secretly  from  his  home,  and  hid  himself  in  the  monastery  of  S.  Chrysostom  called 
Koutzoventi.  He  reckoned  as  nought  parents  and  betrothal,  despising  them  as  well  as  other 
transitory  things,  and  cared  for  the  love  of  Christ  only.  For  from  a  child  he  longed  for 
quiet,  and  hailed  a  life  of  seclusion.    And  in  the  ordinance  written  by  his  own  hand  for  his 

29—2 


228 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


monastery  and  the  monks  who  should  dwell  therem  his  love  towards  God  and  his  desire  for 
a  life  of  peace  are  most  clearly  shown,  where  he  sets  before  them  as  a  rule  and  example  its 
divinely  ordered  polity.  But  his  parents,  no  little  grieved  at  his  departure,  and  ignorant  of 
the  way  he  took,  wandered  all  over  the  island  searching  for  him.  And  so  coming  to  the 
monastery  aforesaid  they  found  him,  still  unwilling  to  accompany  them ;  and  they  wept  and 
grieved,  and  he,  compelled  at  last  by  their  much  entreaty,  and  at  a  loss  what  to  do,  returned 
with  them  home,  and  to  fulfil  his  father's  bidding,  as  enjoined  in  the  Gospel,  he  obeys  and 
marries  his  betrothed,  filling  with  no  small  joy  his  parents  and  neighbours  and  acquaintances. 
The  bridal  chamber  was  prepared  according  to  custom  for  the  married  pair,  but  when  the 
time  came  for  retiring  he  put  ofE  the  ring  and  made  a  vow,  and  left  the  house  at  night,  and 
again  reached  the  monastery  of  Koutzoventi.  There  he  earnestly  besought  the  Abbot  that 
he  might  put  on  the  monastic  habit ;  so  with  his  hair  shorn,  and  clothed  -with  the  longed-for 
frock  he  leaped  and  rejoiced;  and  by  the  Abbot's  order  went  out  to  guard  the  vineyards  of 
the  house,  called  the  stoupai,  where  he  ceased  not  from  prayer.  He  was  wholly  unlearned  in 
the  Scriptures,  but  after  five  years  of  such  service,  so  great  was  his  zeal  that  he  learned  to 
read  them  well,  and  could  repeat  the  Psalms  of  David  by  heart.  But  meanwhile  another 
desire  burned  in  his  heart,  to  reach  in  pilgrimage  the  Holy  Places.  So  he  sailed  forth,  and 
fulfilled  his  wish ;  and  after  adoring  the  holy  relics  of  our  Lord  in  Jerusalem,  and  offering 
fitting  prayer,  he  went  to  the  borders  of  Magdala,  Thabor  and  Jordan,  and  during  six 
months  searched  the  caves  and  holes  if  haply  he  might  find  some  hermit,  and  put  himself 
under  his  orders.  But  he  attained  not  this  desire,  and  under  the  Divine  guiding  returned  to 
his  old  monastery.  Yet  his  love  for  a  life  of  peace  gave  him  no  rest,  and  again  leaving  the 
house  he  hastened  on  his  road  to  the  mountain  of  Latros  with  prayers  to  God  that  he  might 
not  be  disappointed  of  his  hope.  But  when  he  reached  the  fort  of  Paphos  he  was  recognised 
and  seized  by  the  guard ;  and  for  some  hours  was  bound  and  ill-treated  in  prison,  and  certain 
pious  persons  grieved  at  the  event  besought  the  guard  concerning  him,  and  he  was  loosed 
from  his  bonds  and  prison,  and  seeing  that  not  only  did  his  end  remain  unfulfilled,  but  that 
it  brought  him  ill-treatment,  he  knew  that  it  was  God's  will  that  he  should  not  wander  from 
his  chosen  home,  which  methinks  was  wanting  at  that  time  in  men  of  piety  and  of  rightly 
ordered  life :  for  the  island  was  then  under  the  lordship  of  the  Latins,  as  we  learn  from  his 
" Ordinance"  dated  in  the  year  of  our  Salvation  1159. 

After  his  release  from  prison,  being  in  great  doubt  and  no  little  grief,  whither  he  should 
go,  and  where  find  rest,  he  composed  himself,  and  in  the  name  of  God  taking  the  road  that 
lay  before  him  went  to  the  very  steep  clilf  where  lay  the  retreat  afterwards  called  by  his 
name.  There,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  clilf  he  found  a  cave  and  began  to  clear  it,  and  hew 
it  out,  and  smooth  down  its  rocky  sides,  working  with  his  hands  and  pieces  of  wood :  yet 
much  time  passed  before  it  might  serve  him  for  a  dwelling.  Let  who  will  picture  to  himself 
what  sufferings  he  endured  on  this  inaccessible  and  narrow  rock,  mortification  of  the  senses, 
nakedness,  hunger,  a  couch  of  stone,  and  every  kind  of  bodily  discomfort,  all  self-imposed, 
and  then  the  prayers,  the  prostrations,  the  unbroken  vigils,  which  this  famous  saint  per- 
severingly  dedicated  to  the  love  of  God.  The  fame  of  his  doings  was  spread  abroad,  and 
crowds  came  to  see  him  to  Avin  his  blessing  and  his  prayers.  Whereof  certain  persons  desired 
to  become  his  disciples,  to  copy  and  share  his  ascetic  life;  yet  he  would  not  accept  them; 
not  because  he  refused  to  have  intercourse  with  his  fellow-men,  or  to  help  them  to  salvation, 
but  because  he  knew  of  a  truth  that  one  man  was  quieter  than  two  or  more.  But  when  they 
pressed  him  earnestly,  and  gave  him  no  rest,  he  consented  to  receive  a  few,  but  not  more 
than  ten.    So  while  he  instructed  these  in  the  Secrets  of  Virtue,  he  increased  the  fame  of  his 


SYXAXARIA. 


229 


own  holy  life,  albeit  he  put  away  utterly  from  him  the  praise  of  men.  Nevertheless  God, 
Who  not  only  crowns  His  servants  with  heavenly  glory,  but  wills  not  that  they  should  be 
without  that  below,  bade  in  a  vision  the  Bishop  of  Paphos,  Basilios,  to  raise  the  saint  to  the 
priesthood,  and  to  give  him  by  an  order  under  his  seal  sufficient  funds  wherewith  to  erect 
a  monastery.  As  it  was  enjoined  on  him  so  did  the  Bishop :  and  now  that  he  was  a  priest, 
who  shall  describe  the  toils  and  prayers,  the  fastings  and  watchings  of  this  holy  man  ?  He 
raised  and  adorned  with  no  common  beauty  the  higher  monastery,  which  was  called  the 
Enkleistra,  because  for  twenty  and  four  years  he  lived  a  hermit's  life  in  this  cell.  The 
present  noble  church,  with  the  surrounding  buildings,  although  many  of  these  have  been 
destroyed  by  time  and  neglect,  were  built,  it  would  seem,  after  his  death  by  the  order  and 
munificence  of  the  Sovereign,  witness  a  document  bearing  the  Patriarchal  seal,  dated  some 
hundred  and  fifty  years  back,  and  still  preserved.  And  so  he  bade  his  companions  bear  the 
name  of  Enkleistoi ;  hermits  not  in  name  only  but  in  deed,  setting  before  them  as  an  ensample 
his  own  life,  and  the  brotherhood  being  establi.shed  he  constantly  taught  the  newly  joined, 
and  strengthened  them  to  persevere  in  their  task,  and  to  grow  in  virtue. 

But  finding  himself  reft  of  his  behn-ed  peace,  he  chose  a  tiny  cave  above  the  cavern 
which  he  had  consecrated  for  a  church  under  the  invocation  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  decided 
to  retire  there,  and  to  live  no  longer  among  the  crowd,  aiid  while  he  was  hewing  and  digging 
there  a  heavy  stone,  propelled  by  the  enemy  of  all  good,  fell  and  crushed  the  saint's  hand, 
hurling  him  down  the  precipice :  yet  divine  power  was  quick  to  save  him  unhurt,  and  to 
disarm  the  devil's  spite.  Thus  ho  made  a  house  of  supplication  and  thanksgiving,  and 
shutting  himself  therein  he  fasted  and  prayed  :  and  every  Sunday  he  descended  by  a  ladder 
to  the  monastery  to  teach  his  disciples,  and  lead  them  to  virtue,  and  again  climbed  up  the 
ladder  to  his  cave.  In  this  hermit  life  ho  lived  fifty-five  years,  exercising  himself  in  the 
study  of  the  Scriptures,  and  leaving  no  height  of  virtue  unwon.  Witness  the  sermons 
addressed  by  him  to  his  disciples,  full  of  instruction  and  profit  of  every  kind.  His  %vritings 
filled  sixteen  volumes:  some  of  these  are  still  preserved  in  the  monastery,  and  have  been 
printed,  some  have  yielded  to  the  ravages  of  time,  and  some  to  the  carelessness  of  successive 
abbots. 

Thus  fighting  the  good  fight  of  faith  he  became  a  true  vessel  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
Moreover  it  was  granted  to  him  to  know  when  he  should  depart  to  his  Lord,  and  he  foretold 
his  death  some  days  before  to  his  jiupils  and  followers.  Calling  the  brethren  together  he 
began  to  speak  to  them  of  the  duties  of  the  ascetic  life,  so  that  after  his  departure  they 
should  order  themselves  without  reproach,  keeping  inHexibly  the  rules  he  had  laid  down  for 
them.  He  added  that  after  singing  the  funeral  hymns  they  must  bury  his  body  in  a  tomb 
hewn  by  his  own  hands  in  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  cave,  with  the  grave-clothes  which 
himself  had  woven.  His  last  earnest  command  to  them  was  to  live  in  peace  and  godly  love, 
in  unity  and  brotherly  affection,  hearing  and  obeying  him  whom  they  chose  to  preside  over 
the  monastery,  as  the  rule  and  order  of  the  monastic  life  reciuires,  and  in  no  wise  to  depart 
from  the  plan  laid  down  for  them  in  his  ordinance,  and  praying  for  them  he  commended  his 
spirit  into  the  hands  of  God.  What  mourning  and  wailing  of  his  disciples  and  spiritual 
children,  and  of  those  who  knew  his  more  than  luiinan  labours,  cannot  be  set  down  in  writing, 
and  as  he  bade  them  so  did  they,  and  buried  his  precious  remains  in  the  tomb  whereof  he 
told  them,  with  the  usual  prayers  and  supplications;  and  for  many  nights  they  prolonged 
the  last  rites  to  his  memory.  By  whose  holy  intercession  and  prayers  may  we  all  attain 
salvation  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord,  to  Whom  be  glory,  praise  and  honour  for  ever  and  ever. 
Amen. 


230 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


On  September  28,  1750,  Philotheos  of  Solea  being  Archbishop,  a  monk  cHmbed  up  to  the  cave  in  the 
rock  (which  had  been  consecrated  as  a  church  before  the  lower  monastery  was  built)  and  was  prying 
about  in  its  inmost  recesses.  There  he  lighted  on  some  kind  of  masonry  work,  and  thought  it  hid  a 
treasure.  He  returned  to  the  monastery,  and  watched  the  moment  when  the  fathers  were  all  busy,  then 
took  up  tools  and  began  to  hack  at  the  monument.  The  sanctuary  had  been  rifled  after  the  Tui-kish 
conquest,  and  the  very  place  of  the  saint's  burial  was  forgotten.  He  broke  the  covering  stone,  and 
suddenly  fell  senseless  to  the  ground :  when  he  recovered  he  went  back  to  the  monastery,  and  next  day 
told  the  Prior.  The  monks  went  up,  and  found  a  tomb  containing  a  wooden  cof&n  quite  intact,  and 
within  it  the  body  of  the  saint,  the  skin  still  preserved  and  about  the  middle  the  chain  he  had  worn  as 
a  girdle.  An  ineffably  sweet  smell  exlialed  from  it.  The  Archbishop  was  informed,  and  sent  Ephraim, 
a  schoolmaster,  afterwards  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  and  Paisios,  afterwards  Archbishop,  to  the  place. 
The  remains  were  removed  entire  in  a  new  cofi&n  to  the  lower  monastery,  where  they  are  still  preserved, 
and  work  unfailing  miracles.  (Acolouthia,  ed.  1893,  pp.  34 — 37.) 


The  Turabi  Tekye  in  old  Larnaca,  sometimes  called  S.  Arab,  and  frequented  by  both  Moslem  and 
Christian  worshippers,  preserves  the  memory  of  S.  Therapon.  Michael,  son  of  Chrysanthos,  Archbishop 
of  Cyprus,  published  at  Venice,  in  1801,  the  'AKoXov6la  rod  aylov  Upop,dpTvpoi  OtpdnovTos  rov  davp-arovpyov. 

I  translate  two  accounts  of  his  life  from  the  reprint  published  by  C.  Sathas  in  the  Archives  de  1' Orient 
Latin,  vol.  ii.  1883.  To  the  introduction  to  the  article.  Vies  cles  Saints  Allemands  de  Cliypre,  the  reader 
should  refer. 

October  14.    Commemoration  of  the  holy  martyr  Therapon  the  wonder-woi'ker. 

Thou  hastenest  to  God,  Therapon:  warm  thy  desire. 
Warm  the  drops  of  blood  from  thy  neck ! 
Therapon,  the  arch-sacrificer,  slaying  the  sacred  calf, 
Himself  is  slain,  like  a  calf,  by  the  sword. 

This  saint  was  of  noble  and  pious  parents,  whose  origin  was  in  the  land  of  G-ermany. 
But  from  a  child  he  despised  his  illustrious  birth,  and  all  worldly  things,  and  as  soon  as  he 
learned  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  filled  himself  therewith  he  used  to  frequent  churches, 
reading  daily  the  sacred  books  and  leading  a  simple  life.  As  he  grew  older  he  gave  all  his 
care  to  acquire  virtue  and  to  please  God,  submitting  his  body  to  mortification  and  continence. 

Thus  he  passed  through  all  the  ecclesiastical  degrees,  and  being  conspicuous  by  his 
asceticism  and  godly  learning  upon  the  death  of  the  bishop  of  his  own  country,  by  the 
Divine  grace  and  the  vote  of  his  Christ-loving  flock,  he  was  duly  though  unwillingly  made 
bishop.  He  took  the  helm  and  shone  brightly  forth  in  the  church  of  his  country  to  the 
adornment  of  the  episcopal  office.  An  exact  teacher  of  orthodoxy  he  drew  many  to  Christ, 
and  converted  many  from  various  heresies  to  the  true  and  orthodox  faith. 

And  thus  for  many  years  he  shepherded  his  flock ;  and  when  the  sower  of  tares  stirred 
up  a  truceless  war  forbidding  men  to  worship  the  holy  and  venerable  icons  he  ranged  himself 
stoutly  against  the  iconoclasts,  and  cast  on  them  the  reproach  of  heresy,  atheism  and 
impiety.  But  they  brooking  not  his  insults  tore  the  saint's  flesh  with  their  nails.  Yet  he 
bore  all  with  thankfulness,  and  said  to  those  about  him,  "  I  am  ready  to  be  hacked  limb  from 
limb  for  the  holy  icon  of  my  Christ  and  my  God."  The  wretches  bound  his  hands  and  feet, 
and  cast  him  into  a  dark  dungeon,  and  sealed  the  doors.  But  that  very  night  an  angel  of 
the  Lord  loosed  him  from  his  bonds  and  called  him  thrice,  saying,  "  Make  haste  and  come 


SYNAXARIA. 


231 


forth,  thy  prayer  is  heard,  true  disciple  of  Christ."  On  the  morrow  they  led  him  out,  and 
when  they  found  him  inflexible  they  beat  him  and  drove  him  away.  But  he  said  to  them, 
"  Since  ye  remain  unrepentant,  and  boast  yourselves  presumptuously  against  me,  even  now 
the  wrath  of  God  has  fallen  upon  you,  and  made  half  your  bodies  to  \vither,  that  by  your 
example  the  rest  may  be  wise,"  and  as  he  spake,  as  it  were  lightning  from  heaven  fell  wth 
terrible  thunder  and  left  them  half  withered. 

After  that  divine  manifestation  the  saint  left  the  city  and  went  up  to  worship  at 
Jerusalem.  As  he  was  about  to  set  forth  from  his  country  he  uttered  words  of  thanksgiving 
that  he  left  his  city  which  was  so  populous  and  so  full  of  heresy  now  attached  to  the  opposite 
party. 

He  visited  all  the  holy  places,  and  laying  up  profit  for  himself  he  struck  many  with  awe 
by  his  wonders  and  miracles,  so  that  he  won  fame  as  a  wonder-worker.  For  the  God  of  all 
wonders.  Who  glorifies  them  who  glorify  Him  in  return,  worked  a  truly  great  miracle.  In 
this  very  city  of  Jerusalem,  while  the  saint  was  one  day  walking  about,  there  met  him  a 
Jewish  woman  whose  dead  son  they  were  carrying  forth  for  burial,  and  she  grieved  ex- 
ceedingly. The  saint  pitied  her  and  stretching  out  his  hand  over  the  corpse  said,  "  Arise,  in 
the  name  of  Josus  Christ  Whom  the  lawless  Jews  crucified  under  Pontius  Pilate."  The  words 
restored  him  to  life,  and  the  mother  falling  at  the  feet  of  the  wonder-worker  cried,  "  Regenerate 
by  water  him  thou  hast  raised  up,  and  me  with  him."  And  having  obtained  this  grace  she 
published  to  all  men  the  good  news  of  her  son's  resurj*ection. 

He  stayed  yet  some  while  there,  and  in  the  name  of  Christ  worked  mighty  miracles. 
Then  he  sailed  for  the  famous  island  of  Cyprus.  There  he  was  hospitably  entreated  by  one 
Sosios.  He  was  ill,  and  the  saint  healed  him:  his  wife  lay  for  nine  years  sick  with  a  fever, 
S.  Therapon  took  her  hand  and  raised  her  up  whole.  And  many  others  who  had  divers 
diseases  were  healed  by  the  laying  on  of  the  saint's  hands.  He  stoutly  gainsaid  the  heretical 
Theopaschitai,  whereupon  a  daring  and  arrogant  man  struck  the  bishop  on  the  face.  Some 
days  after  the  heretic  repented  and  souglit  pardon  from  Therapon  for  his  boldness.  But  the 
saint  gave  him  no  pardon  but  sent  him  away,  cursing  him  as  separated  from  the  glory  of 
Christ  in  this  world  and  the  next.  For  he  said  that  he  saw  the  Lord  in  a  vision  in  the  form 
of  a  newborn  babe  shining  with  a  gloiy  greater  tluui  that  of  the  sun,  and  wearing  a  garment 
rent  from  head  to  foot.   And  they  that  rent  His  garment  were  this  heretic  and  his  supporters. 

The  pious  among  the  Cypriots  were  astonished  at  the  great  virtue  of  the  man,  and  their 
Archbishop,  who  learned  by  revelation  all  about  him,  besought  him  earnestly  to  remain  in 
the  island,  that  ho  might  be  for  the  profit  of  many,  and  the  saving  of  their  souls.  He  bade 
him  preside  over  a  church  in  a  part  of  Cyprus  near  the  sea.  There  he  proved  a  most  exact 
teacher  of  orthodoxy,  mild,  charitable,  a  father  to  orphans,  a  champion  of  widows,  a  guide 
of  the  erring,  a  healer  of  the  sick  and  consoler  of  the  oppressed.  You  might  see  all  men 
rejoicing  and  cheered  by  his  forethought  and  justice. 

But  no  long  time  passed  and  Arab  strangers  invaded  Cyprus,  destroyed  many  monasteries 
and  churches  and  ruthlessly  slaughtered  many.  These  persecutors  of  the  orthodox  faith 
seized  the  saint  in  his  church,  and  slew  him  at  the  altar,  whereon  melody  and  songs  of  .spirit- 
powers  hovered  round  the  body  of  the  blessed  Tlierapon.  The  strangeness  whereof  moved 
the  faithful  to  thank  God,  and  struck  the  slayers  with  awe,  and  forced  them  to  repent  of  their 
lawless  daring.  But  the  holy  martyr  was  buried  by  the  faithful  and  inherited  that  endless 
blessedness  which  grows  not  old. 

His  precious  remai)is  were  translated,  it  is  said,  to  the  (ineen  of  cities. 


232 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


May  15. 

A  servant  wast  thou  seen  as  a  sacrificer  of  the  Word : 
By  thy  blood  too,  father,  wast  thou  seen  a  servant. 

Wliere  this  saint  was  born,  or  whence  he  came,  or  of  what  parentage  he  was,  or  of  what 
epoch,  we  cannot  say :  the  memorials  of  him  have  been  destroyed  by  time.  That  he  chose 
the  hfe  of  a  monk  is  proved  by  portraits  which  show  him  under  that  guise.  That  he  was 
a  bishop  among  the  Cypriots,  and  finished  his  fight  and  was  olfered  to  Christ  by  a  bloody 
death,  this  we  have  had  handed  down  to  us  by  old  tradition,  and  as  we  learned  from  the 
unwritten  word  of  our  ancestors  so  we  believe. 

His  precious  remains  were  carried  to  Constantinople  what  time  the  Hagarenes  purposed 
to  invade  the  island  of  Cyprus ;  a  vision  of  the  saint  himself  ordered  the  translation.  And 
the  place  where  now  he  lies  is  a  well-spring  of  constant  miracles. 


HURTREL. 

The  kindness  of  Monsieur  C.  Enlart,  the  distinguished  author  of  Uart  gothique  et  la  renaissance  en 
Cliypre,  2  vols.  8vo,  Paris,  1899,  allows  me  to  print  a  translation  from  his  transcription  of  pp.  103 — 109  of 
an  autograph  manuscript  of  583  pages,  the  work  of  Noel  Dominique  Hurtrel,  of  Arras  in  Artois,  entitled, 
Du  voiage  de  Jerusalem,  preserved  in  the  library  of  Madame  Houzel,  in  her  chateau  d'Ecquemicourt,  Pas 
de  Calais.    The  writer  visited  Cyprus  in  1670. 

Then,  having  (by  Grod's  grace)  got  safe  out  of  this  dangerous  gulf,  we  arrived  at  the 
tovm  of  Cerines  in  Cyprus,  and  there  anchored.  We  saluted  the  castle,  a  square  structure 
which  guards  the  harbour,  and  to  which  the  Turks  retire  for  the  night.  The  town  is  almost 
all  destroyed;  there  are  but  a  few  poor  dwellings  which  the  Greeks  have  built  up  after  their 
own  fashion  on  the  ruins ;  and  here  they  live,  for  they  form  the  greater  part  of  the  population, 
the  Turkish  families  being  few.  The  ruins  which  you  see  bear  witness  that  it  was  once  one 
of  the  chief  towns  of  the  island.  The  harbour  is  of  no  manner  of  use  to  large  vessels,  but  is 
well  enough  for  smaller  craft.  We  were  told  that  of  the  other  ports  of  the  island  there  was 
only  the  port  of  Larnaca,  otherwise  called  Salines,  which  gave  a  fitting  anchorage  to  vessels 
of  all  kinds,  and  thither  all  the  merchantmen  went  for  cargo.  The  name  Salines  was  given 
to  it  on  account  of  the  great  quantity  of  salt  made  there  and  sent  to  the  nearest  towns. 

In  the  middle  of  the  island  is  a  pretty  large  town  called  Nicosia,  the  circuit  of  which  we 
heard  might  be  reckoned  at  three  long  miles.  It  stands  in  a  vast  plain  which  the  natives 
called  Messaree,  and  is  encompassed  by  twelve  fine  bastions,  but  the  Turks  allow  them  to  fall 
into  decay  by  their  carelessness  about  repairing  the  walls,  and  by  allovdng  the  fosses  to  get 
filled  up.  But  for  this,  you  may  visit  many  places  without  seeing  such  well-ordered  bastions 
and  defences.  We  entered  by  the  gate  of  Cerines,  and  with  three  Greeks  went  to  see  the 
church  of  S.  Sophia,  all  built  with  cut  stone:  it  is  a  large  and  very  fine  building.  No 
Christian  is  allowed  to  enter  it,  and  we  had  to  content  ourselves  vvdth  seeing  the  outside,  for 
the  Turks  use  it  as  their  principal  mosque.  It  stands  just  as  the  Venetians  left  it.  Above 
the  portal  are  carved  some  arms,  said  to  be  those  of  Lusignan,  Jerusalem  and  Cyprus,  and 
even  those  of  the  Republic  of  Venice,  with  an  inscription  graven  on  the  stone  "  Pax  tibi 
Marce  Evangelista  "  on  a  scroll  issuing  from  the  mouth  of  the  lion  which  S.  Mark  has  by  his 


SYNAXAIIIA.  HURTREL 


233 


side.  'I'here  is  a  palace  too  to  be  seen  where  the  Pasha  has  his  residence ;  it  stands  opposite 
to  a  large  square,  wherein  is  a  pyramid,  and  every  Friday  the  Turks  learn  horsemanship. 
We  were  told  that  the  kings  of  Cyprus  lived  in  this  palace:  in  size  and  height  it  is  a  fine 
structure.  Above  the  entrance  are  the  arms  of  the  House  of  Lusignan,  and  those  of  Savoy, 
set  in  many  fine  devices.  The  other  houses  in  the  city  inhabited  by  the  Turks  are  generally 
of  good  cut  stone,  built,  we  were  told,  by  the  Venetians,  and  the  streets  are  wide  and 
handsome.  The  htmses  are  set  in  beautiful  gardens,  well  planted,  chiefly  with  the  palms 
which  bear  dates.  There  is  a  French  Consul  who  lives  at  Lamica,  to  clear  the  vessels  which 
come  from  Marseille  and  other  French  ports.  We  had  not  the  honour  of  paying  our  respects 
to  him,  as  he  had  gone  to  Famagusta,  and  on  this  acctjunt  we  were  unable  to  see  what  else 
was  curious  in  the  island. 

As  to  the  circuit  of  Cyprus,  it  is  very  ditticult  to  arrive  at  the  truth,  because  of  the 
eccentric  way  its  many  headlands  thrust  themselves  out  into  the  sea.  Its  length  is  about 
that  of  Crete,  but  it  is  at  least  three  times  as  long  as  it  is  broad :  and  seamen  tell  me  it  may 
measure  about  440  miles  round.    If  you  reckoned  the  capes  and  bays  it  would  be  630. 

'{'he  (ireeks  and  other  Christian  inhabitants  cainiot  l»e  but  poor  on  account  of  the  ill- 
treatment  and  tyranny  which  they  sufl'er  from  the  Turks  in  their  persons  and  property. 
Three  Greeks  who  were  of  our  company  when  we  went  to  see  the  church  of  S.  Sophia  at 
Nicosia  told  us  that  they  paid,  each  of  theni,  as  their  annual  tribute  eight  piastres,  or  twenty- 
four  florins  of  our  French  money.  Hesides  this  payini-nt  they  are  obliged  still  to  give  to  their 
Governor,  whom  they  call  Espais  [Sipahi  ?]  the  fifth  part  of  what  income  they  have ;  and  yet 
again  if  it  is  known  that  they  have  anything  over  at  the  end  of  the  year,  it  is  taken  from 
them  by  force.  No  wcjnder  that  they  are  very  poor,  and  have  .scarcely  bread  to  eat  the 
whole  year  through.  V^ery  many  of  them,  unable  to  bear  any  longer  this  cruel  tyranny, 
wish  to  turn  Turk;  but  many  are  rejected,  because  (say  their  lords)  in  receiving  them  into 
the  Moslem  faith  their  tribute  would  be  so  much  diminishe<l. 

Now  having  seen  a  part  of  the  things  most  worthy  of  notice  in  the  island,  and  having 
noted  its  rareties,  we  ret\irned  from  Nicosia  to  Cerines,  thanking  thes(>  three  civil  Greeks, 
and  making  each  of  them  a  small  gift  of  money. 

[They  sail  from  Cerines  on  Sept.  2,  and  are  chased  by  a  corsair  who  drives  them  into 
the  port  of]  Limassau,  a  town  built  on  the  seashore,  where  there  is  a  fort  with  cannon  to 
prevent  the  corsairs,  whether  Turk  or  ('hristian,  carrying  off  the  merchantmen.  We  stayed 
here  six  hours.  No  vessel  is  allowed  to  stay  more  than  twelve  without  paying  the  port  dues 
of  122  piastres.  It  cannot  even  take  a  barrel  of  water,  or  ship  any  goods,  unless  it  has  paid 
this  sum,  which  is  the  ordinary  ta.\  exacted  from  ships  which  anclior  there. 


0. 


30 


234 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


RICAUT. 

A  small  volume,  entitled  Tlie  present  state  of  the  Greek  and  Armenian  Clmrches,  Anno  Christi  1678, 
was  "  written,  at  the  command  of  his  Majesty  "  Charles  II.,  by  Paul  Bicaut,  Esquire,  late  Consul  at 
Smyrna,  and  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Society,  and  printed  at  London,  in  12mo,  1679. 

I  transcribe  from  pp.  89 — 95  an  account  of  the  church  in  Cyprus ;  and  from  pp.  212 — 215  a  note  on 
the  longevity  of  the  monks  of  Kykkou. 

The  Island  of  Cyprus  was  in  its  ecclesiastical  government  subjected  once  to  tlie  Patriarch 
of  Antioch,  but  afterwards  by  the  Council  of  Bphesus  as  canon  the  eighth,  and  the  same 
again  confirmed  by  the  grace  and  favour  of  Justinian  the  Emperour  (whose  mother  was 
a  Cypriot  by  birth)  this  church  was  made  absolute  and  independent  of  any  other,  and 
a  priviledge  given  to  Anthemius,  the  Archbishop  in  that  age,  to  subscribe  his  name  to  all 
publick  acts  in  red  letters,  which  was  an  honour  above  that  of  any  Patriarch,  who  writes  his 
name  or  firm  in  black  characters,  the  which  was  afterwards  confirmed  by  the  authority  of 
Zeno  the  Emperour:  this  favour  and  indulgence  was  granted  in  honour  to  the  apostle 
Barnaby,  who  primarily  governed  this  diocess,  where  now  his  sepulcher  remains.  The 
Archbishoprick,  during  the  time  that  it  \tos  under  the  Duke  of  Savoy  and  the  Republick  of 
Venice,  was  the  mother  of  32  Bishopricks,  but  now  by  the  oppression  and  violence  of  the 
Turks  hath  been  reduced  to  one  Archbishoprick  and  three  Bishopricks.  The  first  hath  its 
cathedral  church  at  Nicosia,  and  receives  its  revenue  from  Famagosta,  Carpasi  and  Tamasea, 
which  are  immediately  subject  thereunto.  The  Bishopricks  are  first,  that  of  Pafo,  and 
Arsenoia  or  Ai"sinoe.  The  second  that  of  Cyti,  and  Amathunta  anciently  Cetium  or  Citium 
and  Amathusia.    The  third  that  of  Cerinia  and  Solea.... 

This  island  before  it  was  taken  by  the  Turks  contained  14  thousand  villages :  but  after 
a  rebellion  they  made  against  the  Turk,  anno  1580  and  1593,  the  greatest  part  of  the 
inhabitants  were  either  killed  or  exterminated :  to  which  the  grievous  pestilence  which 
succeeded  in  the  year  1624  added  so  irreparable  a  desolation  that  of  the  14  thousand  villages 
there  remain  not  700  at  this  present  time. 

The  Archbishop  of  this  Island  in  this  year  1678  is  named  Hilarion,  and  sirnamed  Cicala, 
created  and  promoted  to  this  dignity  in  the  year  1674,  a  learned  man  and  well  skilled  in  the 
Greek  and  Latine  tongues.  His  revenue  or  maintenance  arises  from  the  churches  of 
Famagosta,  Carpasi  and  Tamasea,  according  to  the  ecclesiastical  endowments :  but  from  the 
villages  he  receives  nothing,  unless  at  the  visits  which  he  makes  twice  a  year.  Some 
collection  is  made  of  corn,  oyl,  wine  and  other  fruits  in  the  nature  of  tythes,  but  rather  by 
way  of  presents  and  free  will  offerings  than  of  duties.  From  the  Monasteries  he  receives 
a  certain  annual  income  or  rent,  according  to  the  abilities  and  possessions  thereof  and  from 
every  papa  or  priest  a  dollar  yearly  per  head.  All  which  will  scarce  maintain  a  Patriarch, 
or  yield  him  other  than  a  poor  livelihood.  For  when  a  Patriarch  is  first  constituted  a  purse 
of  money  or  500  dollars  is  exacted  and  paid  to  the  Pasha,  and  as  much  more  to  the  Jani- 
saries,  besides  the  ordinary  growing  charges,  which  are  yearly  about  2500  dollars.  For  to 
the  Pasha  every  three  months  are  paid  166  dollars;  and  to  the  Janisary,  which  is  set  for 
a  guard  to  the  Patriarch,  20  or  25  dollars,  as  he  thinks  fit  to  agree :  also  upon  the  coming  of 


IlICAUT. 


a  new  Kadi  there  is  always  a  new  expeiice,  who  commands  what  he  pleases  in  money  or 
presents ;  so  that  with  these  taxes  and  exactions  the  church  is  always  harassed  and  made 
poor. 

The  Bishop  of  Pafo,  named  at  present  Leontius,  who  hath  the  city  of  Arsiuoia  under  his 
jurisdiction,  gathers  his  maintenance  after  the  manner  of  the  Archbishop.  Pafo  was 
anciently  a  p(jrt  of  good  fame  and  renown  and  is  so  at  present;  from  whence  is  yearly 
shipped  off  a  considerable  quantity  of  cottons,  silks  and  other  merchandise :  but  by  the 
oppression  and  hard  usage  of  the  'I'lirks,  and  the  covetousness  of  the  officers,  is  reduced  to 
poverty  and  want  of  people. 

The  second  diocess  governed  hy  the  Bishop  is  that  of  Cetiuiii,  or  after  the  vulgar  Cyti, 
hath  under  its  government  the  city  of  Ijimesou,  Cilau,  Amathunta  and  another  city  anciently 
a  diocess  adjoined  to  it,  called  Cyrion  :  of  which  place  one  Cosma  was  Bishop  some  few  years 
past,  a  person  of  good  ingenuity  and  learning,  born  at  Tunis  in  Africa,  his  father  of 
Thessalonica,  and  his  mother  of  Cyprus,  with  whom  having  some  acquaintance,  I  had  the 
opportunity  to  make  these  collections  relating  to  the  state  and  condition  of  that  place. 

The  third  diocess  is  of  Corinia,  the  liislio|)'s  name  at  present  Leontius,  having  three  cities 
under  it,  viz.  Solea,  Pantesia  and  Marathusa,  the  wliicli  is  governed  and  maintained  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  other  diocesses. 

(Pp.  212 — 214.)  Many  of  this  sort  of  peoi)l('  (Kdhnrcs)  are  longlived  in  regard  they  are 
temperate  in  eating  and  drinking,  and  ever  unacipiainted  with  women.  1  once  knew  one 
of  them  who  was  an  a.TravZ6xo<:  of  a  monastery  in  ('yprus  called  IlaKayta  toC  Kvkkov  Mapada'cru? 
T^9  A«vKtt9,  whereunto  belonged  200  Kaloires,  he  told  nie  that  he  was  119  years  of  age;  and 
the  better  to  assure  me  tliat  he  was  not  mistaken  in  his  calculate  he  confidently  affirmed  that 
he  remembered  the  taking  of  Cyprus  by  the  Turk,  when  the  channels  of  his  town  ran  with 
blood,  which  according  to  history  may  be  about  the  space  of  107  years  past,  and  at  that 
time  he  conceived  that  hi;  might  iuive  been  about  12  years  of  age,  when  he  remembers  that 
the  cruel  soldiers  Vjloodily  massacring  all  persons  which  met  them  in  their  fury  his  mother 
defended  him  from  violence;  for  having  the  fortune  to  meet  with  a  soldier  more  flexible  then 
the  rest  she  fell  on  the  body  of  this  her  son,  and  by  her  prayers  and  tears  prevailed  to  rescue 
him  from  death:  in  commemoration  of  which  deliverance  she  afterwards  dedicated  him  to 
the  service  of  God  speedily  entering  him  into  the  order  of  Kaloires;  he  never  remembers  to 
have  eaten  flesh;  his  father  lived  but  to  80  years  of  age,  but  his  grandfather  to  158. 


ao— 2 


236 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


VAN  BRUYN. 

Coi-nelis  van  Bruyn,  a  Dutchman,  native  of  the  Hague,  left  that  city  on  October  1,  1674.  His  travels 
covered  many  parts  of  Asia  Minor,  the  islands  and  cities  of  the  Levant,  Egypt,  Syria,  and  Palestine. 

On  April  19, 1683,  he  arrived  at  Larnaca  from  Alexandretta,  and  wandered  about  Cyprus  until  May  26, 
when  he  left  for  Smyrna  and  Venice.  There  he  resided  nearly  eight  years,  returning  to  the  Hague  on 
Marcli  10,  1693.  His  voyages,  in  Dutch,  were  published  at  Delft  in  1698,  translated  into  French,  and 
"  done  into  English  by  W.  T.,"  London,  1702.  The  extracts,  here  translated  afresh,  are  from  pp.  373—388 
of  the  fine  folio  edition  printed  by  G.  Cavelier,  Paris,  1714. 

On  the  morning  of  Easter  Day,  April  18,  1683,  we  saw  the  island  of  Cyprus.  After  mid- 
day the  wind  freshened,  and  in  the  evening  we  were  abreast  of  Cape  S.  Andre.  The  19th 
we  saw  Famagusta,  and  sailing  briskly  past  Cape  della  Greca  or  S.  Nappa,  about  three  in 
the  afternoon  we  anchored  before  Salina.  I  landed  and  went  to  Larnica  or  Larnacho,  about 
a  mile  inland.  There  we  went  straight  to  the  house  of  Balthasar  Sovan,  the  French  Consul, 
charged  also  vnth  the  Consulates  of  England  and  Holland.  I  made  ready  at  once  to  see  the 
island,  and  hiring  two  mules,  with  a  man  who  knew  the  countiy,  left  Larnica  at  daybreak, 
April  22.  Two  hours  later  we  arrived  at  the  town  of  Piela,  where  we  found  the  remains  of 
a  large  building,  and  four  small  churches  in  the  old  style ;  a  stream  runs  from  the  neighbouring 
mountains  and  supplies  the  town  perennially  with  water.  Beyond  Piela  we  passed  several 
other  towns  and  villages,  and  some  small  churches  of  no  importance,  and  about  noon  we 
reached  a  village  Spigliotissa,  where  I  was  to  stay,  close  to  Famagusta.  In  the  afternoon 
I  went  with  two  Greeks  to  see  the  outside  of  Famagusta,  but  as  I  got  too  near  the  Tui'ks 
shouted  to  me  from  the  walls  to  retire.  I  had  to  obey,  and  turning  down  to  the  seashore  sat 
down  on  a  little  eminence  to  sketch  the  city  as  carefully  as  possible. 

The  next  morning  I  returned  to  the  city,  which  I  had  been  unable  to  examine  from  the 
landside  on  the  previous  day.  Nearly  a  third  of  it  faces  the  sea,  and  the  circuit  must  be 
quite  half  a  league.  It  has  two  gates,  one  on  the  landside,  another  looking  seawards.  The 
ramparts,  which  are  nearly  perfect,  are  surrounded  by  a  dry  ditch,  of  considerable  depth 
and  cut  in  the  rock.  They  are  said  to  have  been  built  after  the  fashion  of  those  of  Rhodes, 
but  are  very  far  behind  them  in  beauty  and  magnificence.  The  mosque  called  S.  Sophia 
seems  very  fine  :  it  must  indeed  be  as  grand  as  its  reputation.  The  pointed  tower  which 
crowns  the  building  is  highly  ornamental.  On  the  left  of  it  is  another  mosque  whose  dome 
makes  it  very  conspicuous.  One  can  see  the  holes  left  by  the  cannon  balls:  half  the  church 
was  destroyed  in  the  siege. 

The  harbour  lies  along  the  walls  of  the  fort.  Its  entrance  is  so  narrow  that  vessels  are 
obliged  to  take  in  their  anchors,  and  galleys  their  oars.  The  Turks  guard  the  city  so 
jealously  that  no  stranger  is  allowed  to  set  foot  in  it,  except  perhaps  when  his  Consul  comes 
to  salute  the  Pasha,  who  visits  it  occasionally  with  his  galleys.  Even  the  G-reek  inhabitants 
of  the  island  dare  not  approach  the  ramparts,  or  if  caught  they  run  the  risk  of  being  forced 
to  become  Musalmans. 

There  are  five  villages  round  the  city,  some  of  them  pleasantly  situated  among  trees. 
There  is  much  silk,  and  the  trees  are  chiefly  the  white  mulberry  which  give  food  to  the  silk- 
worms.   The  yield  is  about  eight  thousand  okes,  or  twenty  thousand  Dutch  pounds. 

On  returning  to  Spigliotissa  I  was  taken  to  see  a  subterranean  church  of  the  same  name. 


VAN  BRUYN. 


237 


One  enters  it  by  twenty-four  steps.  These,  and  the  church  itself,  are  cut  in  the  rock.  There 
is  a  well,  and  a  chamber  with  traces  of  ancient  paintings. 

Soon  after  mid-day  we  started  again,  passed  a  little  village  and  saw  presently  a  bridge 
of  eleven  arches  called  Jestiery  de  Trapese,  and  passing  several  other  villages  we  arrived  at 
nightfall  at  Cytheria,  called  perhaps  after  the  goddess  of  love.  There  too  is  the  Fountain  of 
Venus.  We  left  the  next  day,  taking  with  us  some  villagers  chosen  specially  to  show  us 
a  certain  place  in  the  mountain  where  are  seen  bones  of  men  and  animals  incorporated  in 
the  rock,  which  hold  there  together  in  a  .state  of  petrifaction. 

While  I  was  at  Larnaca  the  Consul  had  strongly  recommended  me  to  go  to  see  this 
place,  and  as  I  expected  to  find  something  important  I  had  brought  with  us  hammers  and 
scissors.  I  partly  accomplished  my  pui-pose,  for  I  extracted  some  of  these  bones  from  the 
rock.  The  chief  was  a  bone  which  I  took  to  be  the  radius  of  a  man's  arm.  It  was  imbedded 
so  firmly  in  the  rock  that  it  took  us  two  hours  to  get  it  out,  and  despite  all  our  efforts  to 
preserve  it  whole,  the  rock  itself  broke  and  tiie  bom-  with  it.  This  after  all  was  an  advantage, 
for  the  fracture  alhnved  us  to  see  the  marrow  plainly  defined.  1  carried  it  off  carefully 
wrapped  in  cotton.  On  the  same  spot  I  found  plenty  of  fragments  just  hidden  by  the  earth ; 
some  were  human  bones,  others  those  of  beasts,  and  some  teeth  of  surprising  size.  All  round 
the  rock  were  candle-ends.  I  guessed  the  place  was  held  in  veneration,  and  found  indeed 
that  the  Greeks  came  there  occasionally  to  pray,  believing  perhaps  that  some  of  their  saints 
may  be  buried  there.  I  carried  off"  !nj'  spoils,  and  noticed  that  the  pieces  which  had  been 
covered  with  soil  were  not  so  nnich  peti-ified  as  the  bone  1  had  extracted  from  the  rock.  It 
was  late  before  we  left  the  place,  and  we  were  obliged  to  pa.ss  the  night  in  a  village  close 
at  hand.  I  may  mention  that  from  a  hill  a  few  miles  from  Nicosia  I  brought  away  some 
petrified  oysters,  full  of  sand  (as  a  live  oyster  might  be  of  water).  The  shells  are  fitted  close 
together,  and  on  opening  them  you  .see  the  oyster  as  clearly  defined  on  each  shell  as  though 
it  were  graven  on  it.    'J'he  shells  themselves  are  petrified. 

Soon  after  leaving  Cytheria  we  came  to  a  fountain  called  Cefalofriso  (spring-head).  It 
lies  under  a  hill  and  disperses  itself  in  several  directions.  The  water  falls  first  into  an  oval 
basin,  and  with  such  swiftness  that  it  eddies  round  and  round. 

At  noon  we  reached  the  convent  of  S.  Chrysostom,  and  saw  on  a  mountain  near  it  the 
remains  of  a  very  large  building.  I  started  with  three  othei-s  to  examine  it.  But  we  were 
not  yet  half  way  when  the  Greek  whom  1  had  taken  from  Larnica  was  too  tired  to  go  on — 
the  hill  is  very  steep — but  the  other  two,  one  was  from  the  village  where  we  had  slept,  the 
other  from  the  convent,  remained  with  me.  Hut  we  were  obliged  to  rest  and  take  breath 
a  dozen  times.  The  ascent  is  as  difficult  and  tlangerous  as  I  have  t'ver  made.  The  greater 
part  of  the  time  we  had  to  climb  with  our  hands  as  well  as  our  feet,  and  whichever  way  we 
turned  our  gaze  we  saw  only  what  made  our  hair  stand  on  end.  We  took  an  hour  and  a  half 
to  reach  the  top.  There  one  sees  only  the  live  rock,  a  number  of  ruined  chambi-rs,  and  large 
stone-built  reservoirs.  It  must  have  been  a  huge  building,  witli  many  rooms  huilt  at  difFerent 
levels.  The  sea  is  visible  on  all  sides  but  one,  and  most  of  tlu-  island.  The  view  of  Nicosia, 
with  numy  villages  scattered  over  the  plain,  is  very  striking. 

We  returned  to  the  convent,  which  I  di-ew  as  well  as  the  mountain  and  its  buildings. 
The  former  is  fairly  large,  surrounded  l)y  a  good  wall,  and  contains  some  few  nxmis  of 
modern  style,  rebuilt  after  the  destruction,  not  long  ago,  of  a  great  part  of  the  edifice  by  fire. 
The  church  is  in  two  parts,  48  feet  long  and  28  wide.  Under  a  little  dome  is  a  large  half- 
length  painting  of  Christ,  and  all  round  other  figures,  nearly  all  faded.  Kight  columns 
built  into  the  wall  support  the  dome.    The  altar  is  adorned  with  much  foliage  and  gilding. 


238 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


done  five  years  ago.  A  princess  is  buried  in  the  church,  the  same,  they  say,  who  built  the 
edifice  whose  ruins  we  saw  on  the  top  of  the  mountain.  Two  of  her  slaves  are  buried  with 
her,  one  on  either  side.  Fourteen  steps  take  one  to  the  top  of  the  church,  and  to  a  grotto  in 
which  it  is  said  that  the  Turks  found  a  large  coffer  full  of  gold.  In  the  cloister  is  a  small 
ruined  chapel.  The  room  used  as  a  kitchen  is  thirty-six  feet  long  and  eighteen  broad.  The 
convent  is  ruled  by  a  Father-Guardian,  who  has  under  him  three  priests  and  eleven  monks. 
Within  the  cloister  is  a  small  garden  with  a  few  orange  trees.  I  must  not  forget  to  say  why 
the  convent  was  built.  The  princess  who  is  buried  in  it  lived  in  the  building  on  the  summit 
of  the  mountain  for  better  protection  against  the  violence  of  the  Templars  who  at  that  time 
strove  to  be  lords  everywhere.  Besides  this  source  of  disquiet  it  was  her  misfortune  to  be 
afflicted  with  a  kind  of  ulcer  or  mange.  A  little  dog,  which  she  loved  passionately,  and 
which  never  left  her,  caught  it,  but  as  soon  as  it  felt  itself  attacked  by  the  disease,  it  went 
every  day  down  the  hill  and  remained  away  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  while  so  doing  it  got 
visibly  better.  It  was  watched  and  seen  to  bathe  in  a  spring  close  by.  The  princess,  seeing 
the  effect  on  her  little  dog,  resolved  to  try  the  remedy  for  herself,  and  with  such  success  that 
in  a  few  days  she  was  freed  from  the  disease  and  restored  to  her  former  health.  To  show 
her  gratitude  to  God  she  caused  this  convent  to  be  built  for  Greek  monks,  and  called  it  after 
S.  Chrysostom,  under  whose  protection  she  placed  it.  It  still  keeps  the  name  and  the 
fountain  its  virtue,  for  every  day  several  persons  come  to  bathe  there,  and,  they  say,  find 
a  cure. 

About  two  hours  before  nightfall  we  resumed  our  journey,  and  passing  in  front  of  the 
mountain  where  I  had  found  the  petrified  bones  arrived  at  dark  at  a  village  called  Voenos, 
or  S.  Romanus  from  a  church  of  that  name.  I  went  to  the  house  of  a  Greek  priest  and  slept 
there.  Our  supper  was  very  frugal,  for  Greek  clerics  are  generally  so  poor  that  they  have 
scarcely  the  wherewithal  to  live. 

The  next  morning  we  journeyed  towards  the  convent  called  De  la  Paix,  said  to  have 
been  built  by  the  Templars.  The  road  is  carried  with  great  difficulty  across  the  mountain : 
at  last  one  sees  close  to  one  the  convent  pleasantly  situated  in  a  wood,  orange  trees,  olives, 
palms  and  other  fruit  trees  surround  it,  and  above  them  all  towers  a  very  tall  cypress.  In 
the  distance  is  seen  the  village  of  Sternia,  and  close  by  it,  on  the  shore,  a  fine  old  castle. 
Some  mountains  lie  in  the  background. 

The  entrance  gate  is  remarkably  high,  quite  the  height  of  eight  men,  and  nine  palms 
thick.  It  is  a  kind  of  fortress  in  itself,  and  is  pretty  well  entire.  Passing  this  gate  you  turn 
to  the  left,  and  about  twenty  paces  further  on  pass  a  second  gate.  On  its  cornices  are  carved 
in  marble  three  different  coats  of  arms. 

To  the  right  of  this  gate  you  mount  twenty-seven  steps,  nearly  all  ruinous.  Descending 
again,  you  go  to  the  left,  and  see  the  remains  of  rooms.  Next  you  cross  a  large  open  space 
where  are  a  few  trees,  and  twenty-eight  paces  further  on  come  to  a  building  composed  of 
four  great  arcades,  to  the  left  of  which  is  a  fine  square  apartment,  now  unroofed ;  again  you 
pass  through  another  room  and  enter  the  cloister,  a  quadrangle  of  great  beauty  and  dignity, 
and  as  fair  and  whole  as  if  it  were  but  just  finished.  Between  the  two  first  columns  at  the 
entrance  of  the  garden  there  is  a  fine  marble  cistern.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  tomb  and  carved 
around  it  is  a  wreath  which  a  little  child  on  either  side  holds  up  with  both  hands,  one  of  the 
children  is  somewhat  injured,  and  the  other  is  headless,  and  in  other  parts  the  tomb  is 
mutilated.  Round  it  are  six  lions'  heads,  two  on  each  of  the  longer  sides,  and  one  on  the 
narrower.  At  each  of  the  corners  is  the  head  of  a  young  ox,  all  in  low  relief,  and  of  fair 
execution.    The  passage  in  which  the  stone  stands  is  112  feet  long,  and  48  wide.    The  vault 


VAN  BRUTO 


239 


on  the  garden  side  is  upheld  by  eighteen  pillars  set  in  order  in  the  middle,  each  of  them  is 
32  palms  thick.  The  capitals  are  Corinthian:  the  columns  tliemsclves  of  fair  height.  They 
make  a  kind  of  arcade,  leaving  wide  spaces,  through  which  you  enter  the  garden,  between 
one  column  and  the  next.  The  ornaments  of  the  arcades  are  all  broken,  but  you  can  see 
their  style.  The  inner  side  is  an  unbroken  wall,  and  there  are  full  sixteen  feet  between  it 
and  the  columns.  A  door  on  the  left  leads  into  a  fine  room,  which  looks  newly  built,  with 
six  large  windows  giving  a  pleasant  view  of  the  sea.  It  is  ninety  feet  long  bj-^  thirty-two 
wide.  It  has  a  fine  arched  vault  supported  by  fourteen  pillars,  seven  on  each  of  the  longer 
sides,  and  is  closed  at  each  end  by  an  unbroken  wall.  Notice  the  pulpit.  Two  rooms  beyond 
are  in  ruins.  Then  one  can  mount  thirty-six  steps  to  a  great  passage  full  of  wild  plants,  and 
seventeen  more  to  reach  the  roof  of  the  great  hall,  and  again  twenty  to  the  top  of  the  convent 
walls.  One  sees  other  rooms,  mostly  ruined :  the  view  both  towards  the  sea  and  landwards 
is  very  fine.  I  came  down  to  the  vestibule  of  the  convent,  and  then  descending  on  the  left 
a  flight  of  twenty-one  steps  came  to  a  room  32  feet  broad  and  66  long,  with  a  well  V>uilt  vault 
upheld  in  the  middle  by  two  jjillars,  three  times  the  height  of  a  man.  One  might  fancj'  it  all 
built  five  or  six  years  ago.  Beycmd  is  another  roouj  of  the  same  style,  and  outside  a  little 
court  through  which  you  pass  to  the  door  of  the  church.  It  has  a  fine  entrance  gate,  with 
walls  adorned  with  mosaic,  fatally  damaged.  I  noticed  also  a  large  stone  with  letters  of  so 
strange  a  form  that  1  could  make  (jut  neither  words  nor  sense.  The  church,  excluding  the 
choir,  is  about  60  feet  long  and  46  broad.  In  the  middle  are  four  pillars  of  ordinary  stone 
and  of  fair  height.  The  walls  ai-e  adorned  with  six  or  seven  ancient  i)aintiiigs.  Beyond  the 
choir  is  another  room.  It  is  indeed  a  pity  that  this  convent  is  not  inhabited,  for  it  is  rich  in 
conveniences,  and  the  site  is  as  pleasant  a  one  as  could  be  found.  The  village,  which  consists 
of  very  few  houses,  is  called  Casafain".  Sternia,  with  the  castle  of  wliich  I  spoke,  is  but  three 
Italian  miles  from  the  convent. 

About  three  o'clock  we  remounted,  and  following  nearly  the  same  track  over  the  hill, 
we  reached  the  plain,  and  in  the  evening  Nicosia,  after  passing  several  villages. 

In  the  morning,  the  sixth  day  of  our  excursion,  I  went  to  see  the  city.  I  found  many 
fine  buildings,  palaces  almost,  but  little  inhabited  and  worse  cared  for.  Four  ancient  churches, 
used  by  the  Turks  as  mosques,  are  in  good  condition.  S.  Sophia,  the  principal,  is  large,  larger 
than  the  church  of  the  same  nanu'  at  Famagusta,  and  architecturally  very  beautiful.  It  has 
three  doors,  a  fine  portal  marks  the  chief  entrance.  The  vault  and  its  arches  rest  on  sixteen 
columns.  There  are  the  remains  of  one  ancient  tower,  and  another  recently  built  or  at  least 
of  a  modern  style.  No  Christian  may  enter  the  building,  but  they  may  approach  it  and 
examine  it  fnnn  outside  as  much  as  they  will.  Close  l)y  is  another  fine  l)uildiiig,  almost 
entire,  with  a  vault  resting  on  two  colunnis.  I  think  it  was  formerly  a  church :  now  it  is 
a  bazar  or  market.  There  are  other  ancient  remains,  but  the  city  is  of  no  importance,  and 
the  liouscs  gcnerjiliy  commonplace.  The  wall  is  low,  but  nearly  entire,  the  ramparts  in- 
significant, with  three  gates.  There  are  cannons  lying  about,  dismounted  and  unused.  The 
Greeks  have  their  own  quarters.  Outside  the  city  are  many  palm  trees.  Silk  .stuffs  and 
very  good  dimities  are  made  there. 

Soon  after  noon  we  left  Nicosia.  The  mountain  in  wliicli  ;ii-c  the  petrified  oysters  is 
near  Nicosia,  but  at  some  distance  from  tiie  high-road.  Our  ro:nl  lay  through  hills  and 
several  villages,  and  we  passed  a  large  s(iuare  building  the  circuit  of  whose  walls  is  yet 
visible.    At  last  we  came  to  a  small  church  and  reached  Larnica  at  sunset. 

After  a  rest  we  went  to  Chiti.  This  once  famous  place  now  consists  of  a  few  wretched 
houses.   Some  people  pretend  tluit  it  was  the  first  home  of  the  goddess  Venus:  others  say  the 


240 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


same  of  Baffa,  anciently  called  Paphos ;  when  rising  from  the  sea  which  gave  her  birth  she 
touched  land,  that  land  was  Cyprus ;  hence  her  name  Cypris. 

Chiti  long  held  the  rank  of  a  Barony.  There  still  remains  part  of  some  great  ancient 
building,  and  near  it  a  well,  very  old  and  very  deep :  there  is  water  in  it  now.  Its  beauty 
gives  one  an  idea  of  the  grandeur  of  the  edifice  to  which  it  belonged.  The  surroundings  are 
pleasant,  thickly  planted  with  orange  and  lemon  trees;  but  the  land  is  uncultivated  and 
overgrown.  Anyone  who  took  a  little  interest  in  the  place  and  made  his  home  there  could 
easily  create  an  earthly  Paradise.  The  shade  and  scent  of  the  trees  allured  us  to  stay  and 
dine  there.  Then  we  rode  back  over  a  pleasant  plain  a  league  and  a  half  to  Larnica,  passing 
the  Salines  or  Saltpans.  The  collection  was  in  hand,  and  we  saw  little  water  and  several 
heaps  of  salt,  daily  won  from  the  lake. 

Near  the  Salines  is  a  mosque  which  the  Turks  state  to  be  the  grave  of  Mina,  mother  of 
their  prophet  Mahomet.  The  sepulchre  is  enclosed  by  three  huge  stones,  two  of  them  upright, 
and  the  third  resting  on  them  above.  The  first  two  are  thirteen  palms  broad,  and  at  least  as 
high  again.  But  the  stone  is  covered  with  lime,  and  can  no  longer  be  seen.  Nothing  else 
occurs  worthy  of  note  till  we  get  to  Larnica,  of  which  we  must  say  something. 

It  is  just  an  ordinary  village  with  an  old  church  and  tower,  and  some  remains  of  an 
ancient  town.  The  European  merchants,  all  of  them  Frenchmen,  live  there.  Now  and  then 
you  might  find  a  stranger  among  them :  an  Englishman  came  to  settle  during  my  stay.  They 
have  their  stores  near  the  Salines  or  Saltpans  by  the  seaside,  just  where  vessels  anchor. 
There  too  is  a  small  church  dedicated  to  S.  Lazarus.  The  saint's  tomb  is  shown  under- 
ground, but  the  sepulchre  itself  has  been  long  since  broken  up  by  visitors  who  wished  to  carry 
away  some  relic.  The  monks  on  the  spot  say  that  after  S.  Lazarus  was  delivered  from  the 
hands  of  the  Jews  he  came  to  Cyprus,  where  he  was  made  a  bishop  by  the  apostles  who  came 
there  later,  and  that  after  the  zealous  labours  of  thirty  years,  he  died  and  was  buried  here, 
but  that  his  body  was  transported  later  to  Constantinople  and  then  to  Marseille,  where  it  is 
said  still  to  rest. 

I  could  not  make  the  tour  of  the  island,  nor  visit  every  part  of  it,  but  I  must  not  fail  to 
set  down  what  Cypriots  and  others  who  have  resided  long  in  it  told  me.  Let  antiquaries 
judge  if  their  accounts  agree  or  no  with  the  teachings  of  geography. 

It  is  clear  that  if  we  consult  the  ancient  geographers,  as  Strabo,  Scylax,  Ptolemaeus, 
touching  the  ancient  cities  of  Cyprus  we  shall  find  that  their  names  and  number  differ  widely 
from  those  given  by  the  present  inhabitants.  But  we  must  allow  for  what  often  happens, 
that  with  the  change  in  the  language  of  the  people  the  names  of  cities  and  places  change  too, 
or  at  least  receive  a  termination  which  is  in  itself  a  disguise,  as  for  instance,  Sarignia,  Baffa, 
Lapida,  Chiti  are  the  names  borne  to-day  by  the  ancient  cities  of  Ceraunia,  Paphos,  Lapathus 
and  Citium. 

Cyprus,  it  is  said,  had  formerly  thirteen  walled  cities,  Nicosia,  Famagusta,  Agianappa, 
Larnica,  Chiti,  Lemisco,  Bisschopia,  Abduna,  Couglia,  Baffa,  Lefcara,  Lapida  and  Sarignia. 
Two  only  remain,  Nicosia  and  Famagusta,  which  we  have  described  above. 

Agianappa,  or  S.  Nappa,  is  near  Cape  della  Grreca  :  there  is  nothing  to  see  but  a  church 
made  in  a  grotto,  and  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary.  In  the  surrounding  country  are  caught 
every  year  a  large  number  of  the  little  birds  called  "  Becquefigues,"  which  are  preserved  in 
vinegar  to  send  abroad.   They  are  taken  with  bird-lime  just  as  we  catch  small  birds  at  home. 

Larnica  is,  as  I  have  said,  just  a  moderate-sized  village. 

Chiti  too  is  only  a  ruined  village. 

Bisschopia  is  a  fine  level  plain  with  many  ancient  ruins.    It  is  watered  by  a  river,  and 


VAN  BRUYN. 


241 


is  said  to  have  produced  formerly  sugar-canes  in  abundance.  Now  it  is  planted  with  cotton. 
There  is  a  fairly  large  fishpond  in  the  neighbourhood,  about  a  thousand  paces  from  Cape  la 
gata  abdima,  and  two  hundred  more  from  the  sea.    There  are  some  clumps  of  olive  trees. 

Couglia  is  but  little  distant  from  the  sea.  There  is  nothing  to  see  there.  Silk  and  cotton 
are  produced  in  abundance. 

Baffa  is  nothing  but  a  ruined  village  on  the  seashore. 

Lefkara  is  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Olympus  quite  close  to  the  sea.  The  mountain  begins 
from  this  point  to  rise  gently,  and  stretching  always  inland  attains  at  last  a  great  height. 
There  is  nothing  to  see  at  LetTcara  except  a  river  which  rises  in  the  mountain,  and  waters  in 
its  course  several  pleasant  villages.  It  is  here  that  is  collected  the  famous  Ladanum,  which 
is  produced  by  a  dew  falling  on  the  leaves  of  a  little  plant  about  half  a  foot  high,  not  unlike 
the  smaller  sage.  To  gather  the  Ladanum  the  peasants  drive  their  goats  to  the  fields  before 
sunrise  that  they  may  browze  on  this  herb,  and  as  the  Ladanum  is  soft  and  sticky  it  adheres 
to  their  beards,  which  are  cut  once  a  year  and  the  gum  is  extracted  by  the  use  of  fire.  This 
is  the  best,  or  virgin  Ladanum.  There  is  a  second  kind  which  is  caught  on  a  little  tuft  of 
hair  on  the  goat's  shanks.  A  third  way  of  gathering  it  is  with  a  coarse  rope  made  of  cow's 
hair  which  two  men  drag  across  the  plants.  There  is  yet  a  fourth  way,  to  tie  several  little 
cords  to  a  short  stick  and  to  rub  them  about  the  plants  every  morning  as  long  as  there  is 
any  gum  (m  them.  But  the  last  two  methods  only  give  a  coarser  and  inferior  quality, 
because  sand  gets  mixed  with  it  and  spoils  it.  Ladanum  is  black,  has  a  strong  odour,  and  is 
of  great  service  in  time  of  plague,  and  has  other  uses  in  medicine. 

Nor  is  there  anything  to  see  at  Lapida,  except  a  convent  of  (xreek  monks  near  the  sea, 
and  a  church  which  the  apostles,  it  is  said,  caused  to  be  built.  One  sees  from  the  remains  of 
old  buildings  that  several  houses  liad  their  fishponds  which  were  refilled  by  the  tide. 

All  that  remains  of  Sarigiiia  or  Cerines,  anciently  called  Ceraunia,  is  a  harbour  for 
galleys  and  a  strongish  fort,  'i'his  is  the  point  of  starting  for  Carniania  and  Natolia.  At  an 
hour's  distance  is  the  magnificent  building  called  de  la  I'aix,  or  from  the  Templars. 

About  five  miles  from  Larnica,  on  a  lofty  mountain  which  serves  as  a  landmark  to 
sailors  entering  the  bay  of  Salines,  there  is  a  convent  called  S.  Croce,  or  the  convent  of  the 
Cross,  inhabited  by  some  twenty  Caloyers,  a  kind  of  (ireek  monk.  These  good  folk  pretend 
to  have  there  a  piece  of  the  wood  of  the  Cross  of  our  Saviour,  about  the  thickness  of  a  ducat 
and  nearly  a  foot  in  length,  which  was  ])rought  there  by  S.  Helena.  They  say  it  is  suspended 
between  heaven  and  earth,  without  support,  or  connection  with  anything.  A  perpetual 
miracle  holds  it  in  the  air.  All  the  world  flocks  there  every  year  on  September  14,  which  the 
Greeks  keep  as  the  feast  of  the  H(jly  (.'ross.  It  is  a  great  holiday,  and  people  go  to  kiss  this 
miraculous  fragment,  a  privilege  accorded  to  all,  and  of  which  all,  the  short  as  well  as  the 
tall,  avail  themselves  with  i-qual  ease,  though  they  do  not  see  it  moving  downwards  or 
upwards.  But  I  have  been  told  by  those  who  have  seen  it— I  had  not  an  opportunity  of 
doing  so  myself— that  the  wood  is  enclosed  in  a  little  shrine  of  silver  gilt,  where  it  can  be 
seen  at  all  times,  but  that  on  Holy  Cross  day  a  small  cover  is  slipped  to  the  right  of  an 
opening  as  large  as  a  ducat  just  where  the  wood  is,  and  then  everyone  can  kiss  it.  Under 
this  convent  is  a  grotto  in  which  is  a  spring  with  the  scent  of  roses.  Sick  persons,  whatever 
be  their  disease  or  infirmity,  drink  of  it  and  bathe  therein,  with  such  success,  if  one  may 
believe  the  Greeks,  that  without  further  treatment  they  are  healed. 

In  the  year  1668  throughout  the  island,  but  especially  in  the  country  round  Famagusta, 
there  was  such  a  vast  quantity  of  locusts  that  when  they  were  on  the  wing  they  were  like 
a  dark  cloud  through  which  the  sun's  rays  could  scarcely  pierce.    This  lasted  about  a  month, 


242 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


and  the  Pasha  ordered  all  the  country  people  to  bring  a  certain  measure  full  of  the  insects 
to  his  palace  at  Nicosia,  and  afterwards  he  had  holes  dug  outside  the  city  where  they  were 
thrown,  and  covered  with  earth  lest  their  corruption  should  infect  the  air.  For  ten  days 
together  the  Greeks  made  processions  and  prayers  to  be  delivered  from  a  curse  so  ruinous  to 
the  land.  They  carried  too  in  procession  a  certain  picture  of  the  Virgin  Mary  with  the  child 
Jesus  in  her  arms  said  to  be  the  work  of  S.  Luka.  This  picture  is  generally  kept  in  a 
convent  called  Chicho,  to  which  belong  some  four  hundred  Caloyers,  part  of  whom  are  sent 
to  Muscovy  and  elsewhere  on  various  duties.  This  convent  is  built  on  Mount  Olympus,  the 
highest  mountain  in  the  island.  In  times  of  drought  the  picture  is  brought  with  great 
ceremony  out  of  the  convent,  and  placed  on  a  stage  about  twenty  steps  high,  with  the  face 
turned  to  the  quarter  from  which  they  may  expect  rain.  Now  it  happened  that  the  same 
ceremony  had  been  observed  on  account  of  the  locusts,  and  as  soon  as  the  picture  had  been 
set  on  the  stage  there  appeared  forthwith  certain  birds  not  unlike  plovers,  which  swooped 
upon  the  locusts  and  devoured  a  great  quantity.  Moreover  the  next  day,  when  the  heat  of 
the  sun  forced  the  insects  to  rise  from  the  ground,  there  arose  a  mighty  land  wind  which 
swept  them  before  it,  and  towards  evening,  when  the  sun  had  lost  its  power,  they  all  fell 
into  the  sea,  and  were  drowned.  Which  was  made  plain  some  time  afterwards  when  a  sea 
breeze  drove  them  in  heaps  to  the  shore,  and  thus  was  the  island  delivered  from  this  terrible 
plague.  The  birds  which  ate  the  locusts,  the  story  adds,  had  never  been  seen  before,  nor 
were  ever  seen  again.  But  the  Pasha  had  forbidden  them  to  be  killed,  under  pain 
of  death. 

I  saw  myself  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Nicosia  a  great  quantity  of  these  insects,  and 
remarked  that  the  fields  they  had  cropped  were  burnt  as  though  by  fire ;  my  horse  too  at 
every  step  crushed  ten  or  twelve.  Several  persons  assured  me  that  from  time  to  time  certain 
birds,  natives  of  Egypt  and  called  in  Arabic  Gor,  visit  the  island.  They  are  not  unlike  ducks, 
but  have  a  pointed  beak.  They  eat  the  locusts  and  thus  lessen  their  ravages.  The  same 
thing  is  said  of  storks. 

The  mention  of  storks  reminds  me  that  so  far  no  one  has  been  able  to  say  with  certainty 
where  they  go  when  they  leave  us  (Dutch).  I  do  not  set  it  down  here  as  an  indisputable 
truth,  but  I  am  assured  that  the  place  of  their  retreat  is  a  long  way  the  other  side  of  Jordan. 
It  is  called  by  the  Greeks  Erimo,  or  the  desert,  is  unvisited  by  man,  full  of  brushwood,  and 
exceedingly  hot.  The  storks  go  there  in  October,  and  return  here  in  March.  Some  are  said 
to  go  to  Egypt. 

It  is  in  this  island  of  Cyprus  that  is  found  the  stone  amianthus.  Men  of  old  knew  the 
way  to  make  from  it  thread  and  cloth,  as  well  as  the  bags  in  which  they  wrapped  the  dead 
before  burning  them,  so  as  to  preserve  the  ashes.  For  as  the  fire  could  not  consume  this  cloth, 
but  only  cleaned  and  whitened  it,  the  ashes  could  be  very  well  preserved,  to  be  placed 
afterwards  in  vessels  of  stone  called  urns.  Paper  too  was  made  of  it,  with  this  property  that 
to  elface  the  wi'iting  on  it,  it  was  thrown  into  the  fire  and  withdrawn  quite  clean.  But  the 
art  of  making  this  cloth  and  paper  is  lost.  The  colour  of  the  stone  is  dark  green,  slightly 
shining.  Wlien  drawn  out  into  threads  it  is  like  cotton,  and  thrown  into  the  fire  it  is  not 
consumed,  but  suffers  no  hurt  nor  loses  anything  of  its  substance. 

Among  the  products  of  Cyprus  are  first  its  wines.  They  are  excellent,  and  when  drunk 
on  the  spot  are  very  different  from  the  same  wines  after  export  to  other  countries.  For 
though  they  may  come  straight  from  the  island,  and  they  bear  transport  well,  yet  on  the 
journey  they  acquire  a  certain  taste  of  pitch  which  partly  helps  to  preserve  them.  I  have 
drunk  wine  here  over  thirty  years  old :  it  had  a  very  pleasant  taste,  and  a  beautiful  colour, 


VAN  BRUYN. 


243 


and  was  so  oily  that  it  adhered  to  the  glass  just  like  eau  de  vie.  You  may  find  wine  of  even 
a  hundred  years  old,  for  when  a  father  marries  his  child  he  presents  him  with  a  vessel  of 
the  best  wine  he  has,  and  whenever  this  is  tapped  it  is  refilled  with  a  like  quantity  of  wine 
of  the  same  kind,  so  that  it  always  keeps  its  first  goodness,  and  the  older  it  is  the  better  it  is. 
There  are  red  wines  and  white  wines,  both  excellent,  but  so  strong  that  for  ordinary  use  you 
need  to  put  twice  as  much  water  as  wine.  I  do  not  remember  ever  meeting  with  stronger 
wine.  There  is  also  a  very  good  muscat  wine.  The  wheat  of  Cyprus  is  very  good,  and  as  to 
game,  its  abundance  passes  that  of  every  other  country. 

To  these  advantages  you  may  add  that  of  being  able  to  travel  where  you  will  in  the 
island  without  fear,  and  in  as  great  security  as  you  might  at  home.  The  Greeks  of  the 
country  are  naturally  polite  and  good-natured.  They  are  nearly  all  occupied  in  agriculture. 
Their  gardens  show  nothing  but  a  quantity  of  mulberry  trees,  whose  leaves  serve  for 
nourishment  for  their  silkworms.  These  are  found  in  every  house.  A  great  deal  of  cotton 
is  produced,  which  grows  on  shrubs,  four,  five  and  even  six  feet  high :  the  fruit  or  pod  is 
like  a  nut,  and  one  is  close  to  another  as  in  chestnuts,  and  the  shell  or  rind  is  about  the  same 
thickness.    Turpentine  and  colocynth  are  plentiful. 

Tlie  head-dress  of  the  women  is  just  a  handkerchief  tied  round  the  head,  brown  or  grey 
striped  with  black,  gold  or  silver,  and  sometimes  embroidered.  They  dress  in  all  manners  of 
silk  stuffs.  Their  chemise  has  a  kind  of  fringe  round  the  neck  and  on  the  sleeves,  but  this 
is  only  the  stuff  itself  worked  into  a  kind  of  lace.  The  rest  of  their  dress  is  like  that  of 
women  in  Turkey. 

The  peasants  have  generally  very  shcjrt  hair  and  very  long  beards,  a  fashion  which  I 
thought  remarkable,  but  not  without  its  beauty.  In  the  country  they  wear  high  hats  with 
a  broad  brim,  such  as  were  worn  in  Holland  forty  years  ago.  1'hey  are  not  made  in  Cyprus, 
and  it  would  be  difficult  to  say  whether  tliej'  come  from  Holland  or  elsewhere.  The  whole 
circuit  of  the  island  is  reckoned  at  about  six  hundred  Italian  miles. 

The  unwholesome  air  which  prevails  during  the  three  or  four  hottest  months  of  the 
year  is  extremely  irksome  to  strangers,  and  disagrees  ejitirely  with  their  constitution.  The 
least  serious  consequence  is  a  livid  colour  which  lasts  them  for  life,  but  some  die,  and  others 
have  bad  illnesses.  But  for  the  fear  of  such  I  was  well  inclined  to  stay  some  months  for  the 
sake  of  sport,  l)ut  everyone  advised  me  against  it,  and  I  resumed  my  travels. 

\_The  author  embarks  on  May  15  in  a  little  vcwt  l  laden  u-ith  salt  for  Adalia,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  19th  sees]  Lumisso  or  Lymsol,  a  village  with  a  small  fort.  The  ruined  walls 
of  the  ancient  city  are  .still  visible.  All  around  it  are  many  mines,  chiefly  of  copper.  Formerly 
many  vessels  came  to  fetch  it,  and  the  island  was  called  the  Island  of  copper.  But  the  Turks 
will  not  allow  the  mines  to  be  worked.  Near  this  place,  which  is  well  situated  among  trees 
at  the  edge  of  a  plain,  is  produced  the  best  wine  in  the  island,  and  abundance  of  capers. 
We  intended  to  land  some  goods  iii  a  boat,  and  to  go  on  without  dropping  anchor,  but  when 
we  learned  tliat  there  were  seven  corsairs  at  Baffa  we  anchored. 

[On  the  25th  they  reach  Paphos.]  Opposite  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  there  are  two 
little  rocks.  In  the  afternoon  I  landed  to  see  the  place,  which  is  close  to  the  sea :  the  houses 
as  usual  standing  in  gardens  full  of  nnilberry  trees.  Tliere  are  the  remains  of  several 
churches,  and  one  tolerably  perfect,  with  a  few  paintings.  It  is  dedicated  to  S.  George,  and 
used  by  the  Greeks  for  divine  service.  Near  it  are  three  large  columns  still  standing,  but 
I  could  not  make  out  if  they  had  belonged  to  a  church  or  other  building.  On  the  shore  is 
a  fort,  under  which  vessels  moor,  to  get  the  protection  of  its  guns.  The  old  castle  is  on  a  hill 
close  by,  a  mere  ruin.    Somewhere  here,  they  say,  was  the  prison  of  S.  Paul. 

31—2 


244 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


In  the  mountains  round  are  found  the  stones  called  Baffa  diamonds,  some  of  which  are 
very  beautiful. 

On  May  26  at  daybreak  we  sailed  with  a  slight  but  favourable  wind,  passed  Cape  S. 
Epiphanio  at  night,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  27th  saw  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor. 


HEYMAK 

The  Honourable  J.  ^gidius  van  Egmont  (Van  der  Nijenburg),  Envoy  Extraordinary  from  the  United 
Provinces  to  the  Court  of  Naples,  and  John  Heyman,  Professor  of  the  Oriental  languages  in  the  University 
of  Leyden,  are  the  names  which  appear  on  the  title-page  of  two  volumes  of  Travels  through  part  of 
Europe,  Asia  Minor,  the  Islands  of  the  Archipelago,  Syria,  Palestine,  Egypt,  Mount  Sinai,  etc.,  translated 
from  the  Low  Dutch,  and  printed  at  London,  1759. 

The  Dutch  original,  published  at  Leiden  in  two  vols.  4to,  1757,  1758,  bears  the  title :  Egmond  Van  der 
Nyenburg,  J.  Mg.  and  J.  Heyman,  Reizen  door  een  gedeelte  van  Europa,  Klein  Asien,  Verscheide 
Eilanden  van  de  Archipel,  Syrien...briefsgewyse  samengestelt  door  Joh,  Wilh.  Heyman.  In  the  Dutch 
Preface  the  editor,  Dr  J.  W.  Heyman,  explains  that  he  has  combined,  and  arranged  in  the  form  of  letters, 
the  notes  of  travel  left  by  his  uncle,  Professor  J.  Heyman,  who  visited  the  East  in  the  years  1700  to  1709, 
and  by  Mynheer  v.  Egmond  v.  der  Nyenburg,  who  traversed  much  the  same  ground  between  1720  and 
1723. 

We  transcribe  from  vol.  ii.  chapter  xviii.  pp.  281 — 295  (in  the  Dutch,  i.  290 — 304),  correcting  here  and 
there  the  anonymous  translation  to  bring  it  nearer  to  the  original. 

Voyage  to  the  island  of  Cyprus;  with  some  account  of  that  island. 

We  left  Rhodes  with  a  fair  wind,  which  soon  brought  us  in  sight  of  a  rocky  island,  called 
Castro  Rosso,  situated  near  the  continent,  and  inhabited  by  Greeks  and  Turks.  Soon  after 
we  found  ourselves  opposite  to  the  gulph  of  Satalia ;  and  on  the  sixth  day  after  our  departure 
from  Rhodes  we  made  the  island  of  Cyprus,  and  sailed  near  cape  San  Pifani,  and  Fonte 
Amoroso,  anciently  called  Acamas.  Not  far  to  the  Eastward  lies  the  city  of  Arsinoe,  now 
known  by  the  name  of  Lescari,  and  famous  for  the  cavern  of  Jupiter. 

About  noon  we  had  sight  of  Baffe,  one  of  the  principal  towns  in  the  island  of  Cyprus, 
and  not  far  from  the  site  of  the  ancient  Paphos.  But  at  night  we  stood  off  to  sea  for  fear 
of  running  too  near  Cape  de  Gat,  where  a  shoal  stretches  some  leagues  into  the  sea. 

The  next  morning  we  came  to  an  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Salina,  which  is  capacious  enough 
to  contain  a  whole  fleet,  and  situated  between  two  promontories,  of  which  that  on  the  west 
is  called  Chiti,  and  that  on  the  east  Pila.  The  ships  lie  at  anchor  about  a  league  from 
the  shore,  that  in  case  of  a  storm,  especially  at  south,  they  may  be  in  no  danger  of  being 
stranded. 

A  boat  belonging  to  the  island  landed  us  at  Salina,  a  small  village,  called  by  the  Turks 
Dousla,  and  fortified  with  a  kind  of  ravelin,  planted  with  eight  pieces  of  cannon  for  defending 
the  road  against  the  corsairs.  Hence  we  travelled  to  Lernica,  the  place  where  most  of  the 
Franks  reside. 

The  island  of  Cyprus  was  by  the  Greeks  called  Makaria,  afterwards  Cyprus,  either  from 
the  great  quantity  of  copper  dug  there,  or  a  fragrant  shrub,  called  by  the  Greeks  and  Latins 
Cyprus,  and  by  the  Arabians  Alhanna,  or  Henne,  which  grew  in  great  plenty  here,  and  to 
this  day  is  greatly  valued  in  every  part  of  the  east. 


VAN  BRUYN.  HEYMAN. 


245 


This  island  is  above  two  hundred  and  fifty  hours  in  circuit;  the  length  being  about  one 
hundred,  and  the  breadth  sixty-five  leagues.  But  the  parts  towards  the  south-west  are  much 
broader  than  those  towards  the  north;  and  its  distance  from  the  continent  is  computed  at 
about  twenty  hours.  Some  ancient  writers  say  it  was  a  peninsula;  but  that  it  has  been 
separated  from  the  continent  by  earthquakes,  tempests,  and  inundations. 

Eratosthenes  says  that  this  island  was,  at  first,  so  overgrown  with  trees,  that  there  was  no 
room  for  culture;  but  the  inhabitants,  at  last,  cleared  the  ground  and  cultivated  it;  and 
their  labour  was  richly  rewarded,  for  the  island  from  a  wilderness  became  one  of  the  most 
fertile  and  delightful  countries  upon  earth. 

This  island  has  on  all  sides  a  multitude  of  sharp  promontories,  whence  the  ancients 
compared  it  to  a  sheep-skin  stretched  out ;  and  as  they  called  those  promontories  horns,  the 
island  was  called  Cerastia,  and  the  inhabitants  Cerastiu.  And  this  probably  gave  rise  to  the 
fable  that  the  Cyprians  had  formerly  horns  on  their  foreheads,  according  to  Ovid,  Met.  X,  222. 

gemino  quondam  quibus  aspera  cornu 
Frons  erat,  unde  etiam  nonien  traxere  Cerastae. 

This  island  has  been  governed  by  several  states.  Its  first  inhabitants  were  the  sons  of 
Japhet ;  and  its  first  government,  mentioned  by  historians,  by  kings,  of  which  one  is  called 
Evagoras,  who  out  of  regard  to  the  politeness  and  learning  of  the  Athenians  zealously 
espoused  their  cause  on  all  occasions;  but  was  assassinated  ])y  one  of  their  own  courtiers. 
Afterwards  the  Ptolemies  made  themselves  masters  of  the  island,  and  kept  possession  of  it 
'till  Marcus  Cato  reduced  it  under  the  Roman  government,  making  a  splendid  entrance  into 
Rome,  with  the  immense  treasures  he  found  in  the  island.  The  last  king  is  said  to  have  laid 
violent  hands  on  himself,  being  unable  to  bear  tlie  thought  of  having  liis  kingdom  taken  from 
him  by  the  private  person  of  a  Commonwealth. 

In  the  time  of  Pliny  this  island  was  divided  into  nine  kingdoms.  And  in  more  modern 
times  the  inhabitants  are  said  to  have  consisted  of  four  classes,  the  nobility,  the  people,  the 
francomestes  or  freedmen,  and  the  paresii,  or  slaves. 

The  nobility,  and  people,  lived  in  the  city,  and  kept  the  freedmen  and  .slaves  in  subjection. 
The  slaves  cultivated  the  fields,  and  performed  all  the  other  laborious  works  of  husbandry. 
The  freedmen  formed  the  army,  and  were  above  all  others  detested  by  the  slaves,  as  oppressing 
and  abusing  them  more  than  either  the  nobility  or  the  people.  In  process  of  time  the  island 
fell  under  the  Greek  Emperors,  till  Isaac  Comnenus,  a  terrible  tyrant,  revolted  against  his 
master,  and  took  possession  of  it  for  himself. 

His  usurpation,  however,  was  of  no  long  continuance,  being  driven  from  the  island  in 
1191  by  Richard  1.,  King  of  England,  in  revenge  for  the  barbarous  treatment  some  of  his 
subjects  had  met  with  from  Comnenus,  after  their  being  shipwrecked  on  this  island. 

Some  time  after  Richard  sold  Cyprus  to  the  Knights  Templars,  an  order  at  that  time 
very  powerful.  But  either  the  Cyprians  appeared  to  be  a  fickle  people,  or  the  knights' 
government  was  not  agreeable  to  them,  every  place  being  filli'd  witli  tunmlts  and  opposition; 
so  that  the  knights  transferred  their  purchase  to  a  French  nobleman,  called  Lusignan,  whose 
family,  by  their  mild  conduct,  enjoyed  a  long  and  quiet  possession  of  it,  'till  it  came  by 
marriage  to  the  house  of  Savoy,  who  did  not  possess  it  long,  though  it  still  reserves  the  title 
of  King  of  CyiM'us. 

The  Dukes  of  Savoy  were  deposed  by  a  natural  son  of  the  last  king  of  Cyprus,  who  was 
betrothed  to  a  daughter  of  the  Cornaro  family  at  W'nice;  on  which  the  Venetians,  after  the 
decease  of  him  and  his  son,  who  died  very  young,  took  possession  of  the  island,  and  held  it 


246 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


'till  the  year  1571,  when  the  Turks  took  it,  in  the  reign  of  Sultan  Selim  II.  This  emperor  is 
said  to  have  set  his  heart  so  fully  on  the  conquest  of  this  island,  from  his  remarkable  fondness 
for  the  wine;  but  others  say  he  was  animated  to  it  by  a  Portuguese  Jew. 

This  Jew,  called  Jean  Miches,  had  embraced  Christianity,  but  for  several  vile  practices 
was  banished  his  country,  and  retired  to  Venice.  But  he  did  not  long  reside  there  before  he 
became  known,  and  on  a  well-grounded  suspicion  of  his  having  formed  a  design  of  setting 
fire  to  the  arsenal,  on  the  night  of  the  13th  of  September,  1569,  he  was  banished  from  the 
Venetian  territories.  Revenge  carried  him  to  Constantinople,  where  he  married  the  daughter 
of  a  Jew  Avith  an  immense  fortune.  His  riches  giving  him  an  opportunity  of  obtaining  an 
audience  of  the  Emperor  Selim,  and  his  artful  discourse  having  introduced  himself  into  the 
favour  of  that  prince,  he  suggested  to  him  the  design  of  besieging  Cyprus. 

It  is  said,  that  Selim  being  once  merry  with  drinking,  gently  struck  Miches  on  the 
shoulder,  saying  to  him,  "  If  heaven  prospers  my  design,  thou  shalt  be  king  of  Cyprus." 
Soon  after,  namely  in  the  year  1570,  the  Turks  landed  in  the  island,  and  laid  siege  to  Nicosia, 
which  sustained  a  siege  of  forty-eight  days.  In  the  following  year  they  took  Famagusta,  but 
not  before  firing  fifteen  thousand  cannon  shot  against  it ;  tho'  the  governor,  after  so  brave  a 
defence,  was,  contrary  to  a  particular  promise,  and  the  articles  of  capitulation,  put  to  a  cruel 
death  by  the  Turkish  Pasha ;  after  which  the  whole  island  soon  came  into  their  hands. 

The  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  island  of  Cyprus  cannot  be  determined  with  any 
exactness,  many  removing  every  year,  on  account  of  the  prodigious  taxes.  Some  years  since 
the  number  was  said  to  exceed  two  hundred  thousand ;  and  during  the  reign  of  the  Emperor 
Trajan  this  island  must  have  been  very  populous;  for  Dion  Cassius  relates,  that  the  Jews, 
in  order  to  free  themselves  from  the  Roman  yoke,  massacred  twenty-four  thousand  natives  in 
one  day ;  but  at  present  hardly  a  Jew  is  to  be  seen,  the  Franks  generally  making  use  of 
Greeks  in  their  commerce. 

It  is  supposed  to  be  owing  to  the  warmth  of  the  climate  that  the  Cyprians  do  not  exceed 
a  middle  stature,  are  rather  lean  than  fat,  and  rather  brisk  than  strong.  They  are  of  a  brown 
complexion,  like  the  rest  of  the  Greeks ;  and  both  their  eyes  and  hair  black.  They  are  also 
of  a  quick  and  piercing  genius. 

In  former  times  the  inhabitants  of  Cyprus  were  famous  for  voluptuousness  and 
magnificence.  The  most  common  utensils  among  all  people  of  fashion  were  silver ;  and  not 
a  peasant's  cottage  to  be  seen  without  several  pieces  of  plate.  The  rich  even  grew  tired  of 
their  horses,  and  both  in  country  and  town  would  use  only  mules ;  but  the  sovereign,  fearing 
that  their  noble  breed  of  horses  would  by  this  means  degenerate,  issued  a  proclamation 
against  the  use  of  mules;  but  the  horses  are  not  now  so  highly  valued  as  formerly. 

The  women  here,  especially  at  Lernica,  are  not  the  most  beautiful  I  have  seen ;  but 
allowance  must  be  made  for  the  climate,  and  manner  of  living.  They  dress  in  the  same 
manner  as  those  of  Rhodes,  except  that  in  Cyprus  they  wear  no  veils.  Their  hair  is  covered 
before,  but  hangs  down  behind  in  curls.  They  also  wear  those  large  wide  plaited  gowns  I 
have  already  mentioned  at  Scio. 

It  is  known  by  experience  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  island  seldom  attain  to  any  great 
age,  owing  possibly  to  the  badness  of  the  air ;  malignant  fevers  being  common  here,  especially 
towards  the  end  of  summer ;  and  during  our  stay  in  the  island,  though  it  was  in  the  spring, 
a  contagious  distemper  was  raging  at  Nicosia.  But  the  air  is  most  noxious  at  Famagusta 
and  Lernica,  owing  to  the  vapours  rising  from  the  fens  and  saltpans  in  the  neighbourhood. 
And  at  Lernica  the  air  is  most  unhealthy  when  the  sun  is  above  the  horizon. 

The  whole  island  does  not  afford  one  single  river;  but  several  ponds,  lakes,  and  fens; 


HEYMAN. 


247 


and  to  these  may,  in  a  great  measure,  be  imputed  the  heaviness  and  moisture  of  the  air,  of 
which  strangers  generally  feel  the  effects. 

In  the  winter,  after  heavy  rains,  several  rivulets  are  seen  pouring  down  from  the 
mountains ;  but  soon  become  dry  on  the  return  of  fair  weather.  Sometimes  no  rain  falls  for 
a  lung  time ;  and  it  appears  from  history  that  the  inhabitants  were  once  obliged  to  quit  it,  no 
rain  falling  in  the  space  of  seventeen  years.  And  in  the  time  of  Constantine  the  Great  it 
was  visited  with  a  drought  of  six  and  thirty  years.  It  does  not  indeed  want  fountains,  and 
wells,  but  the  water  in  all  is  thick  and  turbid.  These,  however,  frequently  fail,  so  that  in 
the  heats  of  suniiiier  no  verdure  is  to  ])e  seen  in  the  whole  countrj-,  which  seems  parched 
and  arid. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  inconveniences,  the  island  is  very  fruitful  in  corn,  oil,  honey, 
wax,  saffron,  and  wool,  and  it  is  computed  that  one-third  more  is  produced  than  is  consumed 
in  the  island.  This  renders  everything  cheap  here,  so  that  vessels  frequently  put  in  at  Cj'prus 
to  take  in  provisions  for  their  voyage.  But  this  fertility  depends,  in  a  great  measure,  on 
a  favourable  season  foi-  rain,  when  they  have  a  prodigious  plenty  of  corn.  But  the  Turks 
knew  not  how  to  make  a  proper  advantage  of  this  particular,  namely,  to  lay  it  up  against 
a  time  of  scarcity,  'till  the  Franks  taught  them  the  method,  and  directed  them  how  to  build 
proper  granaries  for  this  purpose. 

The  corn  is  ground  by  water-mills  in  the  island,  so  that  in  a  time  of  drought  there  is 
not  only  a  want  of  water,  but  also  of  bread.  In  an  exigency  of  this  kind  the  English  once 
saved  the  people  from  famine,  having  in  a  time  of  plenty  laid  up  a  sufficiency  to  support 
the  inhabitants. 

Formerly,  and  even  under  the  dominion  of  the  Venetians,  sugar-canes  were  produced 
here  in  great  plenty,  particularly  in  a  part  called  Episcojjia ;  and  the  sugar  was,  at  that  time, 
exported  to  all  parts;  but  at  present  that  manufacture  is  wholly  laid  aside,  and  the  (xreeks 
are  entirely  ignorant  of  the  process. 

In  most  parts  of  the  island  is  a  tree  producing  a  horn-shaped  fruit,  generally  called 
8t  John's  bread,  from  an  opinion  that  the  Baptist,  while  he  continued  in  the  desert,  lived  on 
this  fruit.  It  is  of  a  very  agreeable  taste,  and  from  it  is  expressed  a  kind  of  juice  or  honey, 
used  as  a  sauce  in  several  favourite  dishes. 

Salt  is  still  made  here  in  great  quantities,  and  the  duty  on  it,  what  was  sold  to  foreigners, 
used  to  amount  to  thirty  thousand  ducats  per  annum,  while  the  N'enetians  were  masters  of 
the  island.    This  salt,  it  nuist  be  owned,  has  a  very  agreeable  pungency. 

The  wine  of  Cyprus  is  also  famous  in  every  part  of  the  Levant,  as  well  as  Europe.  But 
1  must  own  I  should  like  it  better  were  it  free  from  the  tarry  taste  which  it  derives  from  the 
manner  of  keeping  it;  for  the  new  wine  is  Hrst  put  into  large  earthen  vessels,  tarred  within, 
where  it  continues  a  considerable  time.  If  the  wine  proves  good  it  is  taken  from  these 
vessels  and  i)ut  into  casks  in  which  it  is  exi)orted.  A  great  deal  of  this  wine  is  sent  to  Venice 
and  England,  and  it  has  this  in  common  with  many  other  wines,  that  it  improves  by  being 
at  sea.  Accordingly  an  epicure  of  an  Englishman  who  lived  here,  used  to  send  his  Cyprus 
wine  to  England,  whence  it  was  sent  back  again  to  him  at  Cyprus. 

The  island  also  abounds  in  turpentine  and  saltpetre;  here  are  likewise  made  cheeses  of 
goats'  milk,  which  after  being  laid  in  oil,  are  in  great  request  all  over  the  Levant.  The 
delicious  birds  called  hecrafigno's  are  caught  in  the  latter  end  of  August ;  these  are  pickled 
in  salt  and  vinegar,  pressed  down  in  casks,  and  carefully  secured,  and  thus  sent  to  Venice 
and  England.  They  have  a  manner  of  dressing  them  here  with  Cyprus  wine,  than  which  I 
think  few  things  can  better  please  a  dainty  palate.    Hunting  is  very  delightful  all  over  the 


248 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


island,  as  it  everywhere  affords  plenty  of  snipes,  partridges,  hares,  wild  goats,  but  it  has  no 
deer. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  shepherds  find  on  the  goats'  beards  a  viscid  substance,  which 
looks  and  smells  pretty  much  like  pitch ;  and  this  smell,  which  is  far  from  being  disagreeable, 
is  said  to  be  good  against  the  pestilence.  Some  Franks  call  it  laudanum,  others  give  it  the 
name  of  stirax. 

Near  Baffe  are  mines  of  rock  crystal,  and  a  French  merchant  there  showed  me  a  most 
beautiful  stone,  which  might  pass  for  a  diamond,  and  such  stones  being  found  in  the  mines 
here  are  commonly  called  Baffe  diamonds.  Ancient  historians  and  geographers  speak  of 
various  mines  in  Cyprus  both  of  gold  and  silver,  and  gems,  but  the  present  proprietors  do  not 
concern  themselves  about  mines,  and  the  Greeks  must  not  work  them,  indeed  the  ore,  after 
all  their  pains  and  charges,  would  be  of  little  advantage  to  them,  for  they  know  nothing  of 
separation,  or  any  other  branch  of  metallurgy :  under  the  Venetian  government,  however, 
Cyprus  exported  a  great  deal  of  very  good  vitriol. 

In  some  of  the  mountains  is  found  a  kind  of  blueish  stone,  by  the  ancients  called 
amianthus,  and  out  of  it  is  spun  a  kind  of  cotton,  of  which  formerly  sheets  were  made,  and 
cleaned  by  being  put  into  the  fire.  They  were  also  used  in  the  burning  of  substances  into 
ashes,  according  to  the  custom  of  those  times.  The  ancients  also  made  bags  of  it,  in  which 
they  put  bodies  that  were  to  be  burnt,  in  order  thus  to  preserve  the  ashes,  which  were 
deposited  in  an  urn.  The  Indians  are  said  to  have  burnt  their  dead  bodies  in  sacks  of  this 
kind.  Some  will  have  this  stone  to  be  a  kind  of  asbestos,  or  alumen  schiston,  or  fissile  alum. 
But  the  difference  is  very  great ;  that  consumes  in  the  fire,  but  the  amianthus  withstands  the 
most  intense  fire. 

This  stone  is  also  found  in  China,  in  the  island  of  Corsica,  and  is  said  likewise  to  be  met 
with  in  the  Riviera  di  Genua,  near  Sestri  di  Ponente,  in  the  Pyrenean  mountains,  and  in 
those  of  Volaterra  in  Tuscany. 

The  chief  trade  of  the  island  at  present  is  in  flowered  silks  and  cottons  little  inferior 
to  those  of  the  Indies.  A  kind  of  flax  for  making  cordage  is  likewise  no  inconsiderable 
article. 

Amidst  all  these  advantages  of  nature  and  industry,  the  inhabitants,  by  reason  of  their 
enormous  taxes,  are  far  from  being  wealthy.  A  poor  Cypriot  pays  every  year,  in  the  whole, 
thirteen  piastres  for  head  money :  and  those  who  have  houses  or  lands  pay  also  eight  piastres 
of  nozul,  besides  the  tenths  of  the  produce  of  their  land. 

This  island  was  formerly  governed  by  a  Pasha,  residing  in  Nicosia;  but  at  present  the 
governor  is  only  a  Musellim  or  Stadhouder,  and  far  from  being  a  person  of  great  dignity, 
which  has  the  conveniency  that  he  is  not  obliged  to  live  in  the  splendour  of  a  Pasha ;  yet  he 
must  remit  three  hundred  and  sixty  purses  to  the  Grand  Vizir's  lady,  to  whom  the  Grand 
Signor,  as  being  his  sister,  granted  the  revenues  of  this  island.  Besides  such  a  considerable 
sum,  he  is  obliged  at  least  to  reserve  forty  purses  for  other  demands  and  himself. 

The  towns  inhabited  at  present  are  only  nine,  Nicosia,  Famagusta,  Balfe,  Lernica, 
Cherines,  Lumesol,  Sirori,  Mazulo  and  Lescara;  but  the  other  smaller  towns  or  villages,  I 
was  told,  amount  to  eight  hundred.  The  Turks  have  made  a  military  division  of  this  island 
into  eleven  departments,  each  furnishing  a  regiment. 

Nicosia,  the  capital  and  residence  of  the  governor,  is  a  pretty  handsome  and  fortified 
town,  about  three  miles  in  circuit,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  island ;  but  as  for  the  walls  and 
fortifications,  the  Turks  suffer  them  to  go  to  ruin  without  any  repair.  In  this  city  are  three 
or  four  Greek  churches,  but  the  cathedral  called  Saint  Sophia  is  turned  into  a  mosque.  There 


HEYMAN. 


249 


is  also  a  convent  of  five  or  six  Franciscans  of  the  Holy  Land;  and  Nicosia  is  also  the  seat  of 
an  Archbishop. 

Anciently  a  very  great  contest  happened  in  this  island  about  jurisdiction:  the  Arch- 
bishop pretended  to  be  independent  of  any  patriarch,  whereas  the  Patriarchs  of  Antioch  and 
Alexandria  no  less  violently  insisted  that  this  church  was  subordinate  to  them.  The 
pretentions  of  the  three  contending  parties  were  laid  before  the  Grecian  Emperor  at 
Constantinople  for  his  decision.  In  the  meantime  an  afFair  happened  which  occasioned  a 
great  deal  of  talk.  The  monks  of  a  certain  convent,  whether  in  building  or  repairing  it,  by 
accident  found  a  coffin,  and  in  it  a  V)ody  with  a  leaden  plate  on  it,  signifying  that  in  this 
coffin  was  deposited  the  body  of  the  apostle  St  Barnabas.  About  the  neck  of  the  Saint  was 
also  a  chain  fastened  to  a  leaden  box,  which  was  found  to  contain  an  Arabic  copy  of 
St  Matthew's  Gospel,  written  by  St  Barnabas  himself  on  parchment.  The  clergy  of  Cyprus 
very  dexterously  availed  themselves  of  this  discovery,  sending  to  the  Emperor  Zeno  both  the 
sacred  relicks  and  the  manuscript ;  with  which  present  that  devout  prince  was  so  pleased  that 
he  gave  a  charter  to  the  church  of  Cyprus,  declaring  it  independent  of  any  patriarch. 

Famagusta,  the  ancient  Salamis,  afterwards  called  Constantia,  is  the  only  good  harbour 
in  all  the  island :  it  is  spacious  and  semicircular,  the  air,  however,  is  unhealthy.  The  town 
which  lies  at  the  north  end  of  the  bay,  is  not  very  large,  and  chiefly  inhabited  by  Turkish 
soldiery.  Its  fortifications  the  Turks  keep  in  no  manner  of  repair,  as  if  the  bravery  of  their 
soldiers  would  supply  every  other  defect.  Under  the  Emperor  Trajan  this  town  was  entirely 
destroyed  by  the  Jews,  and  another  time  under  Heraclius. 

The  Greeks  here,  as  at  Jiliodes,  are  not  permitted  U)  live  in  the  town,  and  the  shops 
which  they  have  in  it  must  be  all  locked  up  at  sun-set,  and  everyone  retires  to  their  dwellings. 
Here  are  no  suburbs  but  the  houses  lie  about  half  a  mile  from  the  town,  in  the  open  country, 
with  everyone  it's  garden,  which  here  makes  a  very  luxurious  appearance.  No  Frank  or 
Greek  is  allowed  to  come  into  the  town  on  liorscback,  wliicli  is  one  of  the  chief  reasons  which 
induced  the  Franks  not  to  settle  here. 

The  Christians  had  a  very  beautiful  L-hurch,  but  it  is  now  turned  into  a  mo.sciue.  The 
neighV)ouring  country  is  very  low,  and  everywhere  one  sees  large  open  plains,  on  which 
grows  a  root  yielding  a  very  beautiful  red  dye.  The  greatest  naval  resort  to  it  is  of  French 
tartans  putting  in  here  to  refit. 

Batt'e,  thought  to  stand  near  the  ancient  Faphos,  if  not  that  very  place,  is  at  present  a 
small  town,  or  rather  village,  on  the  declivity  of  a  mountain,  some  miles  from  the  sea ;  at  the 
shore  is  a  castle  for  defending  the  road,  and  round  it  one  observes  several  ruins.  The  BafFe 
plain  is  of  a  considerable  extent,  stretching  itself  along  the  sea,  nearly  to  the  white  cliff  so 
called  on  account  of  it's  colour,  which  discovers  itself  at  a  considerable  distance  at  sea. 

Cerines  anciently  Ceraunia,  lying  opposite  to  the  country  of  Caramania,  is  a  bishoprick, 
but  the  harbour  fit  only  for  snuill  craft,  and  without  any  defence,  the  walls,  and  other  works, 
lying  in  ruins;  and  without  any  ju-ospect  of  being  put  in  a  state  of  defence,  unless  a  great 
change  should  happen  in  the  maxims  of  the  Turkish  government. 

Larnica,  the  fourth  bish()i)rick  of  the  island,  lies  in  a  large  plain,  about  a  mile  from  the 
sea;  this  is  properly  the  trading  town  of  tlie  Franks,  who  have  settled  here  preferably  to 
Famagusta,  the  air  being  a  little  more  healthy ;  yet  it  has  the  appearance  rather  of  a  village 
than  a  city,  the  houses  being  very  low,  and  only  of  dried  clay,  except  those  of  the  Franks, 
which  are  something  higher,  and  of  more  ctmvenience  within. 

The  ruins  and  foundations  of  the  walls  of  this  ancient  city,  as  likewise  the  remains  of  the 
moats,  sufficiently  show  it  to  have  been  formerly  of  very  great  extent,  the  walls  reaching 

c.  32 


250 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


near  to  the  sea-side,  and  begin  at  the  present  town  of  Lernica,  the  site  which  at  that  time  lay 
without  the  city,  and  it  is  said  served  for  a  churchyard;  and  some  pretend  that  the  word 
Lernica  has  some  analogy  with  a  burial  place,  as  under  ground  one  frequently  meets  with 
coffins,  grave  stones,  and  other  sepulchral  remains. 

The  ships  here  anchor  in  a  large  bay,  called  the  harbour  of  Salmes,  and  by  the  Turks 
Dousla.  Here  also  are  the  salt-houses,  and  the  ground  everywhere  is  so  full  of  saline  particles 
that  for  seven  miles  round  about  one  sees  not  a  single  vineyard.  Near  these  salt-houses  is  a 
small  lake,  on  one  side  of  which  is  a  house  for  the  collector  of  the  salt-duty,  who  at  the  time 
of  selling  the  salt  repairs  thither;  and  on  the  other  side  stands  the  sepulchre  of  a  certain 
canonized  Turkish  princess,  to  which  the  Mahometans  perform  pilgrimages.  Near  it  is  also 
a  Greek  chapel  dedicated  to  St  Greorge.  In  this  neighbourhood  are  found  a  great  variety  of 
petrifactions. 

At  Lernica,  not  far  from  the  sea-shore,  is  one  of  the  largest  Greek  churches  on  the  whole 
island ;  it  is  likewise  of  a  solid  strong  architecture,  but  void  of  any  embellishments.  Here  we 
were  shewn  the  grave  of  St  Lazarus,  who  was  restored  to  life  by  Christ.  His  body  was 
carried  to  Venice,  but,  if  I  mistake  not,  I  heard  at  Marseilles  that  Lazarus  removed  thither, 
and  being  at  his  second  death  buried  there,  is  worshipped  as  the  patron  of  that  city.  Not 
far  from  hence  is  likewise  a  small  convent,  with  a  church  served  by  four  Greek  regulars. 
Near  the  place  is  the  burial-place  of  the  English  merchants. 

Besides  the  private  merchants  living  at  Lernica,  there  are  also  consuls  of  several  nations, 
as  English,  Dutch,  French,  and  Venetian.  The  consuls  here,  I  observed,  do  not  afPect 
anything  of  that  state  and  ceremony  in  their  visits  and  conversation,  as  at  Smyrna;  for 
I  once  saw  the  English  consul  very  readily  offer  his  hand  to  the  wife  of  the  first  dragoman  of 
the  French  consul,  and  led  her  upstairs ;  a  civility  to  which  a  Smyrna  consul  would  by  no 
means  have  condescended. 

The  English  consul's  house  here  is  the  best  on  the  whole  island,  though  the  outside  of  it 
is  only  of  clay,  but  nothing  can  be  more  neat,  or  elegantly  ornamented  than  the  inside.  It 
has  also  the  lai'gest  hall  I  saw  in  any  part  of  the  Levant;  but,  what  is  of  much  more 
importance,  the  English  consul  is  highly  respected  all  over  the  island,  as  jointly  with  his 
company  he  advances  money  to  the  inhabitants,  for  getting  in  their  several  harvests,  in 
which  otherwise  they  would  be  at  a  great  loss. 

In  this  both  parties  find  their  advantage,  for  the  English  do  not  advance  their  money 
under  twenty  per  cent,  and  receive  the  interest  in  silk,  wine,  cotton,  corn  and  other  products 
of  the  country,  on  all  which  they  set  their  own  price;  whence,  without  wronging  those 
gentlemen,  it  may  be  supposed  that  thirty  per  cent,  is  the  least  they  make  of  their  money, 
and  on  failure  of  payment  at  the  time  appointed,  they  may  immediately  seize  on  the  debtor's 
effects.  The  French  are  well  aware  of  this  lucrative  manner  of  gaining  the  people's  affections, 
and  would  be  glad  to  supplant  the  English,  but  have  not  sufficient  funds,  most  of  them  being 
only  factors  to  merchants  at  Marseilles. 

Besides  this  company  of  the  English,  and  that  of  the  consul,  another  particular  English 
company  not  long  ago  settled  at  Lernica,  where  they  built  a  very  stately  and  beautiful  house. 
But  the  governor  animated  by  the  people,  who  were  continually  murmuring  and  complaining, 
that  the  house  looked  more  like  a  fort  than  a  private  house,  and  that  they  did  not  know  what 
bad  designs  might  be  on  foot,  ordered  it  to  be  pulled  down  to  the  very  ground;  which,  as 
there  was  a  manifest  jealousy  between  the  two  houses,  occasioned  a  surmise  that  the  people 
had  first  been  bribed  by  the  consul  to  make  that  uproar,  and  afterwards  the  governor  to 
comply  with  it.    Each  house,  however,  sent  an  agent  to  Constantinople,  one  to  make  it's 


HEYMAN.  POCOCKE. 


251 


complaint,  and  another  to  justify  itself;  but  by  the  prudence  of  the  English  ambassador  they 
were  reconciled. 

When  the  Musellim  comes  to  Lernica  for  taking  a  view  of  the  state  of  the  town,  which 
is  once  a  year,  all  his  expenses,  and  that  of  his  retinue,  are  defrayed  by  the  Greeks,  which 
amount  to  betwixt  three  or  four  hundred  piasters;  and  whilst  the  English  were  building 
their  vast  house,  which  gave  such  umbrage,  the  Musellim  came  four  times  to  Lernica,  without 
the  least  abatement  to  the  Greeks,  several  of  whom  were  reduced  extremely  low  by  this 
additional  expense. 

Having  seen  everything  remarkable  in  the  island,  we  provided  ourselves  with  letters 
of  recommendation,  and  agreed  with  a  master  of  an  English  vessel,  bound  for  Joppa ;  who 
among  other  passengers,  had  twenty  Greek  pilgrims,  and  the  bishop  of  Cerines,  all  going  to 
Jerusalem. 


POCOCKE. 

Ricliard  Pococke,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  left  Triiwli  for  Cyprus  on  October  '24, 1738,  and  anchored  at  Limassol, 
on  October  28.  He  left  the  island,  sailing  from  Limassol,  on  December  25,  1738.  His  Denvription  of  tlie 
Ea.it  and  mine  other  Countries  was  published  in  two  volumes  folio,  London,  1743 — 45,  and  translated  into 
German,  1771 — 73,  and  French,  1772.  He  f^ives  a  map  of  Cyprus,  plans  of  Citium  and  Salamis,  and  a  plate 
of  Phcjenician  inscriptions  discovered  in  the  foundations  of  ancient  Citium.  These  we  are  obliged  to  omit, 
as  well  as  the  references  to  them  in  the  text.  Our  transcription,  which  preserves  throughout  the  author's 
spelling,  is  from  pp.  2()9 — 235  of  volume  ii.  Part  i. 

With  Pococke's  estimate  of  the  natives  cf.  Dietrich  von  Niem  (1340 — 14181,  In  Nemore  Unionis,  Tract,  vi. 
Cap.  32  (apud  Meursium),  "  In  Cypro,  in  (pia  fastus  Gallicus,  Syra  moUities,  Graecae  blanditiae,  ac  fraudes: 
quae  unam  videlicet  in  insulam  convenere." 

On  the  twenty  fourth  of  Oct<jber,  1738,  about  ten  of  the  clock,  we  set  sail  from  Tripoli 
for  Cyprus,  on  board  an  English  sliip  which  was  obliged  to  touch  at  Bayreut  in  the  way.  On 
the  twenty  fifth  wo  had  little  wind  all  day,  and  only  came  up  with  a  small  bay  called  Cahoiwh^ 
about  twenty  miles  to  the  north  of  Triijoli.  On  the  twenty  sixth  we  came  up  with  Eshele, 
and  sailed  close  along  the  shoar  under  the  Castravan  mountains ;  I  .saw  almost  all  the  places 
we  had  visited  on  those  hills,  and  in  the  evening  we  arrived  in  the  road  of  Bayreut,  where 
the  super  cargo  went  a.shoar;  and  on  his  return,  we  immediately  set  sail  again.  On  the 
twenty  eighth  we  came  up  with  Cyprus,  anchored  in  the  evening  in  the  road  of  Limesol; 
and  on  the  twenty  ninth  went  ashoar  at  that  town. 

HOOK  Till-:  THIHD. 

OF  TllK  LSLAND  OF  CVI'KUS. 
Chap.  1. 

Of  Cyprus  in  general,  ok  Limassol,  Amatuus,  Larnaca,  and  the  ancient  Citiu.m. 

The  north  part  of  the  island  of  Cyprus  is  fifty  miles  from  the  Cilician  shoar,  which  agrees 
with  the  account  of  the  antients,  who  making  a  computation  by  measuring  round  the  bays  of 
the  island,  say  that  it  is  about  four  hundred  twenty  eight  miles  in  circumference;  but  those 
who  computed,  probably  by  travelling  round  the  island  by  land,  make  it  only  three  hundred 
seventy  five  miles.    Some  say,  that  it  was  a  hundred  and  seventy  five  miles  long,  others  two 

32—2 


252 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


hundred ;  but  the  modern  sea-carts  make  it  only  one  hundred  and  thirty  five  in  length,  and 
sixty  two  miles  broad  in  the  widest  part. 

Cyprus  was  antiently  divided  into  many  Kingdoms,  and  was  conquered  successively  by 
the  ^Egyptians,  Phoenicians,  Cyrus  King  of  Persia,  and  Alexander  the  great ;  it  fell  to  the 
lot  of  the  successors  to  the  Kings  of  ^gypt,  afterwards  was  subdued  by  the  Romans,  became 
subject  to  the  Greek  Emperors,  and,  whilst  it  was  under  them,  was  laid  waste  by  the  Arabs. 
In  one  thousand,  one  hundred  ninety  one,  Richard  the  first,  King  of  England,  conquered  it, 
and  gave  it  to  Guy  Lusignan,  King  of  Jerusalem ;  and  his  family  continued  to  govern  it  until 
the  year  fourteen  hundred  twenty  three,  when  it  was  taken  by  a  Sultan  of  ^gypt,  who 
permitted  their  own  King  to  reign  over  them,  on  his  paying  him  a  certain  tribute.  In  one 
thousand  four  hundred  seventy  three,  one  of  the  Kings  left  this  island  to  the  Republick  of 
Venice,  who  enjoyed  it,  paying  the  tribute  to  ^gy pt,  until  it  was  taken  from  them  in  one 
thousand  five  hundred  and  seventy  under  Sultan  Selim,  and  it  has  ever  since  remained  in 
subjection  to  the  Ottoman  port. 

There  are  two  chains  of  mountains  that  run  along  the  island,  one  of  which  begins  at  the 
eastern  point  of  it,  and  extends  about  three  quarters  of  the  length  of  the  Island,  to  the  bay 
which  is  west  of  Gerines.  The  other  chain  of  mountains  begins  at  Cape  Pyla,  which  is  to  the 
east  of  Lernica,  and  stretches  away  to  the  north'  west  corner  of  the  island.  Pliny  mentions 
fifteen  cities  in  this  island,  and  probably  in  antient  times  there  were  as  many  Kingdoms ;  but 
at  the  time  of  Alexander  it  was  under  nine  Kings,  and  it  is  not  difficult  to  discover  what 
cities  with  their  territories,  composed  these  Kingdoms,  as  I  shall  have  occasion  to  observe  in 
the  journey  which  I  made  round  the  island. 

Limesol,  where  we  landed,  is  a  small  town,  built  of  unburnt  brick;  there  are  a  great 
number  of  mulberry  gardens  about  it,  with  houses  in  them,  which  makes  the  place  appear 
veiy  beautiful  at  a  distance ;  the  country  also  abounds  in  vineyards  and  the  rich  Cyprus  wine 
is  made  only  about  this  place ;  the  ordinary  wine  of  the  country  being  exceedingly  bad.  It 
is  one  of  the  cheapest  places  in  the  island,  which  is  the  reason  why  ships  bound  to  ^gypt, 
and  other  parts  put  in  here  to  victual.  I  was  told  that  a  small  heifer  sells  sometimes  for  two 
dollars,  or  five  shillings :  they  have  built  a  castle  and  platform  here,  to  defend  themselves 
against  the  Maltese.  The  Greeks  have  two  churches  one  of  which  is  a  very  handsome  new 
built  fabric. 

We  were  entertained  in  a  house  of  the  English  Viceconsul  who  was  a  Greek,  and  on  the 
same  day  that  we  landed  we  hired  mules,  and  set  out  to  the  east.  We  travelled  through  a 
narrow  plain  on  the  sea  side  and  going  about  two  miles  came  to  the  river  Char  where  they 
keep  a  guard  against  the  corsairs.  When  rivers  are  mentioned  in  Cyprus,  they  must  be 
understood  only  as  beds  of  winter  torrents ;  for  I  could  find  but  one  in  all  the  island  that  has 
always  water  in  it.  At  the  end  of  the  plain  there  are  ruins  of  a  low  hill,  which  are  called  old 
Limesol;  it  is  about  two  leagues  from  the  town.  This  is  generally  agreed  to  be  Amathus, 
which  is  said  to  have  had  its  name  from  Amathus,  who  built  a  temple  here  to  Venus  called 
on  this  account,  Venus  Amathusia;  it  is  said  to  have  been  sacred  both  to  Venus  and  Adonis. 
This  was  probably  the  capital  of  one  of  the  nine  Kingdoms  of  Cyprus.  It  is  said,  that  Richard 
the  first  of  England,  being  hindered  by  the  inhabitants  from  taking  in  water  on  the  island 
when  he  was  going  to  the  holy  war,  came  to  this  place  on  his  return,  and  took  Isaac,  King  of 
Cyprus,  prisoner,  and  sent  him  in  silver  chains  to  Tripoli  in  Syria.  There  are  remains  of  the 
walls,  which  are  fifteen  feet  thick,  and  cased  with  hewn  stone. 

On  the  west  side  there  is  a  building  like  an  old  castle,  probably  on  the  site  of  the  antient 
city,  which  might  extend  to  the  east  as  far  as  that  part,  where  there  are  great  heaps  of  ruins. 


POCOCKE. 


253 


and  among  them  a  handsome  ruinous  church  which  may  be  on  the  spot  where  the  temple 
was  built  to  Venus  and  Adonis,  in  which  the  Feasts  of  the  latter  were  annually  celebrated. 
There  seems  also  to  have  been  a  suburb  to  the  east  extending  to  the  river  Antigonia. 

About  seven  leagues  to  the  east  north  east  of  this  place,  is  a  mountain  called  by  the 
Greeks  Oros  Staveroa,  and  by  Europeans  Monte  Croce,  it  was  called  by  the  antients  Mount 
Olympus,  and  was  compared  by  them  to  the  human  breast ;  it  has  the  Greek  name  from  a 
convent  on  the  top  of  it,  dedicated  to  the  holy  cross.  We  went  about  an  hour  and  a  half 
further,  and  lay  at  a  christian  village  called  Menie.  On  the  thirtieth  we  crossed  the  hills 
that  make  the  point  which  is  to  the  east  of  Limesol,  and  having  travelled  some  time  we  came 
to  Cape  Malzotu;  to  the  west  of  it  there  is  a  narrow  vale,  which  is  a  morassy  ground;  there 
are  many  trees  and  very  high  reeds  growing  in  it,  and  I  saw  some  ruins  here.  Soon  after  we 
passed  about  half  a  mile  to  the  South  of  the  village  Malzoto,  which  is  computed  to  be  nine 
hours  from  Limesol,  and  is  directly  South  of  the  summit  of  Mount  Croce.  Paliea  which  is 
mentioned  as  between  Arnathus  and  Citium,  might  be  about  this  place.  We  came  in  an  hour 
to  the  river  Bouzy,  where  there  was  a  small  stream,  and  in  about  an  hour  more  to  cape 
Chede;  there  are  several  hamlets  about  it  that  go  by  that  name.  A  rivulet  rises  out  of 
Mount  Croce,  which  is  called  Creiz  Simeoyie,  and  falls  into  the  sea  near  this  head ;  it  is 
probably  the  river  Tetim,  mentioned  between  Citium  and  Amathus.  I  saw  to  the 
north  a  village  called  Der  Stephaiu';  in  about  an  hour  we  came  to  a  large  village  called 
Bronilaha,  and  in  half  an  hour  passed  over  the  bed  of  a  torrent,  and  came  to  the  large  lakes, 
from  which  they  collect  every  year  great  quantities  of  salt ;  they  are  tilled  by  rain  water,  and 
the  soil  being  full  of  nitre,  produces  the  salt,  when  the  water  is  evaporated  in  summer;  but 
in  case  there  is  too  much  water,  occasioned  by  extraordinary  rains,  it  is  not  salt  enough  to 
harden  into  cakes,  and  foi-  this  reason  the  N'enetians  had  drains  to  carry  off  the  water,  which 
are  now  neglected.  To  the  west  of  these  lakes  there  is  a  small  Turkish  convent,  in  which 
there  is  only  one  Dervish  ;  they  liave  a  sepulchre  tliere,  which  is  held  in  great  veneration  by 
the  Mahamctun.'i,  it  being,  as  they  say,  the  place  wliere  the  foster  sister  of  Fatiinah,  the  sister 
of  Mahomet  was  Imried  :  'I'hese  salt  lakes  extend  almost  to  Larnica,  and  make  it  the  most 
unhealthy  place  in  the  island.  When  we  arrived  at  Larnica,  where  the  Franks  reside,  I  went 
to  the  house  of  the  English  Consid,  to  whom  1  was  recommended. 

Larnica  is  situated  a  small  mile  from  the  sea :  At  the  port  which  belongs  to  it  there  is 
a  little  town  called  the  Marine;  the  harbour  is  naturally  well  sheltered,  but  the  .ships  lie  off 
at  some  distance,  and  the  boats  come  ashoar  on  an  open  beach,  and  are  drawn  up  to  land. 
Tho'  this  place  is  very  unhealthy,  yet  the  Franks  are  settled  here,  as  it  is  very  convenient  on 
account  of  its  situation  with  regard  to  Nicosia,  where  the  government  resides,  it  being  only 
six  leagues  from  it. 

There  is  a  large  antient  church  at  the  port,  dedicated  to  Saint  Lazanis,  where  they  shew 
his  sepulchre ;  it  is  a  small  grot  cut  out  of  the  rock ;  they  say,  that  this  saint  being  put  into 
a  boat  at  Joppa,  and  committed  to  the  mercy  of  the  sea,  he  was  drove  to  this  place,  and  became 
bishop  of  it,  aTid  that  his  body  was  stolen  away  by  the  French  and  carried  to  Marseilles;  but 
the  French  say,  that  he  was  drove  on  their  coasts.  The  ruins  of  the  antient  city  of  Kitium 
are  between  the  town  of  Larnica  and  the  Marine,  which  was  a  capital  of  a  second  Kingdom 
in  Cyprus.  It  was  famous  for  the  birth  of  the  great  philosopher  Zeiu),  and  for  the  death  of 
the  renowned  Athenian  general  Cimon,  who  expired  at  the  siege  of  it.  Ptolemy  the  son  of 
Lagus,  destroyed  this  city,  and  removed  its  inhabitants  to  new  Paphos;  it  was  about  three 
miles  in  circumference.  There  is  reason  to  think  that  in  very  antient  times  the  sea  washed 
the  south  walls  of  it,  though  it  is  now  a  quarter  of  a  nule  distant.    To  the  east  of  the  old 


254 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


town  there  was  a  large  bason  now  almost  filled  up ;  it  served  for  the  security  of  the  shipping, 
and  was  defended  by  a  strong  castle,  as  appears  by  the  foundations  of  it ;  this  must  be  the 
inclosed  port  mentioned  by  the  antients;  the  walls  seem  to  have  been  very  strong,  and 
in  the  foundations  there  have  been  found  many  stones,  with  inscriptions  on  them,  in  an 
unintelligible  character,  which,  I  suppose,  is  the  antient  Phsenician;  and  if  the  city  was  ever 
rebuilt,  after  it  was  destroyed  by  Ptolemy,  these  stones  might  be  put  into  the  walls  when 
they  were  repaired.  They  have  discovered  a  great  number  of  antient  sepulchres  in  and 
about  the  city  of  Larnica ;  I  saw  some  built  of  hewn  stone ;  in  one  of  them  I  observed  the 
stones  were  laid  along  at  top  like  large  beams,  and  others  laid  over  them  like  a  floor ;  there 
is  another  which  ends  at  an  angle,  and  both  are  of  excellent  workmanship,  and  finished  in 
the  most  perfect  manner.  The  fathers  of  the  Terra  Santa  have  a  large  convent  in  this  town ; 
the  Capuchins  also  have  a  monastery  here ;  and  the  Greeks  four  or  five  very  good  churches. 
The  republick  of  Ragusa  have  a  consul  residing  in  this  place,  as  well  as  the  French  and 
English. 

Chap.  II. 

Of  Famagusta  and  the  antient  Salamis. 

On  the  tenth  of  November  we  set  out  from  Larnica  on  mules,  under  the  protection  of  the 
consul's  janizari,  in  order  to  make  the  tour  round  the  island.  We  travelled  eastward  and 
came  to  the  bed  of  a  torrent,  called  Camhorounula,  which  had  water  in  it ;  I  saw  mounds 
near  it,  which  might  be  the  remains  of  some  antient  work.  In  three  quarters  of  an  hour  we 
came  to  the  hills  that  stretch  to  cape  Pyla :  That  head  must  be  the  antient  Promontory  of 
Dades;  I  observed  an  old  tower  on  it.  We  came  to  the  vale  of  Ormilia,  where  there  are 
several  houses  and  silk  gardens  belonging  to  the  people  of  Larnica.  We  afterwards  had 
a  sight  of  cape  Grega,  probably  the  same  as  that  which  the  writers  of  the  Turkish  history 
call  cape  Grraecia,  and  was  probably  cape  Throni  of  the  antients,  where  there  was  a  city  of 
the  same  name.  Going  on  I  was  told  that  we  passed  within  four  miles  of  Trapeza,  which,  if 
I  mistake  not,  is  to  the  right,  though  Blaeu's  map  puts  a  place  of  that  name  near  Famagusta ; 
this  probably  is  a  village  near  the  high  hill,  that  was  compared  by  the  antients  to  a  table, 
and  was  sacred  to  Venits ;  I  had  a  view  of  it  on  this  head  of  land.  This  hill  was  over  cape 
Pedalium,  which  may  be  the  same  as  Ammochostus,  and  I  suppose  it  to  be  the  northern 
point  of  that  broad  head  of  land,  which  is  now  called  cape  Grega.  Pedalium  is  thought  to 
be  a  corruption  of  the  antient  name  Idalium,  there  having  been  a  town  of  that  name  in 
Cyprus,  which  was  sacred  to  Venus ;  the  Idalian  wood  was  near  it,  in  which,  according  to 
antient  fables,  Adonis,  a  favourite  of  Venus,  was  killed  by  a  boar,  and  they  feign  that  she 
turned  him  into  a  flower.  There  are  two  ports  mentioned  between  this  and  Salamis,  which 
are  Leucola  and  Arsinoe;  a  city  also  is  mentioned  with  the  latter,  which  might  be  where 
Famagusta  is  at  present  situated. 

We  came  to  a  village  called  Merash,  which  is  half  a  mile  south  of  Famagusta,  where  the 
Christians  live  who  are  not  permitted  to  dwell  within  the  city.  I  was  here  recommended  to 
a  Christian,  who  assigned  me  a  room,  which  he  had  built  in  his  garden,  where  I  was  entirely 
alone,  and  sent  to  the  town  for  whatever  I  wanted.  The  next  day  I  went  with  the  janizari 
to  the  city ;  for  though  I  had  a  letter  to  the  Governor,  yet  I  was  advised  not  to  send  it,  as  I 
had  no  present  for  him.  I  went  with  all  freedom  wherever  I  pleased  about  the  town.  The 
Governor  however  was  afterwards  informed,  that  I  had  viewed  the  town  very  exactly,  and 
wrote  everything  down,  tho'  I  had  only  copied  a  short  Greek  inscription.    Upon  this  he  sent 


POCOCKE. 


255 


orders  to  the  muleteer  not  to  go  any  further  with  me,  and  that  they  should  not  permit  any 
Franks  to  come  into  the  city,  on  which  I  sent  the  janizari  with  the  letter  to  the  Governor, 
who  was  very  satisfied,  and  said  he  should  be  glad  to  see  me. 

The  city  of  Famagusta  is  about  two  miles  in  circumference,  and  well  fortified  by  the 
Venetians;  it  is  of  an  oblong  square  figure;  the  bastions  are  all  semicircular;  on  the  west 
side  of  the  town,  a  rising  ground  runs  along  from  north  to  south,  on  which  they  took  the 
advantage  to  l)uild  the  rampart,  which  makes  it  exceedingly  strong  this  way,  a  fossee  being 
cut  into  the  rock  on  the  three  sides  to  the  land ;  and  in  that  to  the  west  there  are  covered 
ways  to  sally  out.  This  high  ground,  which  is  the  strength  of  the  west  side,  exposed  the 
south  part  of  the  town  to  the  enemy,  for  it  was  from  this  part  that  the  Turkish  general 
battered  the  south  gate,  which  is  the  only  entrance  from  the  land;  and  it  is  probable,  that 
from  the  high  ground  on  the  north  side  they  i)lante(l  their  Ijatteries  against  the  north  east 
corner  to  the  sea,  where  there  is  a  strong  castle  also  fortiKed  within.  There  is  a  gate  from 
the  city  to  the  port,  which  is  well  sheltered  by  several  rocks,  and  the  entrance  to  it,  which 
is  at  the  north  east  corner,  is  defended  by  a  chain  drawn  across  to  the  castle;  it  was  here 
that  the  stuffed  skin  of  the  brave  unfortunate  Bnujadine  was  hung  up  at  the  yard  of  a  galley, 
after  he  had  been  most  inhumanly  flay'd  alive  by  the  treacherous  Turks,  against  whom  he  had 
bravely  defended  the  city.  I  observed  on  the  ramparts  the  names  of  several  of  the  Vewfian 
Governors  of  Cyprus;  and  near  the  gate  there  are  two  statues  of  lyons,  one  of  which  is  very 
large,  they  were  probably  set  up  on  some  pillars  in  the  principal  parts  of  the  city  after  the 
Venetian  manner.  The  antient  piazza  seems  to  have  been  very  beautiful ;  the  house  of  the 
Governor  with  a  portico  before  it,  is  on  one  side,  and  the  western  front  of  the  church  of  saint 
Sophia  on  the  other;  it  is  a  most  beautiful  Gothic  building,  now  converted  into  a  mosque, 
but  about  three  years  ago  two  thircls  of  it  was  thrown  down  by  an  earthquake,  together 
with  the  greatest  part  of  the  city.  liefore  it  there  is  a  Greek  inscription  on  a  black  stone, 
which  might  be  part  of  a  pedestal  for  a  statue :  near  the  north  west  corner  of  the  church 
there  are  two  pillars,  which  probably  had  on  them  the  Venetian  ensigns;  near  these  is  a 
coffin  of  white  marble  adorned  with  ly»jns  heads,  and  festoons  held  by  cupids.  It  is  surprising 
to  see  what  a  great  number  of  churches  there  are  in  this  city;  St  George's,  one  of  the  most 
magnificent,  was  thrown  down  by  the  earthquake ;  another  large  one,  which,  if  1  mistake 
not,  was  dedicated  to  saint  Catherine,  is  now  the  principal  mo.sque. 

There  is  very  little  trade  at  the  place,  which  is  tlu'  reason  why  all  provisions  are  cheap 
here,  the  price  of  a  fat  sheep  being  only  half  a  crown.  No  Christian  is  suffered  to  live 
within  the  walls,  unless  it  be  in  confinement,  in  which  condition  I  saw  a  Greek  patriarch  of 
C(»ixt(i)iti}ii>plc,  who  being  deposed,  and  intriguing  in  order  to  sui)i)lant  his  successor,  was 
banished  to  this  place  a  few  months  before;  1  saw  him  afterwards  in  one  of  the  Princes 
Islands  near  Constantinople  returned  from  banishment.  They  will  not  suffer  a  Christian  to 
go  in  or  out  of  the  city,  otherwise  than  on  foot;  and  a  Enropian  having  obtained  a  firman 
from  the  (rrand  Sigiior  to  enter  the  citj'  in  his  chaise,  when  he  sent  it  to  the  (iovernor, 
received  this  answer  in  a  very  cool  manner:  "That  in  obedience  to  the  finnan  he  might 
enter  in  his  carriage,  hut  that  he  would  not  j)ermit  him  to  go  out  of  the  city  in  it." 

The  present  buildings  do  not  take  up  above  half  the  space  within  the  walls,  and  a  great 
part  even  of  those  are  not  inhabited.  Thej^  have  very  good  water  brought  three  or  four 
miles  by  an  aqueduct,  which  is  carried  for  the  most  part  in  a  chainiel  on  the  ground. 

Between  the  two  chains  of  mountains  that  stretch  along  the  island,  there  is  a  large  plain 
seven  or  eight  miles  wide,  and  between  thirty  and  forty  long,  beginning  about  Famagusta; 
as  it  is  one  of  the  best  parts  of  Cyprus,  and  most  secure  from  the  privateers,  so  it  is  chiefly 


256 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


inhabited  by  Turks,  the  Christians  living  more  upon  the  mountains,  and  near  the  sea,  as 
they  are  exempted  from  that  slavery  which  falls  to  the  lot  of  the  Turks  when  they  come  into 
the  hands  of  these  privateers :  this  plain  seems  to  have  been  the  antient  kingdom  of  Salamis 
founded  by  Teucer ;  the  capital  of  it,  which  bore  the  same  name,  was  at  the  end  of  the  plain 
on  the  sea.  The  Jews  destroyed  the  old  city  of  Salamis  in  the  time  of  Trajan ;  it  was  after- 
wards called  Constantia,  probably  from  the  Emperor  Constantius;  it  was  again  destroyed 
by  the  Saracens  under  Heraclius,  and  probably  it  was  not  afterwards  rebuilt.  We  set  out  to 
see  the  old  city  on  the  twelfth,  and  in  half  an  hour  came  to  a  large  bason,  which  is  filled  by 
rain  water,  a,nd  in  half  an  hour  more  to  a  stream,  over  which  there  is  a  bridge ;  this  must  be 
the  antient  Pedius.  On  the  north  side  of  it  are  the  remains  of  Salamis.  There  are  still  large 
heaps  of  ruins  on  the  spot  of  the  antient  city,  and  great  remains  of  the  foundations  of  the 
walls,  which  seem  to  have  been  between  three  and  four  miles  in  circumference.  The  port 
is  to  the  south ;  it  seems  to  have  been  made  by  art,  and  is  almost  filled  up ;  the  small  river 
Pedius  empties  itself  into  the  sea  at  this  place.  Antient  geographers  mention  two  islands  of 
Salamis  which  are  not  now  seen.  On  examining  the  ground  I  imagine  the  sea  might  have 
left  these  islands,  and  I  saw  near  the  port  some  rising  grounds  with  channels  near  them, 
which  might  formerly  be  filled  by  the  sea.  There  appears  to  have  been  a  more  modern  city 
here  than  that  antient  one  built  by  Teucer,  and  there  are  great  remains  of  the  foundations  of 
the  wall  of  the  new  town,  which  was  about  half  as  big  as  the  old  city.  The  inner  walls  are 
supposed  to  be  those  of  the  new  town,  and  the  outer  ones  those  of  the  old  city.  On  that  side 
of  the  town,  which  is  next  to  the  port,  there  are  ruins  of  a  large  church,  and  also  of  a  small 
one ;  and  to  the  north  of  the  town  there  are  some  very  thick  walls,  which  are  also  probably 
the  ruins  of  a  church.  There  is  likewise  a  square  plain  spot,  which  might  be  either  a  piazza, 
or  a  bason  for  water.  On  the  north  of  the  new  town,  just  within  the  gate,  there  are  several 
grey  granite  pillars  Ijring  on  the  ground,  and  two  or  three  Corinthian  capitals  of  grey  marble 
cut  in  a  very  beautiful  and  particular  manner.  These  pillars  seem  to  have  belonged  to 
a  temple.  This  place  is  now  called  old  Famagusta,  and  is  about  four  miles  distant  from  the 
modern  town.  There  are  remains  of  an  aqueduct  to  this  city;  all  the  arches  which  I  saw 
of  it  were  Gothic,  and  there  is  an  inscription  on  it  in  Greek,  which  makes  mention  of  an 
archbishop :  the  antient  aqueduct  being  probably  repaired  when  the  new  city  was  built,  after 
the  establishment  of  Christianity  in  these  parts.  I  saw  the  arches  all  along  the  plain,  ex- 
tending towards  the  mountains  to  the  north  west ;  on  the  site  of  which  mountains  the  water 
was  conveyed  from  a  plentiful  source  which  I  saw  at  Cherkes,  thought  by  some  to  have  had 
its  name  from  the  old  Cythera,  though  that  place  must  have  been  farther  to  the  south.  The 
Tables  place  Citari  in  the  road  from  Salamis  to  Tremitus  now  called  Nicosia.  Cherkes  is 
six  or  seven  leagues  to  the  west  north  west  in  a  valley  between  the  hills ;  it  is  beautifully 
improved  with  mulberry  gardens  for  the  silkworms;  the  plentiful  sources  of  water  which 
supplied  this  acqueduct  are  a  considerable  way  in  between  the  hills. 

To  the  west  of  Salamis  there  is  a  small  ruined  church,  and  near  it  a  very  little  church, 
built  and  arched  over  with  very  large  stones,  half  of  it  is  now  underground ;  it  is  dedicated 
to  St  Catherine,  who  as  they  say,  was  daughter  of  King  Costa,  the  founder  of  the  present 
Famagtbsta,  and  that  the  city  had  its  name  from  him.  In  this  church  there  is  a  well,  and  on 
one  side  a  chapel  built  of  three  stones,  the  four  sides  consisting  only  of  two  stones,  and  it  is 
covered  with  a  third,  which  is  angular  at  top.  If  I  mistake  not,  they  say,  this  Saint  was 
buried  in  this  chapel,  and  there  seems  to  have  been  a  tomb  in  it.  A  mile  to  the  west  there  is 
a  monastery  and  a  large  church  dedicated  to  St  Barnabas,  which  seems  to  have  been  a  fine 
building ;  the  church  has  been  ruined  and  rebuilt ;  the  foundations  of  the  east  end  of  the  old 


POCOCKE. 


257 


cliurcli  remain  in  three  semicircles.  About  half  a  furlong  east  of  this  church  there  is  a 
descent  by  several  steps  to  a  sepulchral  grot  cut  in  tlie  rock,  with  niches  for  bodies  on  three 
sides  of  it :  here,  they  saj',  the  body  of  St  Barnabas  was  deposited,  who  was  a  native  of  this 
island,  and  suffered  martyrdom  at  Salamis  in  the  time  of  Nero.  At  the  entrance  of  the  grot 
there  is  a  well  of  water  that  is  a  little  salt,  and  a  small  chapel  is  built  over  the  grotto,  which 
does  not  seem  to  be  of  any  great  antiquity. 

Chap.  III. 

Of  Carpasy  axu  some  other  places  in  the  Eastern  part  of  Cyprus. 

From  Salamis  we  went  on  northward,  and  having  travelled  about  five  miles  came  to  the 
river  Deraie,  over  which  there  is  a  long  bridge  like  a  causeway,  and  a  high  ground  to  the 
south  of  it,  which  might  be  the  situation  of  some  antient  town.  In  half  an  hour  we  came  to 
the  river  Chour;  we  then  turned  to  the  east,  passed  over  some  hills  of  cape  Chaulehernou, 
and  crossing  a  river,  we  approached  high  hills,  on  which  there  is  a  castle  called  the  hundred 
and  one  chambers.  These  mountains  take  up  almost  all  that  narrow  tract,  which  seems  to 
have  been  called  the  Olympian  promontorj^,  and  probably  this  highest  part  of  the  mountains 
was  called  mount  Olymjnis,  on  which  there  was  a  temple  to  Ventis,  probably  Venits  Urania, 
or  the  chast  Vemis;  for  there  was  a  city  in  this  part  called  Urania,  which  was  destroyed  by 
Diogenes  Puliorcetes,  and  it  was  not  lawful  for  any  woman  to  enter  this  temple,  or  so  much  as 
look  on  it ;  all  this  promontory  seems  to  have  been  the  kingdom  of  Carpasia.  I  observed  in 
this  part  a  great  (luantity  of  talc  in  the  hills.  We  arrived  at  a  village  called  Patrick,  where 
we  were  well  received  by  the  (ireek  priest.  On  the  thirteenth  we  proceeded  on  our  journey, 
and  began  to  cross  the  hill  towards  the  north  side  of  the  island,  and  came  to  a  village  called 
Galadia,  finely  situated  on  a  high  ground.  We  travelled  on  through  a  very  fine  country 
abounding  in  wood,  and  passed  through  Ai-Androuiko,  where  there  is  a  small  stream,  the 
sources  of  which  never  fail ;  this  village  on  the  south  side  is  inhabited  by  Turks,  and  on  the 
north  by  Christians.  All  these  places  are  nnich  infested  by  the  Maltese  corsairs.  We  lay 
in  the  house  of  the  priest  of  Yali'itsee  or  JaUnisn  on  tlie  north  side  of  the  island,  where  there 
is  an  antient  Greek  church ;  we  saw  the  coast  of  Cilicia  very  plainly  from  this  place.  On 
the  fourteenth  we  came  to  a  ruined  village,  called  Mnshargona,  where  they  have  a  tradition 
that  some  king  antiently  resided,  soon  after  we  came  to  a  small  cape,  on  which  there  are 
ruins  of  a  church  dedicated  to  St  Marina;  it  is  built  of  fine  hewn  stone,  and  the  place  is 
called  Selenia.  Having  travelled  about  four  hours,  we  went  to  the  left  of  the  antient  convent 
of  Jahiusa;  there  is  also  a  bay  here  of  the  same  name,  and  as  there  is  a  place  so  called  near 
Scanderoon,  which  is  the  bay  that  had  the  antient  name  of  Siniut  Issirns  in  Cilicia  ;  this, 
without  doubt,  must  be  Sinns  Issiciu'<  of  Cyprus,  which  was  in  this  part  of  the  i.sland.  This 
is  probably  the  shoar  of  the  Acheans  where  Tencer  first  landed.  We  arrived  at  Carpass,  and 
went  about  two  miles  northwards  to  the  i)lain  and  to  old  Carpasy,  called  by  the  antients 
Carpasia,  the  capital  citj"  of  the  kingdom  of  that  name,  which  is  now  given  to  all  the  country. 
The  island  here  is  only  three  miles  and  three  quarters  broad.  There  are  some  ruins  at  old 
Carpass,  especially  the  remains  of  a  wall  near  half  a  mile  in  circumference,  with  a  pier  from 
it  into  the  sea,  at  the  end  of  which  there  are  some  signs  of  a  tower.  The  whole  seems  to  have 
been  im\y  a  castle  for  the  defence  of  the  port.  To  the  east  of  it  there  is  a  very  good  church 
in  the  Greek  style,  which  belonged  to  a  monastery  near  called  Aiiutphilosi' ;  they  call  this 
place  also  Salamina,  and  I  was  told  that  this  name  was  given  it  by  some  religious  persons, 
c.  83 


258 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


who  began  to  improve  the  place  not  a  great  many  years  ago,  but  wei-e  obliged  to  leave  it  on 
account  of  the  Maltese  privateers.  About  the  village  of  Carpas  there  are  a  great  number  of 
small  ruined  churches  or  chapels,  which  might  formerly  be  built  for  the  use  of  wealthy 
families,  who  might  retire  to  this  place.  It  was  on  the  Carpasian  shoars  that  Diogenes 
Poliorcetes  landed  his  army. 

On  the  fifteenth  we  travelled  eastward  to  the  village  of  Asphronisy,  where  there  are 
ruins  of  four  churches,  and  it  seems  to  have  been  some  antient  town ;  for  I  saw  on  both  sides 
of  it  ruins  of  a  Avail  extending  towards  the  sea.  We  came  to  the  most  eastern  point  of  the 
island,  called  by  the  antients  the  ox's  tail,  probably  from  some  imaginary  resemblance ;  it 
is  now  called  the  cape  oi  St  Andreto,  from  a  monastery  which  is  cut  out  of  the  rock,  and 
dedicated  to  that  saint.  Opposite  to  the  north  east  corner  are  the  isles  called  Clides  by  the 
antients ;  the  largest  of  which  is  not  a  mile  in  circumference ;  authors  differ  about  the  number 
of  them ;  those  who  name  but  two,  probably  took  notice  only  of  the  two  largest ;  there  are 
two  more  that  appear  only  as  rocks,  the  furthest  of  which  is  not  a  mile  from  the  land ;  there 
is  another  Avhich  has  some  herbage  on  it,  and  may  be  the  second  as  to  its  dimensions ;  it  is 
so  very  near  to  the  land  that  it  may  have  been  separated  from  it  since  those  authors  wrote. 
At  the  north  east  corner  there  is  a  grot  cut  out  of  the  rock,  which  seems  to  have  been  a 
sepulchre ;  there  are  some  signs  of  a  large  enclosure  round  it,  and  higher  are  several  sorts  of 
oblong  square  buildings  of  hewn  stone,  which  appear  but  a  very  little  above  the  ground,  and 
seem  to  have  had  covers  over  them;  I  conjecture  that  they  Avere  sepulchres  of  very  great 
antiquity ;  one,  which  is  built  in  a  more  magnificent  manner  than  the  rest,  made  me  conclude 
that  they  might  be  the  sepulchres  of  the  antient  kings  of  this  part  of  Cyprus ;  it  consists  of 
three  enclosures ;  there  are  but  two  tiers  of  stone  above  ground ;  the  outermost  building  is 
one  and  thirty  feet  square,  and  the  walls  are  one  foot  nine  inches  thick;  Avithin  it,  at  the 
distance  of  tAvo  feet  six  inches,  there  is  a  second,  and,  at  the  same  distance  Avithin  that, 
a  third ;  the  top  of  AA-hich  is  cut  Avith  a  ledge  within  to  receive  a  cover.  It  is  possible  the  two 
outer  Avails  might  be  built  up  higher,  and  there  might  have  been  entrances  through  them  to 
the  sepulchre.  The  Avhole  is  a  A^ery  particular  sort  of  Avork,  and  of  such  a  kind  as  I  never 
saw  in  any  other  place.  There  are  signs  of  foundations  of  a  building  on  a  little  mount,  which 
is  a  rock  of  marble  of  different  colours  stretching  into  the  sea,  and  it  is  a  very  good  situation 
for  a  light  house,  tho'  there  are  some  remains  on  a  little  point  very  near  it,  that  have  more 
the  appearance  of  such  a  building.  All  this  country  to  the  east  of  Carpass  for  about  tAvelve 
miles  is  almost  uninhabited,  except  that  there  are  a  few  Turkish  herdsmen  on  the  south  side, 
where  there  is  a  fine  narroAv  plain.  The  desolate  condition  of  this  part  of  the  island  is 
occasioned  by  the  constant  depredations  of  the  Maltese  privateers,  who  land  more  frequently 
here  than  in  any  other  part.  From  the  eastern  point  I  saw  very  plainly  mount  Cassius  near 
Antioch,  and  the  mountain  of  Rhossus,  now  called  cape  Hog,  Avhich  is  betAveen  Kepse  and 
Scanderoon. 

We  traA'elled  on  southAvard  from  this  point,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  arrived  at  the 
uninhabited  convent  of  saint  Andrea,  in  Avhich  there  formerly  lived  two  or  three  monks.  We 
went  to  the  south  side  of  the  island,  crossed  the  hills,  and  came  to  a  very  large  village  which 
is  called  Mairou,  Avhich  is  about  half  a  mile  broad ;  at  the  west  end  of  it  we  began  to  cross 
the  hills  to  the  north,  and  saw  a  cape  to  the  south  called  Peda.  We  arrived  again  at  Carpass 
on  the  sixteenth,  and  Avent  to  the  convent  of  Jalousa,  Ave  passed  by  Selina,  Avhere  I  saw 
remains  of  pillars  four  feet  in  diameter,  and  came  to  Jalousa.  On  the  seventeenth  we  went 
about  two  leagues  to  the  south  east  of  Jalousa,  near  a  place  called  Aimana,  and  came  to 
a  large  grot  cut  into  a  mountain,  being  very  difficult  of  access ;  and  there  is  another  grot  of 


POCOCKK. 


2o9 


the  same  kind  two  leagues  to  the  east  of  it,  near  a  village  called  Gall i porno,  it  is  a  gallery 
with  four  apartments  on  each  side,  in  most  of  which  there  are  holes  cut  down  like  sepulchres, 
which  are  now  filled  up.  On  the  hills  above  it,  are  some  small  ruins  of  an  antient  place, 
which  might  be  Urania,  taken  l)y  Diogenex  Poliorcetes,  and  I  saw  near  the  grot  a  great 
number  of  sepulchres  cut  into  the  rock,  many  of  them  being  in  the  manner  of  graves,  which 
seem  to  liave  had  stone  covers  over  them.  Towards  the  west  end  of  this  promontory  the 
mountains  are  very  high,  and  the  foot  of  them  stretches  out  in  such  a  manner  towards  the 
north  sea,  that  there  is  no  passage  on  the  north  side  of  them ;  and,  I  suppose,  that  these  hills 
were  the  bounds  of  the  kingdom  of  Carpa.na  on  the  north  west  side;  those  to  the  south  west 
being  proljal)ly  the  low  mountains,  by  which  there  is  a  narrow  pass  to  the  sea.  Aphrodisium 
was  situated  near  the  west  part  of  the  promontory,  and  probably  on  the  shoar  to  the  north ; 
it  was  about  nine  miles  from  the  territory  of  Sulamis.  From  this  grotto  we  returned  again 
to  Jaloiim.  On  the  eighteenth  we  travelled  to  the  north  west  and  came  to  Andronica,  where 
part  of  the  village  are  Turks,  who  are  sometimes  under  such  apprehensions  of  the  Corsairs, 
that  for  security  they  go  and  lie  on  the  mountains,  and  tliey  told  me,  that  some  of  them  have 
even  perished  with  cold  in  those  retreats.  AVe  afterwards  came  to  a  village  of  Tiirk.s,  where 
one  of  them  holds  liis  lands  on  the  condition  of  entertaining  strangers,  and  his  people  came 
and  drew  water  for  oui"  mules;  this  was  in  the  i-oad  from  the  northern  parts  to  Faruagusta. 
From  this  place  we  went  out  of  the  road  northwards,  near  an  hour  to  the  mountains  called 
Eshbereve  •  on  the  highest  summit  of  which  is  the  strong  castle  of  the  hundred  chambers 
before  mentioned,  which  is  almost  entire.  We  h\y  at  a  Christian  \'illage  on  the  north  side 
of  the  hill. 

Chap.  IV. 
Of  Nk  <isia,  Gkuinks,  Lapta,  and  Soli. 

On  the  nineteenth  we  travelled  westward  on  the  north  ^ide  of  the  island,  ami  came  to 
a  very  pleasant  village  called  Agathou,  situated  at  the  beginning  of  the  plain  on  the  sea : 
there  are  a  great  number  of  cypress  and  orange  trees  about  it,  and  it  is  probable  that  Mararia 
was  situated  near  this  place.  The  plain  is  a  very  narrow  strip  of  land  not  above  a  mile  broad, 
but  extends  westward  for  about  thirty  miles,  almost  to  the  ])ay  where  these  mountains  end; 
I  take  this  to  have  been  the  kingdom  of  Laplthia,  and  shall  have  occasion  to  make  some 
ob.servations  on  the  supposed  capital  of  it.  On  the  20th  we  pursued  our  journey,  and 
ascending  the  hills  to  the  south,  \nsited  two  small  convents,  and  afterwards  the  monastery  of 
Antiplionvsr ;  it  is  famous  for  the  Lignuni  Cyprinum,  of  which  there  are  seven  trees,  there 
being  no  others  of  that  kind  in  the  island.  It  is  the  oriental  plane  tree,  and  is  engraved  in 
this  volume  among  the  plants  whidi  I  ])rought  from  the  east.  We  crossed  over  the  hill  to  the 
south,  and  came  into  the  great  plain  between  Famagusta  and  Nicosia,  and  lay  at  a  Christian 
village  MarasliimloH.  On  the  twentj'-first  we  travelled  northwest  to  a  \-illage  called  Chyterfa 
by  the  Franks,  of  which  I  have  already  given  an  aecouut,  and  of  tiie  river  there,  which 
supplied  the  acpieduct  at  Salamis. 

From  this  place  we  travelled  to  the  south  west  to  Nicosia.  I  went  to  the  house  of  the 
consul's  broker,  and  was  also  recommended  to  the  dragoman  of  the  mosolem  ;  both  of  them 
assisted  me  in  seeing  that  city,  which  is  towards  the  west  end  of  the  plain,  and  is  supposed  to 
be  the  old  Tremifns;  it  is  the  capital  of  Cyprus,  where  the  mosolem  or  governor  resides;  it 
is  fortified  with  very  large  ramparts,  but  has  no  fossee,  and  conseciuently  is  a  very  indifferent 
fortification  ;  the  ramparts  are  faced  with  the  hewn  stone  of  the  old  walls;  the  circumference 

33—2 


260 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


of  them  is  about  two  miles.  The  walls  of  the  antient  city,  which  were  built  with  semicii'cular 
towers,  may  be  traced  all  round,  and  they  seem  not  to  have  been  much  less  than  four  miles 
in  compass.  There  are  still  remaining  in  the  city  several  very  magnificent  houses,  which  are 
of  the  times  of  the  kings  of  Cyprus;  some  of  them  have  been  repaired  by  the  Venetians, 
according  to  the  rules  of  modern  architecture ;  and  there  is  a  most  beautiful  Corinthian  door- 
case of  a  house  which,  they  say,  belonged  to  the  Venetian  general.  The  cathedral  church,  now 
a  mosque,  is  a  large  building,  and  exceeds  that  of  Famagusta  in  the  front,  as  much  as  it  falls 
short  of  it  in  other  respects ;  there  was  also  a  church  here  dedicated  to  the  holy  cross,  and 
another  of  the  Augustinians,  which  are  now  mosques.  The  Greeks  have  several  new  built 
churches  in  the  city,  and  the  Latin  fathers  of  the  convent  of  the  holy  sepulchre  at  Jerusalem 
have  a  small  convent.  Though  there  are  very  few  Armenians,  yet  they  have  possession  of  an 
antient  church  here.  There  is  a  great  manufacture  of  cotton  stuffs,  particularly  of  very  fine 
dimities,  and  also  half  sattins  of  a  very  coarse  sort :  they  have  here  the  best  water  in  Cyprus, 
brought  by  an  aqueduct  from  the  mountains. 

Two  leagues  to  the  north  east  of  Nicosia,  on  the  side  of  the  mountains,  is  the  rich  convent 
of  Chrysostom,  to  which  we  went  on  the  twenty  third ;  it  belongs  to  the  Greek  convent  of  the 
holy  sepulchre  at  Jerusalem.  Over  it,  towards  the  top  of  the  mountain,  there  is  a  place 
called  the  hundred  and  one  chambers,  which  consists  of  several  buildings,  one  over  another; 
the  highest  is  very  difficult  of  access ;  they  have  a  tradition  that  a  queen  of  Cyprus,  who  had 
the  leprosy,  chose  to  live  here  for  the  benefit  of  the  air,  and  that  saint  John  Chrysostom 
advising  her  to  build  the  convent  below,  she  followed  his  counsel,  and  was  cured  of  her 
leprosy ;  others  add  that  she  bathed  in  a  water  there,  which  is  still  resorted  to  by  persons  in 
that  distemper,  who  find  benefit  by  it.  This  monastery  has  been  a  very  large  building, 
though  great  part  of  it  is  ruined;  thei'e  are  two  churches,  one  of  which,  called  Saint  Helena, 
is  ruinous,  the  other  is  covered  with  a  dome,  and  painted  all  over  -within ;  it  is  dedicated  to 
Saint  John  Chrysostom.  Before  it  is  a  handsome  portico,  from  which  there  ^are  three  doors 
with  fine  marble  door-cases,  that  do  not  seem  to  be  very  antient ;  two  scepters  were  formerly 
deposited  behind  the  folding  doors,  the  figures  of  which  are  painted  on  the  wall,  and  at  the 
bottom  there  is  a  place  where  the  crown  was  kept.  All  the  account  they  can  give  is,  that 
they  belonged  to  some  queen,  and  that  they  were  taken  away  by  a  pasha  of  Cyprus.  It  is 
possible  that  the  regalia  of  Cyprus  were  kept  here.  This  convent  is  near  the  road  which  leads 
to  Gerines. 

We  crossed  the  hills  again  to  the  north,  and  lay  at  a  village  called  Chilta.  On  the 
twenty  fourth  we  went  to  a  most  magnificent  uninhabited  convent,  which  is  almost  entire, 
called  Telabaise  it  consists  of  a  very  beautiful  cloister ;  on  one  side  of  it  there  is  a  magnificent 
refectory,  on  the  other  a  fine  room  up  one  flight  of  stairs,  which  might  be  a  library,  and  under 
it  there  are  two  very  handsome  apartments,  one  of  which  might  be  a  common  refectory,  and 
the  other  probably  served  to  receive  strangers ;  on  a  third  side,  is  a  church  of  a  more  antient 
and  heavy  building ;  all  the  rest  is  of  a  very  fine  Gothic  architecture,  and  in  the  cloister  they 
have  made  a  cistern  of  a  beautiful  coffin  of  white  marble  adorned  with  bulls  heads,  cupids, 
and  festoons  of  exquisite  workmanship. 

We  went  about  three  miles  to  a  ruined  port  called  Gerines,  which  is  the  antient  Cerynia ; 
the  ruined  walls  are  about  half  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  seem  to  be  on  the  foundation  of 
the  antient  walls,  for  I  observed  on  the  west  side,  a  large  fossee  cut  out  of  the  rock,  and  the 
old  town  might  extend  further  east  beyond  the  present  square  fort,  which  is  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  in  circumference.  Though  this  place  is  esteemed  to  be  very  strong,  yet  the  Venetian 
governor,  when  the  Turks  were  marching  towards  it,  (after  they  had  taken  Nicosia)  shame- 


POCOCKE. 


261 


fully  surrendered  the  fort,  before  the  enemy  laid  siege  to  it.  To  the  west  of  the  town  there 
are  a  great  number  of  sepulchral  grots,  and  I  saw  some  pillars  standing,  and  remains  of  the 
foundations  of  an  antient  building. 

There  is  one  church  in  the  town,  which  is  entire,  and  two  or  three  in  ruins;  the  priest 
resides  in  a  convent  of  Solea,  there  being  not  above  five  or  six  Christian  families  in  the  place. 
The  chief  trade  here  is  with  Selcfki  in  Caramania,  which  is  the  antient  Seleucia  in  Cilicia; 
the  commerce  is  carried  on  by  two  small  French  vessels,  which  export  rice  and  coffee  to  that 
part,  which  is  brought  to  Cyprus  from  ^gypt;  and  they  bring  back  storax,  and  a  great 
number  of  passengers.  They  also  sometimes  go  over  to  Satalia,  the  antient  Attalia  in 
I'amphylia;  but  Selefki  is  the  nearest  place  to  this  part  of  the  island,  being  only  thirty 
leagues  off. 

We  set  forward  towards  the  west,  and  travelled  about  two  leagues  to  the  ruins  of  antient 
Lapithos,  which  I  suppose  to  be  the  capital  of  an<;ther  kingdom.  Here  1  saw  several  walls 
that  were  cut  out  of  the  rock,  and  one  entire  room  over  the  sea;  there  are  also  remains 
of  soTne  towers  and  walls,  but  the  old  name  is  translated  to  a  village  near  called  Lapta, 
where  there  are  some  sources  of  very  tine  water,  which  seem  to  be  those  of  the  antient  river 
Lapithos.    I  lay  here  at  the  rich  convent  called  Acropede. 

On  the  twenty  fifth  we  went  on  to  a  bay,  and  saw  a  cape  beyond  it  called  in  Blaeu's 
map  Connachiti,  which  seems  to  be  the  old  Cape  Cromimuni.  We  crossed  the  hills  to  the 
.south  and  came  into  the  western  part  of  the  plain  in  which  Nicosia  stands;  for  this  plain  is 
bounded  to  the  west  by  some  low  hills,  which  stretch  from  the  end  of  the  northern  mountains 
to  the  southern  ones :  on  the  north  side  is  the  bay  where  I  suppose  the  antient  city  of  Soli 
stood. 

When  we  had  crossed  the  hills,  having  travelled  about  si.\  hours,  we  came  to  Morpho ; 
they  told  me  this  place  was  eight  leagues  from  Nicosia,  probably  the  city  of  Limenia  might 
be  situated  here.  We  went  to  the  magnificent  convent  of  Saint  Manuna  at  this  place,  which 
appears  to  have  been  built  on  a  very  grand  design ;  it  consists  of  two  courts,  the  buildings  of 
which  are  unfinished ;  they  are  separated  by  a  very  magnificent  church,  built  of  hewn  stone, 
and  dedicated  to  Saint  ^fanima,  whose  sepulchre  they  show  in  it.  She  is  held  in  great 
veneration  in  Cyprus,  and  they  have  some  legend  concerning  her  riding  on  a  lion,  in  which 
manner  they  always  paint  her.  Though  the  building  is  not  of  modern  architecture,  yet  it 
does  not  appear  to  be  very  antient;  I  conclude  that  it  might  have  been  built  a  little  before 
the  Venetians  had  possession  of  the  island;  being  founded  l)y  some  noble  family  of  Cyprus: 
they  have  a  water  near  which  they  say  is  miraculous. 

On  the  twenty  sixth  we  went  four  hours  to  the  north  west  to  a  large  bay,  where,  I 
suppt)se,  the  kingdom  of  CEyca  begins,  in  which  the  famous  Solon  took  refuge  when  he  was 
banished  out  of  Greece.  It  is  said  that  lu'  advised  the  king  of  this  country  to  leave  the  city 
of  CEgra,  which  was  situated  between  the  mountains;  and  to  inhabit  a  i)lainer  country.  I  was 
told  that  there  was  a  place  now  called  Eye,  situated  on  the  hills,  at  the  northwest  corner  of 
the  before-mentioned  bay,  where  the  southern  hills  come  to  the  sea,  there  are  ruins  of  a  very 
considerable  city,  which  T  suppose  to  be  Soli;  on  the  west  and  south  sides  it  was  Ixiunded  by 
those  hills;  and  to  the  north  and  east  by  the  sea,  a  wall  being  drawn  from  the  hills  to  the 
sea,  some  remains  of  which  are  still  seen,  as  well  as  of  a  bason  for  the  shipiiing  to  lye  in. 
The  most  remarkable  ruins  of  this  place  are  a  little  way  up  the  side  of  the  hills  to  the  west, 
where  I  saw  the  ruins  of  a  semicircular  wall,  but  could  not  judge  whether  it  was  the  remanis 
of  a  church,  or  of  an  antient  temple  or  theatre;  lower  on  the  plain  are  three  piers  remaining, 
which  are  ten  feet  wide,  eight  thick,  and  fifteen  feet  apart ;  I  could  discern  that  arches  had 


262 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


been  turned  on  them ;  they  were  adorned  on  the  outside  with  Corinthian  pilasters,  the  capitals 
of  which  were  very  well  executed;  it  seems  to  have  been  a  portico  to  some  very  grand 
building.  The  front  is  to  the  north,  and  on  every  pier  within  there  is  a  nich  about  eight  feet 
high  and  four  feet  broad;  these  niches  doubtless  were  designed  for  statues:  probably  this 
was  the  temple  of  Venus  and  Isis  that  was  in  the  city,  which  had  its  name  from  that  wise 
lawgiver  Solon :  the  place  is  now  called  Aligora,  that  is,  the  sea  mart.  Thei'e  is  a  river  falls 
into  the  sea  at  this  place,  and  as  the  channel  of  it  is  not  kept  open,  it  makes  a  morass.  This 
doubtless  is  the  river  mentioned  by  the  antients  at  this  place.  Some  modern  writers  have 
placed  Soli  at  Lefca,  a  village  about  a  league  north  of  this  place.  The  antient  cape  Caliniisa 
seems  to  be  that  point  which  is  to  the  west  of  this  bay. 

Returning  southwards  to  the  road,  we  pursued  our  journey  to  the  west,  and  in  about  an 
hour  and  a  half  came  to  Lefca ;  it  is  a  long  village  built  up  the  side  of  those  hills,  which 
we  crossed  into  the  delightful  country  of  Solea,  Avhich  is  a  vale  about  a  mile  wide,  and  winds 
between  the  hills  for  seven  or  eight  miles :  it  is  much  improved  with  gardens  and  buildings, 
and  is  very  well  watered  with,  springs  and  rivulets.  We  went  to  a  convent  where  the  bishop 
of  Gerines  commonly  resides ;  it  is  situated  on  the  side  of  the  hills,  where  there  are  very  rich 
iron  mines  which  are  not  now  worked. 

On  the  twenty  seventh  we  went  along  the  vale,  and  crossing  the  hills  came  to  the  small 
convent  of  St  Nicholas  situated  between  the  hills,  where  there  is  such  an  agreable  variety 
of  fields,  wood,  water  and  cascades,  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  solitudes  I  ever  saw ; 
two  streams  come  rushing  down  the  hills,  and  are  carried  all  through  the  country  of  Solea  in 
many  rivulets.  The  asbestus  of  Cyprus  is  found  in  the  hills  about  two  leagues  to  the  south 
east  of  that  place. 

We  travelled  in  a  very  difficult  road  along  the  sides  of  the  hills  to  the  convent  of 
St  John.  I  observed  a  great  number  of  pine  trees,  which  they  destroy  by  cutting  them  at 
the  bottom,  in  order  to  extract  tar.  On  the  twenty  eighth  we  travelled  over  several  hills,  and 
ascended  the  highest  of  them,  where  it  is  very  cold,  to  the  convent  called  Panaia  Cheque,  or 
the  Madonna  of  Cheque,  where  they  have  a  miraculous  picture  of  the  blessed  Virgin  and  our 
Saviour,  painted  as  they  say,  by  St  Luke,  and  brought  from  Constantinople  by  a  king  of 
Cyprus,  whom  they  call  Isage.  This  place  is  as  much  resorted  to  by  the  Greeks,  as  Loretto 
is  by  the  Latins,  and  they  come  to  it  even  from  Muscovy.  The  convent  belongs  to  the 
Archbishop  of  Nicosia,  and  has  about  seventy  monks  in  it.  I  was  received  here  with  great 
civility  by  the  superior,  who  met  me  Avathout  the  gate,  conducted  me  to  the  church,  and  then 
to  their  apartments,  where  I  was  served  with  marmalade,  a  dram,  and  coffee,  and  about  an 
hour  after  with  a  light  collation,  and  in  the  evening  with  a  grand  entertainment  at  supper. 

Chap.  V. 

Of  Arsinoe,  Paphos,  and  Curium. 

On  the  twenty  ninth  we  travelled  over  the  mountains,  and  passed  by  some  old  ironworks; 
they  showed  us  a  village  called  Sarama  to  the  east,  where  they  said  a  part  of  the  mountain 
had  been  thrown  by  an  earthquake.  We  arrived  the  same  evening  at  the  convent  of 
Aiamone.  I  had  a  view  of  the  bay  of  St  Nicholas  to  the  north  west,  in  which  Arsinoe 
seems  to  have  been  situated,  where  there  was  a  grove  sacred  to  Jupiter.  They  talk  much  of 
the  fountain  of  lovers,  but  they  informed  me  that  there  are  no  ruins  about  it.  They  mention 
also  the  port  of  Agama  in  this  part,  and  some  ruins  near  it,  which  probably  are  the  remains 


POCOCKE. 


2G3 


of  the  antient  Arsinoe,  and  the  present  name  of  it  may  be  derived  from  Acamas  which  was 
the  most  western  point  of  the  island,  opposite  to  the  bay  is  a  small  island  called  St  Nicholas, 
from  which  the  bay  has  its  name.  I  was  told  by  the  monks,  if  I  do  not  mistake,  that  the  old 
name  of  this  island  (probably  that  of  the  middle  ages)  was  Stiria.  Towards  the  sea  to  the 
north  there  is  a  village  called  Bole,  where  1  was  informed  there  were  iron  mines  and  hot 
mineral  waters. 

On  the  thirtieth  we  passed  the  hills  which  are  on  the  west  side  of  the  island,  and  went 
to  the  south  west  into  a  plain,  which  is  about  fifteen  miles  long  and  three  wide :  the  city  of 
new  Paphos,  and  the  port  of  old  Paphos  were  on  this  plain. 

This  country  probably  made  another  kingdom,  of  which  Paphos  might  be  the  capital. 
We  arrived  at  Baffa,  which  is  situated  near  the  place  where  new  Paphos  stood ;  it  is  on  a 
rocky  eminence  in  a  narrow  plain  on  the  sea,  which  is  separated  fi-om  the  great  plain  by 
some  low  rocky  clifts,  which  might  antiently  be  washed  by  the  sea  before  new  Paphos  was 
built.  These  clifts  are  now  full  of  sepulchral  grots,  which  doubtless  were  made  for  the  use  of 
the  city.  To  the  west  of  the  town  there  is  a  point  of  land,  and  the  (jld  port  was  to  the  south 
east  of  it,  in  an  angle  made  by  a  small  promontory,  and  was  sheltered  by  piers  built  out  into 
the  sea,  some  remains  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen.  The  city  seems  to  have  been  to  the  east 
and  north  of  the  port;  and  I  observed  a  very  large  fosse  cut  out  of  the  rock  to  the  north  of 
the  old  town,  where  probably  they  dug  their  stones  for  buildings.  There  are  several  lofty 
rooms  hewn  out  of  the  rock,  and  many  small  apartments;  one  of  them  seems  to  have  served 
for  a  large  cistern,  there  being  a  hole  in  the  top  to  draw  up  the  water,  and  stairs  down  to 
it  cut  out  of  the  rock ;  it  is  probable  this  was  tilled  in  winter  by  an  aqueduct  from  the 
mountains,  of  wliith  thei'e  are  some  remains  near  the  town;  by  this  means  tJie  city  might  be 
supplied  with  good  water  in  the  summer  time,  of  which  there  is  a  great  scarcity  in  the  island. 
To  the  north  of  the  port  there  are  some  signs  of  an  antient  temple  on  a  ground  raised  by  art. 
From  the  manner  in  which  the  grey  granite  pillars  lie,  and  by  the  disposition  of  the  ground, 
I  judged  there  was  a  colonade  round  it,  and  a  portico  to  the  west  with  a  double  colonade; 
the  pillars  are  about  two  feet  in  diameter.  Half  a  furlong  to  the  east  of  this  there  are 
foundations  of  a  smaller  building  of  hewn  stone  near  the  corner  of  the  port,  which  might  be 
either  a  temple  or  .some  other  public  building.  Farther  to  the  east  are  the  remains  of  a 
large  church,  which  probably  was  the  cathedral,  and  seems  to  have  been  Iniilt  on  the 
foundations  of  a  great  temple,  for  there  are  some  very  large  pillars  of  grey  granite  now 
standing  near  it;  they  are  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  finely  polished;  it  is  needless  to 
.say  that  both  these  temples  were  without  doubt  dedicated  to  Venus,  for  whose  worship  the 
city  was  fanicms.  'J'liis  place  probably  began  to  be  considerable  when  Ptolemy  the  son  of 
Lagus  demoli.shed  Citium,  and  removed  the  inhabitants  to  this  city;  it  was  almost  entirely 
destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  but  was  rebuilt  by  Augustus,  and  called  Augusta,  in  honour  of 
hini.  Near  the  cistern  before-mentioned  there  is  a  church  underground  cut  out  of  the  rock, 
dedicated  to  the  seven  sleepers;  and  in  the  town  there  are  ruins  of  .several  churches,  and 
houses,  most  of  which  are  uninhabited.  This  city  is  famous  in  sacred  history  for  being 
hononi-ed  with  the  presence  of  Saint  Paul,  and  on  account  of  his  liaving  here  converted 
Sergius  the  governor  of  the  island  to  Christianity.  About  a  mile  to  the  north  there  is  a 
rocky  ground  near  the  sea-shoar,  cut  out  into  sepulchral  grots;  many  of  them  seem  to  have 
been  designed  for  rooms,  and  some  of  them  are  very  large.  I  saw  five  or  six  which  probably 
were  inhabited  by  families  of  a  superior  rank,  having  a  court  in  the  niiildle,  and  a  colonade 
of  two  Doric  pillars  in  front,  and  three  on  each  side,  with  an  entablature  over  them,  all  cut 
in  the  rock,  and  some  of  the  pillars  are  fluted;  one  side  of  these  courts  is  open  in  front;  in 


264 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


each  of  tlie  other  three  sides  there  is  a  room  cut  out  of  the  rock,  and  the  door-cases  are 
executed  in  a  beautiful  manner. 

Half  a  mile  to  the  east  of  this  place  is  the  new  town  of  Baffa,  where  the  governor 
resides,  new  Paphos  being  now  called  old  Baffa,  and  is  inhabited  only  by  a  few  Christians 
and  by  a  small  garrison  in  a  castle  at  the  port.  There  was  antiently  at  new  Paphos  a 
celebrated  meeting  once  a  year  for  the  worship  of  Venus,  from  which  place  they  went  sixty 
stadia  in  procession  to  the  temple  of  Venus  at  the  port  of  old  Paphos,  where,  according  to  the 
fables  of  the  antients,  that  goddess,  who  is  said  to  have  been  born  of  the  froth  of  the  sea, 
came  ashore  on  a  shell.  The  ruins  of  the  city,  called  by  the  antients  new  Paphos,  are  now 
known  by  the  name  of  old  Baffa,  where  there  is  a  small  village  of  the  same  name  about 
a  mile  to  the  south  of  Baffa.  There  is  an  aga  and  some  janizaries  who  live  at  the  fort  in  this 
place.  I  was  recommended  to  a  brother  of  the  bishop  of  Baffa,  who  at  that  time  was 
imprisoned  by  the  Turks  at  Famagusta,  by  the  instigation  of  the  archbishop  of  Nicosia,  with 
whom  he  had  some  difference ;  and  I  afterwards  saw  him  at  Rosetto,  when  he  fled  from 
this  place  into  ^gypt.  When  I  was  in  my  lodgings  some  janizaries  came  to  me,  on  which 
I  took  occasion  to  talk  of  my  design  to  wait  on  the  great  aga  at  Baffa,  with  a  letter  I  had  to 
him.  On  the  first  of  December  I  waited  on  the  aga  with  my  letter,  and  a  small  present  of 
sugar,  which  I  found  was  necessary,  and  could  be  of  no  ill  consequence,  as  it  was  the  only 
present  I  should  have  occasion  to  make  on  the  island.  He  entertained  me  with  colfee,  and 
sent  his  falconer  along  vdtlx  me,  who  attended  me  with  his  hawk  wherever  I  had  an 
inclination  to  go. 

When  I  had  seen  everything  there,  we  proceeded  on  our  journey ;  going  at  some  distance 
from  the  sea  along  the  plain,  in  an  hour  we  came  to  a  running  water,  and  saw  some  ruins 
of  the  aqueduct  to  the  right,  which  here  crosses  the  river  on  an  arch :  in  half  an  hour  more 
we  came  to  Borgo  Ashedieh  where  there  are  I'emains  of  a  high  Gothic  aqueduct.  Opposite  to 
this  place  is  the  first  small  cape  to  the  south  east  of  Baffa,  which  might  be  the  old  promontory 
Zephyruom.  In  half  an  hour  we  passed  by  Ideme,  and  about  the  same  distance  we  were 
opposite  to  another  cape,  which  might  be  that  of  Arsinoe ;  the  port  of  Arsinoe  might  be  on 
one  side  of  it,  and  the  port  of  old  Paphos  on  the  other,  which  was  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from 
that  city ;  for  though  I  went  in  search  of  it,  at  the  cape  opposite  to  Coiocleh,  where  old  Paphos 
stood,  and  observed  the  ruins  of  several  aqueducts  that  way,  yet  I  could  see  no  signs  of  the 
port.  We  ascended  to  the  village  of  Coucleh,  which  is  situated  on  a  narrow  hill  extending  to 
the  south  into  the  plain.  Old  Paphos  was  doubtless  here,  and  there  are  great  heaps  of  ruins 
about  the  place,  and  remains  of  the  foundations  of  thick  walls;  the  ruins  extend  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  in  breadth,  and  half  a  mile  in  length.  Some  say  that  this  city  was  built  by 
Paphos,  son  of  Pigmalion,  others  that  it  was  founded  by  Cynarus  king  of  Crete,  and  father 
of  Adonis. 

These  hills  extend  quite  across  the  island,  and  are  much  lower  in  this  part  than  they 
are  towards  the  north;  they  end  here  in  high  white  clifts;  and  where  they  make  a  great 
head  of  land  to  the  south  they  are  known  to  mariners  by  the  name  of  Cape  Bianco,  part  of 
which  might  be  the  promontory  called  Drepanum  by  the  antients.  We  travelled  over  these 
hills  to  the  east,  and  in  about  two  hours  from  Gotocleh  came  to  a  Turkish  village  called 
Alefcora,  where  we  got  a  place  to  lodge  in  with  great  difficulty.  On  the  second  we  went 
near  a  large  Turkish  village  called  Afdim,  which  is  the  same  as  Audimo  or  Aitivio.  We 
went  on  to  the  other  side  of  Cape  Bianco,  and  came  to  two  delightful  villages  which  are 
contiguous;  they  are  called  Episcopi  and  Golosse.  These  villages  are  finely  watered,  and 
most  beautifully  improved  with  mulberry  trees  for  the  silkworms,  and  also  with  a  great 


POCOCKE. 


265 


number  of  orange  and  lemon  gardens.  At  the  south  end  of  Colosse  there  is  an  antient 
preceptory  of  the  knights  of  St  John  of  Jerusalem,  which  is  now  in  ruins ;  there  are  likewise 
the  remains  of  a  very  high  aqueduct  that  conveyed  water  to  it,  and  I  saw  an  epitaph  of  one 
of  the  priors  of  this  place,  who  died  in  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty  three.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  some  that  the  antient  city  of  Curium  was  here,  but  I  could  not  see  the  least  signs 
of  any  ruins ;  but  on  the  hill  to  the  west  I  oV)served  the  foundations  of  a  thick  wall,  which 
seemed  to  have  encompassed  some  antient  town,  which  probably  was  the  city  of  Curium : 
and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  grove,  sacred  to  Apollo  near  Curium,  was  where  the  village  of 
Episcopi  now  stands,  which  is  a  place  aV)oun(liiig  in  water.  They  think  also  that  the  low 
promontory  called  Cape  (ratto  was  the  promontory  Curias,  from  which  they  threw  anyone 
into  the  sea  who  presumed  to  touch  the  altar  of  Apollo;  but  as  this  is  very  low  land,  it  is 
proV)able  that  it  was  from  some  point  to  the  west  of  Curium,  where  there  are  very  high  clifts, 
and  Hiight  possibly  be  a  part  of  what  is  now  called  Cape  Bianco.  To  the  east  of  Episcopi 
there  is  a  small  river,  which  I  should  have  thought  to  have  been  the  Lycus  of  the  antients, 
if  that  river  had  not  been  mentioned  as  between  the  town  and  the  promontory.  Cape 
Phruriuiri  is  mentioned  near  Ctirium  which  might  be  the  south  east  part  of  this  great  head 
of  land,  as  Drepanum  was  probably  that  to  the  north  west.  The  head  of  land  called  Cape 
Gatto  is  to  the  south  of  Episcopi;  it  is  a  low  laud,  the  north  and  west  part  of  it  is  a  morass, 
and  there  is  a  large  salt  lake  on  each  side,  which  is  tilled  by  the  winter  rains,  and  is  almost 
dry  in  summer.  The  south  part  of  this  promontory  is  a  barren  rocky  soil,  and  there  is  a 
ruinous  uninhabited  Cf)nvent  on  it  called  Sf  Nicholas.  They  have  a  ridiculous  story  that  the 
monks  of  this  convent  kept  cats  in  order  to  hunt  and  kill  the  serpcJits,  of  which  there  are 
great  numbers  here;  this  they  say  gave  rise  to  the  name  of  the  cape;  and  they  add  withal, 
that  on  ringing  a  bell  the  cats  used  to  leave  off  their  diversion,  and  return  home. 

To  the  east  of  this  cape  there  is  a  bay,  and  at  the  west  corner  of  it  Limfsol  is  situated, 
where  I  first  landed  in  the  island.  As  I  did  not  meet  with  any  ship  there  bound  to  jKgypt, 
I  returned  to  Larnica,  where  I  found  a  French  ship  sailing  for  Dainiata.  We  were  obliged 
by  contrary  winds  to  put  in  at  Limesol,  where  we  were  detained  six  days,  and  I  landed  a 
second  time  in  jKgypt  at  Damiata,  on  the  25th  of  December,  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  thirty  eight. 

Chap.  XI. 

Of  thk  natukal  histoky,  nativks,  custom,  tkadk,  ani>  oovernmknt  of  CYPRUS. 

The  climate  of  Cyprus  is  not  so  temperate  as  tiiat  (»f  many  other  parts  in  the  same 
latitude;  the  winds,  which  blow  from  the  high  mountains  of  Cilicia  in  the  winter,  make  the 
island  very  cold,  especially  the  northern  parts,  and  some  of  the  high  hills  of  the  island  being 
covered  with  snow  all  the  winter,  make  fires  very  necessary  during  the  cold  season,  though 
they  are  seldom  used  in  any  other  parts  of  the  Levant,  the  clouds  also  breaking  on  these 
hills  often  fall  down  in  heavy  rains  for  many  days  together,  insonuich  that  I  was  informed  it 
had  sometimes  rained  there  for  forty  days  almost  inces.santly. 

These  mountains  and  the  shallow  soil,  which  is  mostly  on  a  white  free  stone,  make  it 
excessively  hot  in  sununer,  and  tlu'  island  is  very  unhealthy,  especially  to  strangers,  who 
often  get  fevers  here,  which  either  carry  them  off,  or  at  lea.st  continue  for  a  considerable 
time,  the  disorder  lurking  in  the  blood,  and  occasioning  frequent  relapses. 

The  soil  of  Cyprus  is  for  the  most  part  rocky ;  there  are  in  it  many  entire  hills  of  talc  or 
gypse,  some  running  in  plates,  and  another  sort  in  shoots,  like  crystal ;  the  latter  is  used  in 
many  parts,  especially  at  Larnica  as  stone  for  building.    They  have  also  in  the  mountains 


266 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


near  that  city  a  very  thin  marble  paving  stone,  that  cuts  like  chalk  with  a  common  saw,  and 
much  of  it  seems  to  have  been  laid  in  the  walls  in  order  to  bind  the  stones.  Near  Nicosia 
they  have  a  yellowish  marble,  which,  they  say,  when  burnt  produces  a  small  quantity  of 
sulphur.  At  a  mountain  towards  Solea,  the  Asbestus  or  Amianthus,  called  by  some  cotton 
stone,  is  found  in  gi'eat  plenty ;  it  is  a  blackish  green  colour,  but  runs  in  veins  in  such  a 
manner,  that  the  staple  of  it  is  not  above  half  an  inch  long :  It  is  much  to  be  questioned 
whether  they  could  ever  spin  it  to  a  thread,  but  by  some  experiments  tried  with  it,  I  have 
reason  to  think  that  an  incombustible  paper  might  easily  be  made  of  it,  like  that  which  they 
make  of  the  Asbestus  of  Muscovy.  Near  Baffa  there  is  a  hill  that  produces  a  stone  called 
the  JBaffa  diamond ;  it  is  very  hard,  and  seems  rather  to  exceed  the  Bristol  and  Kerry  stones. 
Cyprus  has  also  been  very  famous  for  its  minerals,  and  for  many  sorts  of  precious  stones, 
which  were  probably  found  in  the  mines.  In  going  round  the  island  I  saw  only  two  iron 
mines  which  are  not  now  worked,  because  in  Cyprus  they  want  hands  to  cultivate  the  ground; 
nor  is  it  agreeable  to  the  inclination  of  the  people  to  be  employed  in  these  mines,  because 
they  would  not  be  well  paid  by  the  officers  of  the  Grand  Signer.  One  of  those  iron  mines  is 
about  half  a  day's  journey  east  north  east  of  Baffa :  the  other  is  at  Solea,  where  there  is 
a  large  hill  that  seems  entirely  to  consist  of  this  ore,  which  is  very  fine  and  light,  being 
porous  and  crumbling,  and  of  a  red  colour.  They  have  here  also  the  several  sorts  of  earth 
used  by  painters,  called  Terra  Umbra,  Verde,  Rossa,  and  Jalla,  and  I  was  assured,  that  not 
long  ago  a  traveller  found  a  very  fine  azure  earth,  which  is  uncommon,  and  either  is  not 
much  known,  or  is  found  in  small  quantities,  otherwise  it  would  without  doubt  be  exported. 

The  antients  mention  three  rivers  in  Cyprus,  the  Lycus,  Tetius  and  Pedius,  though  at 
the  best  they  deserve  only  the  name  of  rivulets,  and  I  suppose  the  water  seldom  fails  in 
these,  though  it  is  generally  said  that  there  are  no  rivers  in  Cyprus.  It  is  certain  they  have 
no  fresh  water  fish,  except  small  crabs,  which  are  in  most  of  the  rivers  in  Asia.  All  round 
the  island  there  are  beds  of  winter  torrents,  which  run  from  the  mountains  after  rains,  but 
during  the  summer  months,  when  it  never  rains  in  these  southern  parts,  they  are  entirely  dry 
excepting  some  few  springs  which  have  been  rarely  known  to  fail.  The  water,  which  is 
drawn  out  of  wells,  is  almost  all  brackish,  occasioned  by  the  great  quantity  of  nitre  in  the 
soil,  which  produces  the  salt  in  the  lakes  before-mentioned;  at  Larnica  they  send  above 
a  league  for  all  the  good  water  they  drink.  The  water  of  the  island  seems  to  depend  almost 
entirely  on  the  rain ;  and  when  clouds  have  been  wanting  either  to  fall  down  in  rain,  or  to 
seed  the  springs,  by  lying  on  the  mountains,  a  great  drought  has  always  ensued;  and 
historians  relate,  that  there  having  been  no  rain  for  thirty-six  years,  the  island  was  abandoned 
in  the  time  of  Constantine,  for  want  of  water. 

It  is  said  that  this  island  received  its  name  from  the  cypress  trees  which  it  is  certain 
grow  on  it  in  very  great  abundance,  especially  on  the  eastern  promontory,  and  in  the 
northern  parts  of  the  island.  There  is  a  sort  of  tree  which  grows  in  most  parts  of  Cyprus, 
which  is  called  by  some  the  cedar,  and  much  resembles  it  in  every  thing  but  its  seed,  which 
is  like  the  juniper;  it  is  called  in  Greek  Avorados,  and  I  have  been  since  informed  that  it  is  a 
sort  of  juniper,  and  is  much  like  the  tree  that  they  call  cedar,  which  is  brought  from  the 
West  Indies,  and  possibly  may  be  the  same,  but  here  it  grows  rather  like  a  large  shrub  than 
a  tree.  They  have  also  the  common  juniper  on  the  mountains  and  pine  trees  in  great 
numbers,  with  which  they  make  tar ;  they  have  likewise  the  caroub,  called  in  Greek,  Keraka, 
which  is  supposed  to  be  the  locust  tree,  the  fruit  of  which  in  this  island  exceeds  that  of  any 
other  country,  growing  like  a  flat  bean,  and  is  exported  both  to  Syria  and  JEgypt.  Most  of 
the  trees  in  the  island  are  evergreen,  but  it  is  most  famous  for  the  tree  called  by  the  natives. 


POCOCKE. 


267 


Xylan  Effendi  (The  wood  of  our  Lord),  and  by  naturalists  Lignum  Cyprinum,  and  Lignum 
Rhodium,  because  it  grows  in  these  two  islands ;  it  is  called  also  the  rose  wood,  by  reason  of 
its  smell ;  some  say  it  is  in  other  parts  of  the  Levant,  and  also  in  the  isle  of  Martinico.  It 
grows  like  the  platanus  or  plane  tree,  and  bears  a  seed  or  mast  like  that,  only  the  leaf  and 
fruit  are  rather  smaller;  the  botanists  call  it  the  oriental  plane  tree;  the  leaves  being  rubbed 
have  a  fine  balsamic  smell,  with  an  orange  flavour;  it  produces  an  excellent  white  turpentine, 
especially  when  any  incisions  are  made  in  the  bark.  1  suppose  it  is  from  this  that  they 
extract  a  very  fine  perfumed  oil,  which,  they  say,  as  well  as  the  wood,  has  the  virtue  of 
fortifying  the  heart  and  brain.  Tlie  common  people  here  cut  off  the  bark  and  wood  together, 
toast  it  in  the  fire,  and  suck  it,  which  they  esteem  a  specific  remedy  in  a  fever,  and  seem  to 
think  it  has  a  miraculous  operation.  They  make  here  Labdanum  or  Ladanum  of  a  very  small 
balsainic  aromatic  shrub  called  Ladany,  and  by  botanists  Cistus  Ladon,  or  Cistus  ladanifera; 
it  is  said  that  the  goats  feeding  on  it  in  the  month  of  May,  a  juice  sticks  to  their  lieards,  and 
makes  a  sort  of  a  cake,  which  being  taken  off  they  purify  it,  and  make  the  Labdanum.  This 
is  in  some  measure  true  but  that  sort  re(iuires  iruich  labour  in  (jnler  to  clean  it,  and  it  is 
never  perfectly  sweet,  so  that  in  Cyprus  they  use  the  same  method  as  in  the  other  islands, 
and  make  an  instrument  which  they  call  Staveros,  because  it  is  like  a  cross;  it  exactly 
resembles  a  crossbow,  and  they  tie  pieces  of  yarn  to  it  about  three  feet  long.  In  the  month 
of  May  they  draw  this  yarn  over  the  leaves,  and  the  balmy  substance  sticking  to  the  yarn, 
they  hang  it  in  the  sun,  and  when  it  is  hot  draw  it  off  from  the  yam.  The  common  people 
mix  it  up  with  sand  in  order  to  make  it  weigh  the  heavier,  which  is  what  the  druggists  call 
Labdanum  in  tortis,  and  in  this  manner  it  is  commonly  sold  ;  but  being  purified  from  the 
sand,  it  is  of  the  nature  of  soft  beeswax,  which  is  what  they  call  Jjicpiid  Ijabdanum.  It  is 
esteemed  as  a  great  remedy  against  many  disorders,  taken  either  inwardly  or  outwardly,  and 
the  smoak  is  good  for  the  eyes,  but  it  is  mostly  used  against  the  infectit)n  of  the  plague,  by 
carrying  it  in  the  hand,  and  smelling  to  it.  The  island  produces  also  cotton  and  coloquintida 
and  a  root  called  Fuy,  which  is  a  sort  of  madder :  it  abounds  also  in  vineyards,  but  the 
common  wine  is  very  V)ad.  The  rich  Cyprus  wine,  which  is  so  much  esteemed  in  all  parts,  is 
very  dear,  and  produced  only  about  Limesol.  In  some  few  places  indeed  they  make  good 
red  wine. 

They  plough  with  their  cows,  which,  as  I  was  informed,  they  do  not  milk,  looking  on  it 
as  cruel  to  milk  and  work  the  same  besist ;  but  jierhaps  they  may  rather  have  regard  to  the 
young  that  are  to  be  nourished  by  them.  This  loss  is  made  up  by  their  goats,  which  are 
spotted  in  a  more  beautiful  manner  than  any  I  have  ever  seen.  Indeed  a  great  part  of  the 
soil  of  (^yprus  is  more  tit  for  goats  than  for  largi'  cattle;  they  nuike  cheese  of  their  milk, 
which  is  famous  all  over  the  Levant,  and  is  the  only  good  cheese  to  be  luet  with  in  these 
parts;  they  are  small  and  thick,  nuich  in  the  shape  of  the  antient  weights,  and  are  kept  in 
oil,  otherwise  when  they  are  new  they  would  breed  a  worm,  and  when  old  soon  grow  dry. 
The  Turks  have  such  an  aversion  to  swiiu',  that  the  Christians  dare  not  keep  them  where 
they  have  less  power  than  they  have  in  Cyprus;  but  from  this  i)lace  the  Christians  in  all 
parts  are  supplied  with  excelletit  hams,  which  tluy  cure  in  a  particular  manner  l)y  salting 
them,  pouring  the  rich  wine  on  them,  and  when  they  have  pressed  them  very  dry  they  hang 
them  up.  They  have  very  few  horses  in  Cyprus;  they  use  mules  both  for  burthen  and  the 
saddle,  of  which  they  have  a  good  breed ;  the  poorer  sort  of  people  make  use  of  asses.  They 
have  few  wild  beasts  or  game,  except  foxes,  hares  and  wild  goats ;  and  among  their  birds  the 
chief  are  a  very  beautiful  partridge,  which  1  believe  is  the  same  as  the  red  partridge  in 
France,  and  a  beautiful  bird  called  in  Italian  Francolino,  and  in  (Jreek  Aftokinara,  which 

34—2 


268 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


I  have  mentioned  before.  There  are  a  surprising  number  of  snakes  here,  but  few  of  them 
venomous,  except  a  small  kind ;  a  species,  which  is  generally  thought  to  be  the  asp,  supplies 
the  place  of  the  viper,  and  is  said  to  have  the  same  virtues ;  it  is  called  kouphi  (blind) .  The 
largest  of  them  are  near  two  inches  thick,  and  are  bigger  in  proportion  than  snakes,  the  head 
being  rather  small  with  regard  to  their  bodies,  and  it  is  positively  affirmed  that  they  have 
been  known  to  swallow  a  hare  whole,  which,  if  true,  must  be  understood  of  a  young  one ; 
their  bite  is  exceedingly  venomous,  but  it  has  been  cured  by  medicines,  and  by  the  serpent 
stone.  I  have  been  informed  that  there  is  an  asp  in  Italy  which  is  not  deaf.  It  is  possible 
the  Psalmist  might  mean  this  reptile,  when  he  made  mention  of  the  deaf  adder,  which 
refuseth  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  charmer.  They  have  an  exceedingly  large  broad  spider, 
somewhat  resembling  a  small  crab ;  the  Franks  call  it  the  Tarantula,  but  I  believe  it  is  not 
the  same  which  is  found  in  Apulia.  There  is  here  a  brown  house  lizard  called  a  Taranta, 
and  if  it  walks  over  any  part  of  the  body  it  causes  a  very  great  itching,  which  continues  for 
some  time  with  much  pain.  I  do  not  find  that  they  have  scorpions,  which  are  so  common  in 
Syria;  but  the  locusts  when  they  come,  ravage  the  country  in  a  most  terrible  manner, 
destroy  whole  fields  of  corn  where  they  alight,  and  eat  the  leaves  of  the  mulberry  trees, 
on  which  their  silk  depends. 

The  Cypriotes  are  the  most  subtle  and  artful  people  in  all  the  Levant,  nor  have  they 
more  veracity  than  their  neighbours,  so  that  their  words  are  not  to  be  depended  upon,  as 
they  make  use  of  all  means  that  way  to  deceive.  The  women  are  little  superior  to  their 
ancestors  with  regard  to  their  virtue ;  and  as  they  go  unveiled,  so  they  expose  themselves  in 
a  manner  that  in  these  parts  is  looked  on  as  very  indecent.  They  go  every  Whit  Sunday  in 
procession  to  the  sea  in  remembrance  of  Venus's  coming  out  of  it,  which  was  antiently 
attended  with  some  other  circumstances.  They  retain  here  the  barbarous  custom  of  the 
other  Eastern  nations  of  treating  their  wives  as  servants ;  they  wait  on  them  at  table,  and 
never  sit  down  with  them,  unless  in  such  families  as  are  civilized  by  much  conversation  by 
the  Franks ;  for  having  been  under  the  Greek  emperors,  and  the  Venetians,  they  have  come 
very  much  into  the  European  customs.  They  make  use  of  chairs  and  tables,  and  lie  on 
oblong  square  tables,  probably  to  be  more  free  from  the  noxious  animals  in  the  summer,  and 
from  the  damps  occasioned  by  the  great  rains  in  the  winter.  They  make  use  of  carriages 
with  two  wheels  drawn  by  oxen.  The  common  people  here  dress  much  in  the  same  manner 
as  they  do  in  the  other  islands  of  the  Levant;  but  those  who  value  themselves  on  being 
somewhat  above  the  vulgar,  dress  like  the  Turks,  but  wear  a  red  cap  turned  up  with  fur, 
which  is  the  proper  Greek  dress,  and  used  by  those  of  the  islands  in  whatever  parts  of  the 
Levant  they  live. 

Cyprus  on  account  of  its  situation,  and  the  cheapness  of  all  sorts  of  provisions  in  the 
island,  is  the  place  where  almost  all  ships  touch  on  their  voyages  in  these  parts ;  and  by  this 
way  a  correspondence  is  carried  on  between  all  the  places  in  the  Levant  and  Christendom. 
So  that  furnishing  ships  with  provisions  is  one  of  the  principal  branches  of  the  trade  of  this 
island,  and  they  sometimes  export  corn  to  Christendom,  though  it  is  contrary  to  their  laws. 
They  send  their  cottons  to  Holland,  England,  Venice  and  Leghorn,  and  wood  to  Italy  and 
France.  They  have  a  root  of  an  herb  called  in  Arabic  Fuah,  in  Greek  Lizare,  and  in  Latin 
Rubia  Tinctorum,  which  they  send  to  Scanderoon,  and  by  Aleppo  to  Diarbeck  and  Persia, 
with  which  they  dye  red,  but  it  serves  only  for  cottons,  for  which  it  is  also  used  here;  it  is 
called  by  the  English  Madder,  but  it  is  doubted  whether  it  is  the  Madder  so  well  known  in 
Holland ;  they  export  a  red  dye  for  woollen  stuffs,  which  is  falsley  called  by  the  English 
Vermilion,  though  that  is  known  to  be  made  of  Cinnabar;  whereas  this  is  the  produce  of  the 


POCOCKE. 


269 


seed  of  Alkermes,  called  by  botanists  Ilex  coccifer;  there  is  a  small  hole  in  the  seed,  out  of 
which  there  comes  a  very  fine  pcnvder,  called  the  powder  of  Alkermes,  of  which  the  syrup  of 
Alkermes  is  made  and  the  seeds  afterwards  serve  for  dying,  and  both  are  exported  to  Venice 
and  Marseilles.  Coloquintida  is  cultivated  here,  and  esteemed  better  than  that  of  ^gypt, 
which  being  larger  does  not  dry  so  well ;  it  grows  like  the  calabash.  The  seed  is  sent  into 
England,  and  to  Germany,  being  nmch  used  in  the  latter  for  embalming  bodies :  In  ^gypt 
they  fill  the  shell  with  milk,  and  let  it  stand  some  time,  and  take  it  as  an  emetic.  They 
prepare  a  great  quantity  of  yellow,  red,  and  black  Turkey  leather,  which  they  send  to 
Constantinople;  and  they  export  yearly  near  a  hundred  thousand  pound  weight  of  raw 
silk,  to  London  and  Marseilles;  for  as  it  is  a  hard  weighty  silk,  it  is  much  used  in  making 
gold  and  silver  laces,  and  also  for  sewing.  At  Nicosia  they  make  fine  plain  cotton  dimities. 
In  a  word  it  is  a  surprising  thing  to  see  Cyprus  maintain  its  own  people  in  such  great  plentj', 
and  export  so  many  things  abroad,  when  one  considers  the  extent  of  the  island,  and  that  half 
of  it  at  least  is  mountainous,  and  much  of  it  near  the  sea  lies  uncultivated  by  reason  of 
Corsairs,  nor  is  the  island  well  peopled,  eighty  thousand  souls  being  the  most  that  are 
computed  in  it;  whereas  historians  say,  that  in  Trajan's  time  the  Jews  massacred  here  in 
one  day  two  hundred  and  forty  thousand  persons,  and  since  that  time  they  have  never 
permitted  any  Jews  to  live  in  the  island ;  so  that  when  this  island  was  well  inhabited  and 
cultivated,  the  produce  of  it  must  have  been  very  great. 

Two  thirds  of  the  inhabitants  are  Christians,  and  there  are  twelve  thousand  that  pay  the 
tribute  as  such,  exclusive  of  the  women  and  children.  They  are  mostly  Greeks ;  there  are 
indeed  near  Nicosia  some  few  villages  of  Maronites,  and  in  the  city  of  Nicosia  a  small  number 
of  Armenians,  who  are  very  poor,  though  they  have  an  archbishop,  and  a  convent  in  the 
country ;  the  Mahometan  men  very  often  marry  ^^^th  the  Christian  women,  and  keep  the 
fasts  with  their  wives.  Many  of  them  are  thought  to  be  not  averse  to  Christianity ;  never- 
theless the  Turks  are  so  jealous  of  the  power  of  the  Christians  here,  that  they  will  not  suffer 
them  to  buy  any  black  slaves  or  others  that  are  Mahonu'tans,  which  former  are  frequently 
brought  to  yEgypt,  and  sold  to  the  Turks.  The  (ireeks  have  an  archbishop  of  A'ico.yja,  and 
three  V)islu)ps  of  Laniica,  (h-riyies  and  Baffa  ;  the  Greeks  are  ever}' where  in  posses-sion  of 
their  churches,  but  cannot  repair  any  that  are  ruined  without  a  licence;  they  are  built  in  the 
style  of  the  Syrian  churches,  but  are  generally  covered  with  cupolas ;  they  had  formerly  a 
custom  here,  as  they  have  in  many  other  pjirts,  of  hanging  out  Hags  at  the  west  end  of  their 
churches  on  Sundays  aiul  holidays,  and  1  saw  some  of  the  stones  which  had  holes  in  them  for 
that  purpose.  There  are  a  great  number  of  monasteries  in  the  island ;  they  are  to  be  looked 
on  as  religious  societies,  who  go  out  to  labour  on  the  lands  that  belong  to  them,  with  their 
superior  to  oversee  them;  this  is  their  employnu'iit  all  daj',  and  half  the  night  is  spent  in 
performing  their  services.  They  may  be  also  looked  on  as  places  of  education,  where  the 
youth  who  labour  bj'  day  learn  to  read  aiul  chant  their  offices  at  night.  The  lay  servants, 
who  are  distinguished  only  by  a  cap,  answer  to  the  brothers  in  the  Roman  church;  but  they 
never  take  the  vow,  and  may  leave  the  convent  and  marry ;  in  these  respects  the  eastern 
churches  pretty  much  agr(>e.  There  is  no  nunnery  in  Cyprus,  and  I  saw  only  one  of  the 
Greek  church  throughout  all  Syria,  nunneries  being  very  uncommon  in  these  parts,  except 
among  the  Maronites  of  mount  Libanon.  They  take  only  the  vow  of  chastity  and  obedience, 
and  every  monk  generally  buys  his  own  clothes,  aiul  pays  his  tribute  to  the  Grand  Signor  out 
of  his  own  purse,  which  chiefly  depends  on  the  charity  of  those  who  come  to  the  convents, 
either  for  devotion,  retirement,  or  diversion.  Where  a  convent  is  well  situated,  the  Turks 
often  come  and  stay  in  it,  and  put  the  convent  to  some  expense,  and  never  make  any  return : 


270 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


they  also  serve  as  inns  to  which  all  people  resort ;  but  the  Christians  always  leave  something 
at  their  departure.  What  a  monk  is  worth  when  he  dies,  goes  to  the  bishop  of  the  diocese. 
The  priests  here  are  very  ignorant  as  most  of  them  are  in  the  eastern  churches ;  and  though 
Greek  is  their  mother  tongue,  they  do  not  so  much  as  understand  the  antient  Greek  of  the 
New  Testament,  tho'  the  modern  Greek  differs  very  little  from  it;  but  in  Cyprus  the  Greek 
is  more  corrupted  than  in  many  other  islands,  as  they  have  taken  some  words  from  the 
Venetians  whilst  they  were  among  them;  it  is  notwithstanding  a  sweet  language,  but  they 
speak  it  very  fast. 

Till  within  thirty  years  past  Cyprus  was  governed  by  a  pasha,  but  now  it  is  under  a 
more  inferior  officer,  called  a  mosolem.  The  late  Grand  Signer  gave  this  island  as  a  dowry 
to  his  daughter  who  was  married  to  the  grand  Vizier  Ibrahim  Pasha,  and  since  that  time  the 
island  has  belonged  to  the  grand  Vizier.  He  legally  makes  of  it  about  seventy  five  purses  a 
year  each  purse  being  about  seventy  pounds  sterling,  but  then  he  has  only  a  share  of  the 
harach,  and  of  a  tax  called  the  nozoul ;  and  I  have  been  informed  that  the  whole  island 
brings  in  five  hundred  purses  a  year.  There  are  also  fees  for  ofPences,  and  upon  account  of 
any  unnatural  death ;  in  the  latter  case  the  village  pays  one  purse.  The  original  property  of 
all  the  lands  is  in  the  Grand  Signer,  who  sells  them  to  the  inhabitants  and  their  male  heirs, 
and  in  default  of  male  heirs,  the  lands  revert  to  the  Grand  Signer,  who  disposes  of  them  in 
like  manner.  The  tythe  of  the  land,  which  doubtless  belonged  to  the  church,  is  granted  to 
two  sorts  of  military  bodies ;  one  of  them  are  called  zaims,  of  which  there  are  eighteen  chiefs, 
who  have  the  tythes  of  the  lands  of  a  certain  district,  and  are  obliged  to  send  a  number  of 
men  to  the  war ;  the  others  are  called  timariotes ;  under  the  name  of  Timars  lands  are 
granted  all  over  the  Turkish  empire  on  the  same  condition.  There  is  also  a  poll  tax  called 
the  nozoul ;  it  is  about  six  dollars  a  year  paid  by  all  those  who  are  not  obliged  to  go  to  war ; 
both  Christians  and  Turks,  pay  a  tribute  called  the  harach,  which  is  universal  over  the 
Turkish  empire.  It  is  from  ten  to  fifteen  dollars  a  head;  there  is  also  a  small  duty  of 
twenty-two  timeens  or  forty-four  medeens  a-head,  which  is  about  three  shillings  English, 
paid  yearly  to  the  village  where  every  one  is  born.  The  salt  and  customs  belong  to  the 
janizaries,  who  are  about  a  thousand,  and  have  generally  an  aga  sent  to  govern  them  once  a 
year  from  Constantinople.  The  Cypriotes  having  their  lands  at  so  easy  a  rate,  any  one 
would  imagine  that  they  must  live  very  happily;  but  the  mosolem  is  almost  continually 
harassing  the  Christians,  who  often  leave  the  island,  and  go  to  the  coasts  of  Cilicia,  and  very 
frequently  return  again,  out  of  that  natural  love  which  every  one  has  for  his  own  country. 
Many  of  them  notwithstanding  settle  in  the  seaport  towns  of  Syria,  which  dispeoples  the 
island  very  much.  Cyprus  is  now  divided  into  sixteen  cadelisks,  each  having  its  aga  or 
governor,  and  cadi  or  minister  of  justice;  they  consist  of  sixteen  towns;  and  it  is  probable 
that  among  them  may  be  found  the  capitals  of  the  fifteen  kingdoms,  into  which,  some  say,  the 
island  of  Cyprus  was  at  first  divided.  The  names  of  these  towns  are  Cherkes,  Nicosia,  Gerines, 
Morfo,  Lefca,  Solea,  Baffa,  Arsinoe,  Aitimo,  or  A/dim,  Ghrusofou,  Limesol,  Episcopi,  Larnica, 
Messaria,  Famagusta,  and  Carpass. 


POCOCKE.  DRUMMONI). 


271 


DRUMMOND. 

Alexander  Drummond,  Esquire,  His  Majesty's  Consul  at  Aleppo,  published  in  London,  in  folio,  in  1754, 
under  the  title  of  Travels  through  different  vitieH  of  Germany,  Italy,  Greece  and  several  parts  of  Asia, 
a  series  of  familiar  letters  addressed  to  his  brother  and  other  friends.  He  started  from  London  May  11, 
1744,  and  reached  Larnaca  March  6,  1745,  leaving  Cyprus  again  on  May  15  for  Alexandretta  and  Aleppo. 
He  returned  to  make  a  second  short  tour  in  the  island  in  April,  17.50. 

In  transcribing  from  Letters  VL,  VIL,  VIII.  and  XIII.  I  have  excised  somewhat  freely  paragraphs 
which  interrupted  the  flow  of  the  writer's  narrative,  and  otherwise  seemed  prolix  and  dull.  Generally 
indeed  his  industry  is  more  noteworthy  than  his  taste. 

'ihe  inaatre  of  1750  may  be  taken  as  an  eighth  of  the  jwund  sterling. 

We  sailed  from  Tripoli  on  the  fourth  of  March,  in  the  evening;  and  though  we  kept 
a  sharp  look-out  for  the  French,  against  whom  our  minds  were  embittered  with  re.sentment, 
we  reaped  no  advantage  from  our  vigilance ;  and,  without  ha^nng  met  with  any  adventure 
or  accident  in  the  passage,  we  arrived  in  Salines  road  on  the  sixth,  before  noon,  when  I  went 
up  to  the  town  of  Larnica,  to  dine  with  Mr  Consul  VVakenuin. 

It  is  by  many  suppo.sed  that  this  island  was  a  peninsula,  joined  to  Syria,  somewhere 
between  Antioch  and  Alexandretta;  and  that  it  was  separated  from  the  continent,  when  the 
Euxine  forced  its  way  through  the  'i'hracian  Hosphorus,  overflowed  the  Archipelago,  and 
made  dreadful  havock  on  the  circumjacent  coasts. 

This,  however,  is  a  doubtful  fact,  which  the  geographers  must  settle  among  themselves: 
at  present,  I  am  sure  it  is  an  island;  and  if  ever  it  was  otherwisi',  it  must  have  been  a  violent 
flood  indeed,  that  could  sweep  away  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  leagues  of  land :  for  the 
north-east  point  of  Cypi'us,  nearest  to  Syria,  is  at  that  distance  from  the  continent,  and  there 
is  an  immense  depth  of  water  between  them. 

Upon  the  west,  north,  east,  and  south  of  this  island,  are  the  Mediterranean,  Syriaii  and 
Egyptian  seas;  the  length  of  it  is  from  sixty  to  seventy  leagues,  the  breadth  about  eighteen 
to  twenty  leagues,  at  a  inedium ;  but,  as  above  one  third  of  the  length  to  the  north-east  from 
hence,  is  no  more  than  a  tongue  of  land,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expression,  the  circumference 
of  the  whole  will  not  amount  to  one  hundred  and  sixty  leagues,  unless  the  bays  are  surrounded, 
for  the  figure  of  it  is  conical. 

Though  the  natives  were  always  remarkably  effeminate  and  lazy,  certain  it  is,  they 
cultivated  the  island  so  as  to  be  enriched  by  its  produce;  indeed  much  industry  and  labour 
was  not  required  (though  water  is  greatly  wanted)  for  the  soil  in  general  is  incomparably 
fertile;  not  a  chalk,  as  I  was  formerly  made  to  believe,  but  an  excellent  clay,  which  hardens 
in  summer;  yet  by  the  wretched  culture  which  it  now  receives  from  the  miserable  inhabitants, 
the  earth,  where  any  moisture  is  left,  produces  everything  that  is  sown ;  and,  though  there  is 
not  (properly  speaking)  a  river  in  the  whole  island,  I  am  fully  persuaded,  that,  if  it  were  in 
the  hands  of  the  English,  or  Dutch,  they  would  luake  such  advantageous  use  of  the  springs, 
rivulets,  and  winter  rains,  that  it  would  in  a  little  time,  become  the  garden  of  the  east,  and 
exhibit  beautiful  plantations  for  the  shelter  of  the  cattle  and  ground. 

Cyprus,  we  are  told,  was  for  a  considerable  tinu*  divided  into  nine  districts,  and  governed 
by  as  many  princes;  then  it  fell  under  the  Egyptian  yoke,  and  continued  subject  to  the 
sovereigns  of  that  country,  until  Publius  Clodius,  famous  for  his  amour  with  Caesar's  wife, 
as  well  as  for  his  enmity  to  Cicero,  and  his  proHigate  life,  conceived  a  grudge  against 


272 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Ptolomey,  for  having  refused  to  pay  his  ransom  to  a  pyrate,  by  whom  he  had  been  taken. 
In  consequence  of  his  resentment,  while  he  was  a  tribune,  he  moved  the  senate  for  a  decree, 
declaring  Cyprus  a  Roman  province.  They  did  not  at  all  doubt  of  their  being  able  to  reduce 
an  island,  the  inhabitants  of  which  were  enfeebled  by  luxury  and  immersed  in  pleasure ;  and 
they  well  knew,  that  could  they  once  obtain  possession  of  it,  Ptolomey  would  neither  be  able, 
nor  would  he  attempt  to  wrest  it  out  of  their  hands.  They  therefore,  without  ceremony,  sent 
Marcus  Cato  to  take  possession  of  it ;  and  he,  by  stripping  individuals  of  their  superfluities, 
sent  immense  treasures  to  Rome. 

After  the  division  of  the  empire,  it  naturally  became  subject  to  the  eastern  emperor, 
and  so  continued  until  the  end  of  the  twelfth  century,  when  Richard  the  first  of  England,  in 
his  expedition  to  the  Holy  Land,  deprived  Isaac  Comnenus  of  the  crown,  for  his  want  of 
hospitality  to  those  sanctified  warriors,  and  gave  it  to  the  knights  Templars,  who  afterwards 
sold  it  to  Guy  de  Lusignan,  when  he  lost  his  kingdom  of  Jerusalem:  after  his  death,  it  passed 
through  a  variety  of  masters,  until  it  was  inherited  by  Charlotta,  whose  bastard-brother  James 
dethroned  her  and  her  husband  Lewis  of  Savoy,  usurped  the  throne,  and  married  Catherine  a 
Venetian  lady,  of  the  Cornara  family.  He  died  soon  after  his  marriage,  and  left  the  kingdom 
to  her,  although  she  was  then  pregnant.  Some  historians  affirm  that  he  was  poisoned ;  and 
that  his  posthumous  son  met  with  the  same  fate,  from  the  barbarous  politics  of  the  queen's 
brother,  George  Cornara,  who  prevailed  upon  her  to  resign  the  Sovereignty  in  favour  of  the 
republic  of  Venice.  After  this  resignation,  which  took  place  about  the  latter  end  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  she  lived  retired  in  a  country  house  not  far  from  the  city,  upon  a  very 
moderate  income. 

If  the  Venetians  obtained  this  island  by  such  horrid  crimes,  they  shamefully  lost  it  by 
the  negligence,  jealousy,  and  cursed  pride  of  those  to  whom  the  preservation  of  it  was 
intrusted;  especially  of  Dandoli;  who  had  assumed  the  supreme  command;  and  Count  Rocas, 
who  was  a  brave  but  empty  madman. 

About  the  year  1570,  the  Turks  made  themselves  masters  of  all  Cyprus,  except  Famagosta, 
which  did  not  surrender  until  the  year  following;  when  the  infidels  committed  unheard-of 
barbarities.  Twenty  thousand  were  butchered  in  Nicosia,  after  the  town  was  taken;  the  old 
of  both  sexes,  with  the  ugly  women  and  children  unfit  for  service,  were  built  up  within  one 
funeral  pile,  in  the  market-place,  and  there  burned  alive :  an  action  which,  in  horror, 
transcends  anything  I  have  seen  upon  record.  All  the  rest  were  loaded  with  chains,  about 
five  and  twenty  thousand  were  carried  ofl^  the  island  and  sold  to  slavery,  and  two  of  the 
largest  vessels  were  filled  with  jewels,  plate  and  furniture  of  prodigious  value. 

On  board  of  one  of  these  ships  Mustapha  Pasha,  who  commanded  in  chief,  put  the 
noblesse  and  most  beautiful  of  the  women,  to  grace  his  own  triumph,  and  to  enrich  the 
seraglio  of  his  Sovereign :  but  one  of  the  ladies,  having  procured  a  lighted  match,  crept  down 
into  the  powder-room,  and  blew  up  the  ship :  the  fire  was  immediately  communicated  to  the 
other  vessel :  so  that  both  were  instantly  destroyed,  with  every  person  and  thing  which  they 
contained,  except  two  or  three  individuals,  who  escaped  with  their  lives,  I  shall  give  you 
another  instance,  from  which  you  may  judge  what  dependence  is  to  be  placed  upon  Turkish 
faith  or  humanity. 

Famagosta  was  gloriously  defended  by  Bragadino  and  Baglione,  who  inspired  not  only 
the  soldiers,  but  all  the  inhabitants,  and  even  the  women,  with  so  much  heroism,  that 
whatever  their  leaders  could  contrive  or  command,  the  others  had  intrepidity  enough  to 
execute;  together  with  a  resolution  to  bear  up  against  all  extremities,  even  such  as  are 
almost  incredible. 


DRUMMOND. 


278 


Before  they  surrendered,  there  was  neither  cow,  horse,  mule,  ass,  dog,  cat,  or  even  mouse 
within  their  walls ;  while  the  small  succours,  sent  from  Venice,  loitered  four  months  in  Crete, 
at  a  time  when  they  knew  their  fellow-citizens,  whose  name  will  never  die  so  long  as  the 
records  of  honour  survive,  were  suffering  all  imaginable  calamities,  and  struggling  with 
inexpressible  difficulties,  which  they  only  coidd  have  rendered  surmountable;  for  what  might 
not  have  been  expected  from  the  valour  of  such  defenders,  had  they  been  seasonably  supplied 
with  provisions,  arms,  ammunition  and  a  proper  reinforcement  of  the  garrison  ? 

Being  at  lejigth  reduced  with  famine  and  fatigue  to  such  a  degree  that  they  could  scarce 
stagger  under  the  weight  of  their  arms,  they  were  fain  to  capitulate  on  these  conditions:  that 
the  inhabitants  should  not  be  plundered,  and  that  they  should  have  liberty  to  worship  God 
in  their  own  way;  that  the  garriscm  should  march  out  with  all  the  military  honours,  and  be 
supplied  with  proper  vessels  to  transport  them  to  Crete. 

Everything  being  ready  for  their  dejiarture,  Mustapha  sent  for  Bragadino,  who  went  to 
wait  upon  him  with  Baglione,  accompanied  by  several  officers  of  the  first  distinction,  and 
such  a  number  of  guards  as  were  proper  to  atteiul  a  general  upon  such  an  occasion.  They 
were  at  fir.st  treated  with  great  ceremony;  and  just  as  they  were  going  away,  Mustapha 
asked  for  the  prisoners.  Bragadino,  being  surprised  at  this  demand,  answered,  that  he  never 
had  any  from  the  beginning  of  the  siege:  "  What !  (cried  the  barbarian)  have  you  nnirdered 
the  faithful "  So  saying,  he  ordered  the  whole  company,  liragadino  excepted,  to  immediate 
and  excruciating  death  :  the  general  he  re.served,  in  order  to  lengthen  out  and  diversify  his 
tortures;  which  he  bore  with  the  most  exalted  heroism.  His  nose  and  ears  being  cut  off,  he 
was  rolled  together  like  a  ball,  and  cramtued  into  a  hole,  scarce  wide  enough  U)  hold  him  in 
that  painful  attitude? ;  then  he  was  taken  out  that  h((  might  not  expire  too  soon,  and  forced 
to  kiss  the  ground  upon  which  the  ruffian  I'asha  trod:  they  afterwards  tied  him  naked  to  the 
yard's  arm  of  one  of  their  gallies,  that  he  might  be  exposed  to  the  scoffs  and  ridicule  of  the 
spectators;  atid  at  last  when  they  found  that  he  could  not  live?  much  longer,  he  was  hung  up 
by  one  heel  and  tlead  alive.  JJuring  the  wiiole  progress  of  these  torments,  he  was  never  once 
seen  to  shrink  :  a  circumstance  which  stung  the  brutal  nnissulman  to  the  .soul.  His  skin  was 
salted,  stuffed,  dried,  and  i)laced  in  the  arsenal  at  Constantinople:  but  the  family  of  this 
more  than  mortal  man,  whose  name  will  ever  be  revered  by  all  lovers  of  gallantry  and  virtue, 
had  the  address  to  convey  it  from  thence;  and  1  am  tol<l  it  is  now  in  their  possession.  Cyprus 
is  ruled  by  a  mussalem,  or  governor,  who  is  also  a  inuliasil,  or  collector  of  the  grand  Signior's 
revenues,  and  resides  at  Nicosia,  which  is  the  capital  of  the  island,  and  stands  in  a  |)retty 
centrical  situation.  This  city,  where  all  the  ultimate  courts  of  judicature  are  held,  together 
with  five  sea-port  towns,  where  the  trade  is  carried  on,  constitutes,  in  effect,  all  the  consider- 
able places  in  Cyprus. 

These  are  Lamaca,  called,  by  way  of  eminence,  Cyprus  with  its  port  of  Salines, 
Famagosta,  Chirinia,  Lemissol,  and  BafFo;  the  other  towns,  though,  perhaps  they  give 
names  to  different  districts,  are  of  no  note  or  consequence;  indeed  there  is  more  business 
transacted  at  Larnaca,  where  I  reside,  than  in  all  the  others  1  have  mentioned. 

The  names  given  to  these  places,  by  the  Greek  iidiabitants,  1  shall  for  the  sake  of 
pronunciation  write  in  the  Greek  Characters,  and  are  \(vxti><ria,  Aapv-q^f^,  AAt;^*?,  <I>a/xoyov(7a, 
Xtpii'ia,  N«/u€(row,  and  \\a<f)ov.  Faniagusta,  Salines  and  this  town  of  Larnaca,  which  is  generally 
called  K.vTrf)o  by  the  'i'urks  and  (i  reeks,  and  Cyprus  by  the  Europeans,  are  the  only  places  of 
the  island  which  I  have  yet  seen ;  and,  from  all  I  can  learn,  I  believe  I  shall  not  stretch  my 
curiosity  much  further:  for  nothing  curious  or  anuising  is  to  be  seen,  and  their  method  of 
travelling  is  not  at  all  inviting.    When  1  went  to  Fanuigosta,  formerly  Salamis,  afterwards 

c.  35 


274 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Constantia,  at  least  the  situations  seemed  to  agree,  I  rode  upon  a  mule  furnished  with  a 
ragged  patched  packsaddle,  so  baggy  that  I  straggled  like  a  beggar  upon  a  woolpack;  in 
lieu  of  a  whip,  I  was  provided  with  a  sharp  pointed  stick  about  a  foot  long,  with  which  I  was 
directed  to  prick  the  lazy  animal's  shoulders,  when  I  wanted  to  quicken  his  pace;  spurs 
would  have  been  as  useless  as  a  whip,  for  my  legs  were  so  expanded,  that  I  could  not  bring 
one  heel  within  half  a  yard  of  the  creature's  side.  All  these  circumstances  rendered  my  feet 
so  uneasy,  that  I  was  obliged  to  shift  five  hundred  ways  before  I  finished  my  journey;  which 
though  no  more  than  twenty  four  miles  fatigued  me  as  much  as  ever  I  was  by  riding  above 
one  hundred  miles  a  day.  As  the  Turks  permit  no  Christian  to  ride  into  the  town,  I  was 
obliged  to  dismount  and  walk  along  the  bridge.  This  was  no  inpolitic  precaution  with  regard 
to  me,  who  by  the  splendor  of  my  equipage,  might  have  made  the  conquest  of  some  peeping 
Sultana. 

We  enter  the  town  by  a  stone-bridge  and  a  draw-bridge  laid  across  a  broad  and  deep 
fossee ;  the  last  is  covered  with  the  skull-caps  of  those  who  were  slain  in  the  siege,  and  the 
other  is  partly  paved  with  grenado-shells.  The  fortifications  have  been  pretty  strong  for 
those  times  in  which  military-architecture  was  not  brought  to  perfection;  but  the  chief 
strength  of  the  place  consisted  in  the  intrepidity,  valour  and  fortitude  of  those  who  defended 
it.  The  whole  is  now  in  very  bad  order,  and  all  the  fine  brass  cannon  are  carried  off,  except 
a  few,  of  which  not  above  six  or  eight  are  mounted. 

In  the  year  1735,  the  town  was  greatly  damaged  by  an  earthquake :  the  Cathedral 
church  of  Sancta  Sophia,  which  had  been  converted  into  a  mosque,  fell  in  and  buried  in  its 
ruins  above  two  hundred  Turks  who  were  at  worship  when  the  shock  happened.  By  what 
remains  of  this  church,  St  George,  and  some  others,  I  can  perceive  they  were  built  in  the 
worst  Gothic  taste ;  the  very  stones  are  so  bad  that  almost  every  one  is  blown  or  mouldered 
by  the  weather.  It  is  the  more  surprising  that  these  materials  are  used,  as  there  are  many 
rocks  of  marble  in  the  neighbourhood :  perhaps  this  choice  was  owing  to  the  frugality  of  the 
people,  though  that  is  very  little  consulted  in  a  religious  building,  upon  which  a  great  deal  of 
work  is  proposed  to  be  bestowed. 

Over  the  gate  of  the  governor's  palace,  which  has  been  great  but  not  noble,  are  the  arms 
of  Venice,  with  an  inscription  which  I  could  not  read,  because  it  was  overgrown  with  shrubs 
and  moss ;  and  these  the  Turks  w^ould  not  suffer  to  be  cleared  away,  for  they  are  jealous  of 
they  know  not  what;  this,  however,  was  no  great  disappointment:  for,  by  the  few  words 
which  I  could  trace,  the  purport  of  it  was  to  signify  at  what  time,  and  by  whom  the  palace 
was  built.  I  likewise  saw  another  inscription  in  Gothic  characters  upon  St  Sophia,  but  it  was 
at  such  a  distance  that  I  could  not  distinguish  the  letters.  In  the  front  of  this  church,  upon 
the  right,  are  two  granite  pillars,  detached  from  it,  with  capitals  and  bases  of  white  marble ; 
and  between  them  stands  a  sarcophagus,  adorned  with  festoons,  but  altogether  uninscribed ; 
which  is  a  very  extraordinary  circumstance.  Why  should  such  expence  be  laid  out  on  a 
burying  place,  when  nobody  knows  to  whom  it  belongs  ?  The  gateway  that  leads  to  the 
harbour  is  under  a  bastion,  over  the  gate  is  S.  Mark,  or  the  winged  Venetian  lion,  inscribed 
Nicolao  Priolo  Prefecto,  MCCCCLXXXXVI.  It  served  for  a  guardroom,  and  is  finely 
vaulted  in  form  of  a  cupola.  The  harbour  is  good  and  safe  by  nature,  for  no  art  has  been 
bestowed  upon  it ;  from  hence  into  the  town  there  has  been  a  floodgate,  through  which  they 
occasionally  hauled  their  gallies  into  a  dock  behind  the  walls,  that  they  might  be  secure  from 
the  efforts  of  the  enemy. 

From  the  inlet  of  the  fosse  at  one  end  of  the  town  to  the  angle  of  a  bastion  at  the  other 
a  ridge  of  rocks  stretches  around,  and  forms  a  kind  of  oval  bason,  that  may  be  about  a  mile 


DRUMMOND. 


2/5 


one  way,  and  the  eighth  part  of  a  mile  the  other;  it  has  no  entry  but  one,  which  is  from 
forty  to  fifty  feet  wide,  between  the  rocks  and  the  angle  of  a  bastion,  and  across  this  channel 
is  a  chain. 

As  this  is  all  I  have  to  say  about  Famagosta,  you  will  readily  own  it  was  not  worth  the 
fatigue  I  underwent  in  going  to  see  it;  and  as  I  am  well  informed,  there  is  not  the  least 
vestige  of  anticjuity  in  the  island,  in  all  probability  I  shall  not  make  many  excursions: 
though  1  would  willingly  see  Paphos,  on  account  of  the  character  it  bore  in  former  times. 

Larnica  is  pleasantly  .situated  at  the  distance  of  a  little  mile  from  a  spacious  bay,  and 
very  likely  occupied  part  of  the  .same  ground  upon  which  the  ancient  Citium  stood :  V)e  that 
as  it  will,  there  is  not  one  object  in  it,  at  present,  worth  seeing;  all  the  houses  here  as  well  as 
in  other  places  of  the  island,  are  built  of  mud  cut  into  the  shape  of  large  brick.s  and  dried  in 
the  sun;  these  are  neat  enough.  They  never  build  higher  than  one  Hoor,  in  order  to  avoid 
some  part  of  the  dreadful  effects  of  eartlujuakes,  and  these  houses  last  longer  than  one  could 
imagine,  though  the  architects,  joiners  and  carpenters  are  the  most  bungling  artificers  that 
ever  were  seen.  It  is  equally  astonishing  and  lamentable  to  .see  the  ignorance  that  prevails 
in  those  countries,  where  arts  and  .sciences  once  flourished  to  such  perfection;  and  from 
whence  the  seeds  of  learning  were  scattered  through  the  Kuropean  world.  I  believe  I  may 
venture  to  affirm  that  there  is  not  one  ingenious  artist,  or  one  person  who  can  be  deemed  a 
man  of  learning,  in  the  whole  Ottoman  Kiiipire. 

Here  the  (ireeks  have  three  mean  churches,  as  generally  all  their  places  of  worship  are. 
One  convent  belongs  to  the  Franciscans,  and  another  to  tlie  ('aj)uchins  of  Terra  Santa,  hnt 
neither  of  them  is  worth  notice. 

*  •  • 

At  the  distance  of  a  .sliort  mile  from  hence  is  the  port  of  Salines,  where  the  Turks  have 
a  despicable  garri.son.  This  port  probably  derives  both  the  (rreek  and  modern  name  from  a 
very  exten.sive  lake,  or  rather  a  cluster  of  lakes  in  its  neighbourhood,  where  an  immense 
quantity  of  salt  was  annually  made,  before  and  after  the  Venetians  were  in  po.ssession  of  the 
island.  So  sensible  were  they  of  the  value  of  this  commodity  tluit  notwithstanding  the  va.st 
extent  of  the  lake,  they  or  their  predecessors  surrounded  it  with  a  stone  or  mud  wall,  the 
remains  of  which  are  still  to  be  .seen  in  .some  few  places.  And  well  they  might  bestow  such 
pains  upon  it;  for  according  to  accomits  of  the  be.st  authority,  it  yielded  1,000,000  Piastres, 
am()\niting  to  about  tl2"),0()()  per  annum;  whereas  now  it  is  farmed  at  the  yearly  rental  of 
1600  P.  or  about  ,t200.  You  will  think  it  very  strange  that  there  shoidd  be  such  a  prodigious 
difference  between  its  former  and  present  produce;  and  indeed  it  can  be  accounted  for  no 
other  way  but  from  the  innate  indolence  and  laziness  of  the  people,  the  insecurity  of  the 
property,  and  the  supine  negligence  of  the  ministers  of  the  Porte,  whose  whole  care  is 
employed  in  keeping  their  wives  from  the  eyes  of  other  men,  and  in  extorting  money  in  the 
most  oppressive  mainier  from  those  who  grojin  under  their  desixitic  sway.  No  care  is  taken 
to  prevent  the  .salt  being  trod  n\)on  by  man  and  beast,  wlien  it  begins  to  cake,  or  even  when 
it  is  fully  crystallized,  so  that  it  is  mi.\e<l  with  dirt  and  clay,  which  renders  a  great  part  of  it 
unfit  for  use.  Probably  the  Venetians  who  had  vast  territories  in  these  seas,  and  were  a  very 
frugal  polite  people,  obliged  all  their  subjects  to  take  their  salt  from  this  magazine  of  nature; 
whereas  the  stupid  Turks  know  not  how  to  make  a  reasonable  advantage  of  the  bounteous 
gifts  of  heaven;  for  other  places  are  now  otherwise  supplied. 

With  regard  to  this  lake,  various  are  the  opinions  of  the  learned.  Some  confidently 
affirm  that  the  salt  is  produced  from  the  rain  water  wliich  centers  here  in  the  winter;  and 
that  the  exhalations  are  so  sudden,  continued,  and  excessive  in  sunnner,  during  which  there 

35—2 


276 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


is  not  one  shower,  that  all  the  saline  particles  are  left  in  the  cake  or  crust  which  we  see.  But 
I  am  not  at  all  satisfied  with  this  theory.  Rain  water  cannot  be  supposed  to  be  impregnated 
with  such  a  proportion  of  salt ;  and  I  once  observed  that  the  water  of  the  lake  had  risen  since 
my  last  visit,  although  no  rain  had  fallen  during  that  interval.  Others  imagine  there  is  a 
subterranean  conduit,  or  communication  with  the  sea :  this  hypothesis,  however,  seems  to  be 
contradicted  by  the  simplest  hydrostatical  principle ;  for  if  this  was  the  case  the  lake  or  bason 
would,  in  spite  of  the  exhalation,  be  kept  as  full  and  high  as  the  surface  of  the  Egyptian  sea. 
It  would  therefore  be  more  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  banks  of  the  sea  in  this  place  are 
of  such  a  porous  quality  as  gently  to  imbibe  the  salt  water,  which  may  penetrate  into  the 
bason ;  the  water  of  which,  at  its  greatest  height  in  winter,  being  nearly  equal  to  the  surface 
of  the  sea,  this  water  may  be  distilled  through  these  pores  so  slowly  as  not  to  supply  the 
effect  of  the  exhalation  when  the  rays  of  the  sun  are  most  intense,  so  that  what  remains 
grows  more  and  more  salt.  The  difference  of  height  in  the  water  in  the  lake  may  be  owing 
to  clouds  or  a  thickness  in  the  medium,  which  impede  the  operation  of  the  sun.  The  rain 
water  which  falls  after  the  middle  of  March  may  wash  down  from  the  surrounding  lands 
those  saline  particles  which  have  been  left  by  the  sea  water  which  overflowed  it  in  the 
winter.  Nay,  I  have  reason  to  believe  the  earth  itself  is  impregnated  with  that  mineral,  the 
efflorescences  of  which  appear  in  this  spot,  as  well  as  in  a  great  many  other  places.  After  all, 
this  lake  may  be  formed  by  a  vast  collection  of  salt  springs,  like  those  that  are  found  in 
Cheshire,  and  other  parts  of  England. 

A  little  further  than  this  salt  lake  is  a  mosque  called  Hala  Sultan  Tekiye,  whither  the 
Moslem  repair  with  great  devotion,  to  offer  up  their  prayers  at  the  grave  of  Mohammad's 
grandmother,  who,  they  believe,  is  here  interred :  though  in  what  manner  the  good  old  lady 
was  transported  hither  from  Arabia,  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  learn.  Nor  are  the  Greeks 
destitute  of  such  another  pious  imposture.  At  Salines  is  a  church  dedicated  to  S.  Lazarus, 
who  was  raised  from  the  dead  by  our  Saviour,  and  afterwards  interred  in  this  place.  The 
architecture  is  such  as  I  never  saw  before ;  and  now  they  can  only  show  the  precious  hole  in 
which  his  body  was  deposited. 

This  island  abounds  with  a  variety  of  noxious  creatures.  Tarantulas  and  serpents  are 
common :  of  the  last  species  the  most  deadly  is  the  asp,  the  venom  of  which  is  said  to  be  so 
deadly  as  to  kill  in  less  than  an  hour  if  the  part  is  not  instantly  cut  out :  in  order  to  frighten 
away  these,  and  other  kinds  of  poisonous  reptiles,  the  reapers,  who  are  obliged  to  wear  boots, 
always  fix  bells  to  their  sickles.  One  serpent  I  saw  in  the  fields  was  about  two  yards  in 
length,  of  a  blackish  hue,  with  a  sort  of  coronet  upon  its  head,  which  it  carried  in  a  majestic 
manner,  above  a  foot  high,  as  it  waved  along.  Locusts,  which  I  have  seen  in  incredible 
swarms,  are  so  prejudicial  to  the  farmers,  as  to  destroy  one  third  of  the  grain.  I  am  now 
employed  in  making  a  collection  of  these  exotic  animals :  but  I  am  afraid  I  shall  not  be  able 
to  oblige  my  friends  with  any  extraordinary  trees,  shrubs,  plants,  or  flowers ;  for  though  I 
have  made  diligent  enquiry  I  can  hear  of  none  worth  preserving. 

My  female  friends  will  undoubtedly  expect  that  I  should  say  something  of  the  modern 
Cyprian  ladies,  as  the  ancient  dames  of  this  island  were  so  remarkably  distinguished.  I  shall 
only  observe  that  even  the  Franc,  or  European,  ladies  dress  in  the  Grecian  mode,  which 
is  wantonly  superb,  though,  in  my  opinion,  not  so  agreeable  as  our  own.  Yet  the  ornaments 
of  the  head  are  graceful  and  noble ;  and  when  I  have  seen  some  pretty  women  of  condition 
sitting  upon  a  divan,  this  part  of  their  dress  hath  struck  my  imagination  with  the  ideas  of 
Helen,  Andromache,  and  other  beauties  of  antiquity,  inspiring  me  with  a  distant  awe,  while 
the  rest  of  their  attire  invited  me  to  a  nearer  approach. 


DRUMMOND. 


277 


I  have  already  told  you  that  this  island  is  governed  by  a  person  who  is  both  MuHsellim 
and  Muhassil,  that  is  governor  and  collector  of  the  revenue  for  the  Grand  Signor,  though 
formerly  it  constituted  part  of  the  Valide  Sultan's  jointure,  and,  with  other  places  appropriated 
for  that  purpose,  enjoyed  great  privileges.  Then  Cyprus  was  ruled  by  a  \nceroy,  or  what  they 
call  a  Pasha,  until  the  late  Sultan  Ahmed  III.,  who  was  deposed,  bestowed  it  as  a  jointure 
upon  his  daughter,  who  was  the  widow  of  the  Vazir  Ibrahim  Pasha.  At  present  it  forms 
part  of  the  revenue  of  the  prime  Xa,/AT,  as  first  minister,  and  is  farmed  to  the  governor  for 
310,000  piastres,  amounting  (with  the  £st.  at  8  piastres)  to  about  t38,750,  besides  presents  of 
considerable  value,  which  he  must  give  to  different  people  in  different  ways. 

The  government  is  annual,  so  you  maj'  well  imagine  how  the  wretched  people  are 
fleeced.  Muhassil  Mustafa  Bey,  according  to  the  best  information  I  could  obtain,  has  this  last 
year  extorted  as  much  as  will  pay  his  rent,  indeTiinify  him  for  the  presents  he  made,  defray 
the  expence  of  travelling  and  living,  and  put  in  his  pocket  oOO  purses,  or  t81,2o0,  exclusive 
of  innumerable  things  of  value,  with  which  his  favour  has  been  courted. 

This  method  of  raising  money  is  called  Mangiare  i  daiiari,  that  is,  to  eat,  or  rather  to 
devour,  the  coin :  and  iiideed  every  Turkish  officer,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  degree, 
resembles  a  creature  in  Poland  of  the  hog  kind,  called  in  the  (Jerman  language  Vit'lfrass  or 
the  glutton  {(iulo  horcalin)  which  gormandizes  in  a  voracious  manner  as  long  as  it  can  find 
food,  and  then  getting  between  two  stones  squeezes  itself  so  as  to  disgorge  what  it  had 
swallowed,  that  it  may  have  the  pleasure  of  eating  it  agaiji :  with  this  difference,  however, 
that  the  squeezing  of  the  Vidfrasn  is  voluntary,  whereas  that  of  the  Turkish  govi-nior  is 
compulsive,  and  performed  by  the  Grand  Vazir,  who  in  a  moment  transfers  the  burthen  to 
his  own  maw. 

Of  the  310,000  piastres  for  which  the  whoU-  of  this  island  is  farmed  1()0,(MK)  an-  piiid  for 
the  land  rent,  and  150,000  for  the  Kharaj  or  capitary  tribute. 

The  numlx'r  of  Turks  in  the  Island  of  Cyprus  may  amount  to  l.")0,000,  and  that  of  the 
Christians  to  ")0,0(X) :  1  mean  (ireeks  who  are  subject  to  the  (irand  Signor;  for  as  to  the 
Europeans,  who  live  in  Ijamica  or  Salines,  and  nowhere  else,  they  do  not  amount  to  100. 
The  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  live  in  Nicosia,  Larnica,  Famagosta,  Carpas.so,  Haffo, 
Cerigna,  Lenn'soi,  and  Salines,  but  I  cannot  learn  the  particular  number  inhabiting  each  of 
these  places:  for  they  do  not  know  how  to  make  any  tolerable  exact  estimate,  nor  do  they 
give  themselves  any  troiiljlc  about  the  matter.  In  the  villages  there  are  about  4,000  Turks, 
who  pay  (•ontril)ution,  and  of  the  (Jreek  sul»jects  al)out  12,0(X).  So  that  these  last  constitute 
by  far  the  greatest  part  of  the  labourers  in  this  country. 

I  told  you  the  salt  pits  are  let  for  1,(500  piastres,  though  sometimes  they  fetch  2000,  for 
they  are  annually  put  up  to  .sale  by  the  di-fffrdar  or  high  treasurer.  The  money  thus  raised 
contributes  to  the  subsistence,  or  rather,  is  a  penpiisite  of  the  jainsaries:  and  the  farmers, 
after  paying  their  rent  and  charges,  may  pocket  500  or  1000  piastres,  according  to  the 
accidents  that  raise  or  lower  the  i)rice  of  salt.  Thi'  annual  produce  must  be  sold  within  the 
year,  or  never  afterwards,  unless  the  aniuuil  (•(msuMiption  sliould  exceed  tlie  i)ro(luce — a  case 
that  is  not  likely  to  happen. 

The  impositions  upon  the  island  are  sucli  iis  you  never  lu'ard  of,  namely,  the  Kharaj 
or  poll  tax,  divided  into  three  classes:  the  first  called  'ala  or  great,  amounting  to  11  jiiastres, 
raises  £38,750:  the  second,  vatisat  or  middle,  brings  in  120,000;  and  third,  called  Mna  or 
little,  produces  £18,750.  Then  there  is  the  maishet,  or  expence  of  supporting  the  governor, 
for  which  every  num  pays  5i  piastres;  and  7iuzul,  according  to  their  condition  or  station  ni 
life.    This  tax,  by  agreement,  is  generally  at  7A  p.  a  man.    Tho.se  who  are  rich,  of  the  first 


278 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


class,  pay  annually  of  taxes  24  p.  each :  people  of  the  second  class  pay  18  p.  and  persons  of  the 

third  rank  are  taxed  at  16  p.  besides  the  other  taxes  they  are  obliged  to  pay  for  the  furniture 

of  the  palace  or  Serai,  3  p.    For  a  murder  a  man  pays  yearly  from  one  to  two  piastres;  and 

in  like  proportion  for  other  crimes,  though  the  pardon  is  previously  purchased  with  a  round 

sum.   All  these  articles  included  a  rich  man  pays  for  his  person  about  60  p.,  one  of  a  middling 

fortune  is  not  quit  for  less  than  40,  from  a  person  of  the  third  class  they  raise  30 :  even  the 

poorest  sort  are  mercifully  dealt  with  if  they  are  not  bastinadoed  for  not  paying  that  which 

they  are  not  able  to  raise :  and  these  taxes  are  exacted  from  all  persons  between  the  age  of 

15  and  70,  that  is  from  all  who  are  capable  of  labour. 

The  method  of  levying  these  impositions  is  very  strange :  no  time  is  fixed  for  payment, 

but  when  the  oflicer  empowered  shall  make  his  demand,  if  the  unhappy  man  cannot  produce 

the  money,  he  must  undergo  imprisonment,  the  bastinado,  or  some  other  torture :  if  he  is 

possessed  of  any  effects,  houses,  lands,  cattle  or  other  moveables,  they  are  instantly  sold  at 

an  undervalue,  to  satisfy  those  cormorants,  who  set  his  Avife  and  children  adrift,  without 

remorse  or  compunction ;  nay,  they  even  make  a  sport  of  their  misery. 

*  *  * 

The  officers  civil  and  military,  who  reside  in  our  capital  of  Nicosia,  where  the  Muselim 
keeps  his  Court,  are : 

The  Mufti,  supreme  judge  or  Mohammadan  patriarch,  by  whose  decision  every  difficulty 
or  doubt  in  the  law  is  removed  or  determined. 

The  Molla,  who  is  judge  ordinary,  and  sub-governor  of  the  city. 

The  Naqibu  '1  Eshraf,  who  is  chief  of  the  race  of  Mohammad  in  the  island :  a  clan  who 
enjoy  the  honourable  distinction  of  wearing  green  turbans. 

The  Muselim's  court  is  composed  of  a  Kiaya,  who  is  his  deputy,  lieutenant  and  private 
secretary. 

Divan  efendi,  high  chancellor  and  secretary  of  state. 
Khaznadar,  high  treasurer. 
Muhurdar,  keeper  of  the  seals. 

Ich-aghaler,  grooms  of  the  bedchamber  and  pages  of  honour,  who  are  always  near  his  person. 

Imam,  chaplain  in  ordinary. 

Embrakhor,  master  of  the  horse. 

Vekil-Kharj,  master  of  the  household. 

Qahveji,  coffee  maker. 

Sherbetji,  confectioner  and  sherbet  maker. 

Bukhurdanji,  perfumer,  and  he  who  carries  the  perfume  of  the  wood  of  aloes. 
Bash  Chawush,  keeper  of  the  prisoners. 

Alay  Chawush,  buffoons,  who  carry  batons  tipt  with  silver,  and  play  a  thousand  monkey-tricks, 

fitter  for  the  entertainment  of  children  than  of  sensible  men. 
Mu'avinler,  officers  of  an  inferior  rank,  who  have  no  particular  department  but  are  fit  for 

many  purposes. 

The  military  officers  are : 

Defterdar,  grand  treasurer  of  the  army,  or  paymaster  general  and  high  chamberlain. 
Alay  Bey,  general  of  the  horse. 

Zaim,  captains,  or  rather  officers  of  horse,  for  their  degrees  are  such  as  cannot  be  distinguished 
or  understood  by  our  designations  and  commands :  they  are  32  in  number,  and,  in  lieu  of 
pay,  rent  villages,  according  to  their  several  degrees  of  favour  or  promotion. 


DRUMMOXD. 


279 


Sipahi,  horsemen,  to  the  number  of  3,000,  who  are  paid  from  the  tythes  of  the  grain,  and  other 
produce  of  the  island;  but  they  purchase  their  sipahiHqs  or  lands  from  the  Muhassil,  and 
these  lands  are  for  life. 

Yenicheri  Aghasi,  lieutenant  general  of  the  Janizaries  or  foot  soldiers. 

Qolkiayasi,  lieutenants  of  the  foot  soldiers. 

Chorbaji,  captains  of  foot,  to  the  number  of  18,  who  are  paid  out  of  the  \-illages. 

Yenicheri,  infantry,  to  the  number  of  1,000,  who  have  no  clothing  or  regular  pay,  but  subsi-st 

upon  the  produce  of  certain  villages  assigned  to  them,  the  rents  of  the  customs,  the  salt 

lakes  (tc. 
Sirdar,  high  marshal. 

Disdar  or  Qale  Aghasi,  governor  of  the  castle. 

The  kingdom  of  Cyprus,  ever  since  its  subjection  to  the  Turks,  has  been  divided  into 
sixteen  districts,  which  derive  their  names  from  the  most  consideraljle  towns  or  villages  in 
the  respective  divisions : — Such  as  Larnica,  Lime.sol,  Piscopi,  Ghilan,  Afdimo,  Cuclia,  Crusocka, 
Baffo,  Lefka,  Morfu,  and  I*enloia,  Cerigna,  Famagosta,  Messaria,  Citrea,  f)rini,  and  Carpasso. 
Anybody  will  at  once  perceive  that  these  are  not  the  names  used  by  the  ancient  (rrecians, 
but  rather  formed  by  the  modern  Greeks  upon  the  Italian:  but  as  I  have  neither  ancient 
geographer  or  chart,  I  cannot  favour  you  with  the  old  names;  for  such  is  the  ignorance  of 
every  living  creature  in  the  island,  that  thej'  have  never  heard  of  Ainathus  or  Urania,  or 
indeed  of  any  circumstance  of  antiquity:  even  a  Ijishop  scarce  knows  any  other  book  than 
his  Bible  and  Ritual,  which  i)erhaps  he  can  read,  though  without  understanding  more  of  them 
than  does  the  nuile  he  rides. 

None  of  these  towns  and  districts  have  any  other  officers  or  magistrates  than  a  Qazi,  or 
judge  ordinary,  excepting  Larnica,  Famagosta,  Cerigna,  and  Haffo,  which  are  jM-ovided  with 
an  Alai  Bey,  or  general  of  horse;  Sirdar,  or  Marshal;  Disdar,  governor  of  the  castle;  Dideban, 
governor  of  the  islands,  \'ice-inspector,  and  a  (xumrukji,  or  customer.  When  any  cause  of 
importance  falls  umler  the  inspection  of  the  Qazi,  he  gives  an  *j7aj«  or  rejxjrt  upon  it  to  the 
Musalim,  who  after  having  cimsidered  the  circumstances  pas.ses  a  decree;  but  both  the  report 
and  decree  depend  on  the  offering,  and  not  upon  the  merits  of  the  cause.  No  lawyer  is 
retained,  no  time  fixed  for  hearing  and  determining  suits,  and  no  place  set  apart  for  a  Court 
of  justice.    The  divan  of  the  Qazi's  house  is  the  bench,  and  every  man  is  his  own  attorney. 

In  this  kingdom  is  one  archbishop  with  three  suffragans;  he  resides  at  Nicosia,  and  his 
see  is  composed  of  the  districts  of  Famagosta,  Messaria,  Citria,  Orini,  and  Carpasso.  'i'he 
bishop  of  Baffo  lives  in  the  town  of  that  juime,  which  together  with  Piscope,  Afdimo,  Cuclia, 
and  Crusocka  or  Crisofu,  is  in  his  diocese.  The  bishop  of  Ciiitty  is  sometimes  in  Larnica, 
sometimes  in  Limesol,  which  two  places  and  (Jiiilan  are  in  his  l)isi)opric.  The  bishop  of 
Cerigna  lives  in  that  town,  his  see  comprehending  besides  Lefca,  Morfu  and  Fenloia. 

Our  bishop  joins  me  in  the  opinion  that  Chitty  is  really  the  ancient  Citium,  or  very  near 
the  place  where  that  city  stood  ;  it  appears  to  have  been  very  extensive  by  the  old  foundations 
that  are  daily  dug  up  all  round,  in  ranging  about  1  found  two  or  three  places  from  whence 
they  dug  stones,  and  as  they  were  below  ground  my  curiosity  induced  nu'  to  peep  into  them. 
There  I  found  well  squared  stones  of  a  prodigious  size  neatly  laid  in  good  cement :  the  stupid 
labourers  prop  the  roofs  with  pillars  while  they  undermine  the  building;  whereas,  with  the 
hundredth  part  of  the  time,  toil  and  expence,  they  might  have  accomplished  their  aim  bj'^ 
uncovering  the  whole,  and  clearing  away  six  or  eight  feet  of  earth  and  rubbish.  The  wall  1 
traced  a  considerable  way  and  found  it  of  great  breailth;  though  the  labourers  had  wrought  in 
such  an  irregular  manner  that  I  could  not  measure  it :  from  general  appearances  however  I  am 


280 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


convinced  it  has  been  of  great  strength,  and  very  probable  the  foundation  of  the  walls  of  that 
city :  for  we  read  of  none  of  any  consequence  in  that  neighbourhood :  and  it  is  at  a  very 
little  distance  from  that  point  of  land  which  now  bears  the  name  of  Chitty. 

The  revenue  of  the  archbishop,  communibus  annis,  may  amount  to  10,000  piastres,  which 
are  levied  from  the  towns  and  villages,  in  wheat,  barley,  cotton,  and  other  fruits  of  the  earth; 
though  not  by  the  manner  of  tythes,  but  by  a  certain  rate  fixed  to  certain  lands ;  and  the 
other  bishops  draw  their  revenues  from  their  own  sees.  That  of  Baffo  is  worth  from  1500  to 
2000  p.,  amounting  to  £250.  Larnica,  or  Chitty,  from  3000  to  4000,  equal  to  £500;  and 
Cerigna  is  equal  to  Baffo.  Their  value  fluctuates  in  this  manner,  because  nothing  is  paid  for 
the  lands  which  are  uncultivated ;  and  this  is  frequently  the  case,  owing  to  the  rapine  of  a 
governor,  or  the  extortion  of  a  man  in  power ;  for  when  an  unhappy  peasant  is  plundered  of 
his  all,  how  can  he  labour  his  ground  ?  Nay,  those  savages  often  reap  what  he  hath  sown 
with  the  sweat  of  his  brow. 

These  stipends  are  very  considerable  in  a  country  where  living  is  so  cheap,  and  so  many 
fasts  observed ;  yet  all  the  bishops  have  other  expedients  for  making  sums  of  money :  they 
move  from  place  to  place  as  traders,  without  bestowing  the  least  attention  upon  their  charge ; 
and  frequently  the  archbishop  raises  general  contributions,  under  the  deceitful  veil  of 
employing  them  in  pious  uses,  or  paying  soriie  extraordinary  avanie,  or  special  assessment 
of  the  Turks.  For  example,  in  the  year  1743,  the  archbishop  for  the  time  being  with  the 
countenance  of  the  Musellim,  who  shared  in  the  robbery,  levied  from  the  poor  people  no  less 
than  40,000  piastres :  but  they  complained  so  effectually  to  the  Porte,  corroborating  their 
complaints  with  bribery,  that  he  was  stripped  of  his  archiepiscopal  robes,  dignity  and 
emoluments.  Indeed,  there  is  no  diflSculty  in  obtaining  this  kind  of  satisfaction,  for  nothing 
is  more  agreeable  to  those  corrupt  ministers  than  complaints,  because  both  plaintiffs  and 
defendants  enforce  their  argviments  with  presents,  which  must  be  renewed  every  hearing: 
and  if  the  plaintiff  gains  his  point  so  far  as  to  make  an  empty  saddle,  the  whole  profit  accrues 
to  these  ministers,  who  not  only  sell  the  vacant  place  to  the  best  bidder,  but  afterwards  share 
in  the  plunder  of  the  new  purchaser. 

The  benefices  are  in  the  gift  of  the  bishops,  who  severally  receive  from  each  incumbent 
100  piastres,  when  he  is  invested  with  his  charge :  the  bishop  likewise  raises  from  every 
church  in  the  towns  within  his  own  diocese,  100  p.  annually.  He  exacts  from  10  to  15  p. 
from  every  priest  he  ordains,  and  1;^  p.  for  every  marriage:  but  the  poor  priests  subsist 
almost  entirely  upon  the  charity  of  the  parishes  to  which  they  belong ;  this,  even  in  Larnica, 
never  amounts  to  more  than  40  or  50  p.  so  that  they  are  obliged  to  follow  the  meanest 
occupations  for  bread;  yet  great  numbers  are  brought  up  at  the  altar,  that  they  may  be 
exempted  from  the  weight  of  Turkish  taxes ;  which,  as  lay  men,  they  would  not  be  able  to 
bear.  This  being  the  case,  the  ignorance  of  the  clergy  is  not  to  be  wondered  at :  the  very 
bishops  are  so  ignorant  as  to  believe  that  religion  consists  only  in  forms,  ceremonies, 
observation  of  holidays,  abstinence  from  flesh  and  fasting :  in  all  which  they  are  exceeded 
by  the  Armenian  church. 

The  bishops  are  elected  by  the  general  suffrages  of  the  people  of  the  particular  dioceses ; 
and  as  for  the  archbishop,  he  is  chosen  by  a  majority  of  the  suffrages  taken  by  the  bishop  of 
each  diocese ;  but  he  must  be  approved  and  sanctioned  by  the  patent  of  the  Grand  Signer, 
who  likewise  reserves  the  power  of  deposition  to  himself ;  neither  the  archbishop,  bishops  or 
caloyers  of  the  order  of  S.  Basil  are  allowed  to  marry  or  eat  meat;  though  behind  the 
curtain,  they  indulge  all  their  appetites  like  true  voluptuaries :  the  other  priests  may  marry, 
but  should  they  become  widowers  they  must  never  again  receive  the  matrimonial  yoke. 


DRUMMOND. 


281 


The  trade  and  produce  of  this  island  do  not  amount  to  the  tenth  part  of  what  they 
might  yield  were  they  in  the  hands  of  industrious  people,  governed  by  just  and  equitable 
laws,  and  the  property  so  secui-ed  as  that  their  children  should  enjoy  the  fruits  of  their 
ingenuity  and  labour. 

I  intended  to  give  you  a  particular  account  of  the  import  and  export  of  the  island,  at  a 
medium  of  three  years,  with  a  view  of  the  yearly  produce,  and  for  this  purpose  made 
application  to  some  of  the  custom-house  people,  who  could  not  afford  me  the  satisfaction 
I  desired:  however,  I  have  reason  to  think  that  what  follows  is  pretty  exact;  because  it 
comes  from  those  who  have  the  best  opportunity  of  kn(jwing  every  particular.  And  indeed 
it  is  scarce  worth  while  to  know  more  than  that  the  island  annually  produces  from  30,000  to 
40,000  okes  of  silk,  amounting  to  about  110,000  lbs.  English  weight,  each  oke  weighing  about 
2{  lbs.  3,000  quintals  of  cotton,  of  180  okes  each,  which  we  shall  call  7")0  tons;  and  about 
500  quintals,  or  12o  tons  of  sheep's  wool :  about  double  the  quantity  of  the  dying  drug  which 
they  call  alizari, 'And  we  term  madder,  unmanufactured:  of  the  brown  fossil,  called  by  us 
umber,  and  by  them  petra  tou  Trmdlous,  which  is  used  as  a  ground  paint,  there  is  an 
inexhaustible  store  in  the  mountains,  and  about  oOO  tons  may  be  yearly  exjjorted :  of  the 
carob  bean  or  Keratia,  .500  quintals  or  125  tons  are  exported  to  Damiata  and  Alexandria, 
whence  it  is  carried  to  Grand  Cairo,  and  almost  every  part  of  yj^gypt.  All  the  other 
merchandizes  go  to  different  parts  of  Kurope;  viz.  Britain,  France,  Holland  and  Venice; 
what  goes  to  other  places  is  inconsiderable.  Tliey  likewise  export  wine  to  the  amount  of 
365,000  cuuzai,  or  973,333  gallons,  a  cmiza  being  equal  to  21  gallons  :  the  greater  part  of  this 
article  is  carried  to  Venice,  for  the  wines  of  the  countries  around  that  city  are  very  bad,  and 
this  can  be  brewed  to  advantage. 

The  whole  of  the  wine  liarvest  or  vintage  may  be  reckoni-d  at  800,000  couzai,ur  2,131,131 
gallons,  equal  to  33,862  hogsheads ;  as  the  worst  vintage,  barring  accidents,  yields  about 
750,000  couzai,  and  the  best  never  produces  more  than  {KX),000 ;  so  that  making  the 
computation  at  one  fourth  of  a  piastre  per  roiizn  to  the  farmer-proprietor,  the  value  of  the 
vintage  will  amount  to  P.  200,000,  or  125,000  per  annum  :  yet,  projjerly  .sjwaking,  it  yields  a 
great  deal  more  to  the  island,  because  the  longer  the  wine  is  kept  upon  the  gross  lees  the 
more  valuable  it  becomes;  insonuicli  that,  although  1  fix  it  at  the  rate  of  1'.  \  per  rouza,  yet 
immense  quantities  are  sold  for  <loiil)le  that  price,  and  even  for  P.  3  per  cmiza. 

The  inhabitants  moreover  export  consideraltle  quantities  of  hams,  bacon,  goat-milk 
cheese,  biscuits,  vermicelli,  macaroni  itc.  which  it  is  iuq)ossible  to  a.scertain. 

Kstimate  of  the  exjtort  from  Cyprus. 

865,000  crmzai     of  wine              at  I*.    I A  piT  couza  1'.  547,500 

40,000  okes       „  silk               „  „  7'  „  oke  „  280,000 

3,{XX)  (juintals  „  cotton             „  „  25  „  (juintal  ,,  225,030 

1,000       „       „  madder           „  „  .')0  „       „  „  50,000 

500       „        „  sheep's  wool    „  „  23  „       „  „  11,500 

500       „        „  carobs            „  „  2h  „       „  „  1,250 

500  tons        „  Terra  umbra  „  „  1  „  ton  „  500 

£139,  k)8.  15.  0.  P.  1,115,750 

By  the  laws  all  goods  ought  to  pay  an  import  of  3  per  centum  ad  valorem,  when  imported 
or  exported :  so  that  the  duties  of  the  above  mentit)ned  commodities  should  amount  to 
P.  33,372;  yet  I  am  well  informed  that  the  whole  of  the  customs,  free  of  the  charges  of 

c.  86 


282 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


management  (which  are  very  small)  seldom  exceeds  P.  16,000  or  £2,000 :  but  this  is  not  the 
only  duty  levied  on  these  goods,  for  silk  pays  at  the  garden  P.  ^  per  oke,  cotton  P.  If  per 
quintal,  and  the  rest  in  proportion. 

The  import  consists  in  broad-cloth,  by  far  the  greatest  part  of  which  is  from  France,  and 
some  from  a  new  manufactory  at  Venice ;  a  few  bales  come  from  Great  Britain,  but  none,  as 
yet,  from  Holland;  in  watches,  toys  of  every  kind,  cutlery  ware,  pepper,  tin,  lead,  sugar, 
all  sorts  of  silk  manufactures,  and  other  things  of  less  consequence ;  but  there  is  no  great 
quantity  of  any  article  consumed;  for  the  inhabitants  are  kept  so  wretchedly  poor,  that 
they  cannot  indulge  their  taste  for  luxury  and  extravagance,  yet  they  are  lazy  to  an 
unfortunate  degree,  and  the  time  which  should  be  employed  to  some  rational  purpose,  for 
the  benefit  of  their  families,  or  the  common  weal,  is  spent  in  childish  diversions,  or  in  hatching 
villainous  schemes. 

They  have  indeed  some  manufactures  in  the  island,  and  do  not  want  capacity,  were 
they  willing  to  be  rightly  instructed.  Of  cotton  dimities,  with  a  little  silk,  they  make  about 
10,000  pieces,  of  ten  piks  each,  the  pik  being  equal  to  27  inches :  of  qutuni  and  bassma, 
coarse  kinds  of  cotton-satin,  about  15,000  pieces:  of  bitani,  or  broad  cotton  cloth,  about  1,000 
pieces :  of  coarse  silk  handkerchiefs  very  bad,  20,000  pieces :  of  skimity,  which  is  a  kind  of 
cotton-linen,  about  40,000  pieces;  and  of  a  thin  coarse,  cotton  shirting  a  great  quantity, 
though  I  do  not  know  precisely  what. 

Estimate  of  the  manufactures  in  Cyprus,  part  of  which  is  exported. 

40,000  pieces  of  skimity  at  P.    3i  per  piece  P.  140,000 


20,000  „ 

„  coverlets  for  beds  , 

,  »  m  „  „ 

„  250,000 

20,000  „ 

„  handkerchiefs  , 

,  „  Q   „  „ 

„  120,000 

15,000  „ 

„  qutuni  &  bassma  , 

„  H  „  „ 

„  67,500 

10,000  „ 

„  dimity  , 

„  2    „  „ 

„  20,000 

1,000  „ 

„  bitani  , 

4 

"£75,187.'  10.  0. 

„  4,000 
P.  601,500 

exclusive  of  the  shirting. 

This  country  (as  I  am  told)  produces  a  great  many  medicinal  herbs,  together  with  a 
variety  of  fossils;  but  I  am  so  ignorant  of  these  matters  that  I  scarce  know  under  what 
species  to  class  the  asbestos,  of  which  there  is  a  great  quantity  near  Paphos.  This  extra- 
ordinary production  of  the  earth  in  some  places  lies  in  one  continued  stratum,  and  sometimes 
is  found  here  and  there  in  little  detached  beds,  yet  nevertheless  it  is  dear.  Here  likewise  is 
found  vermilion  of  three  different  kinds. 

[Here  follows  a  pre-scientijic  and  wordy  description  of  the  Tarantida,  called  in  Cyprus 
po^a  (pojya.  pwi.  pdi.)  Trjs  Kov<f>r}%^  which  the  author  believes  to  be  the  true  (jtaXdyyiov,  a  poisonous 
spider  with  eight  legs  composed  of  three  joints  each.  Of  the  effects  of  its  bite  he  has  nothing  to 
tell  of  his  own  observation,  but  adds  "  This  I  will  venture  to  say,  with  great  confidence,  that 
if  any  kind  of  mortal  stupor  attends  the  bite  of  the  tarantula,  the  Cypriots  have  not  yet  hit 
upon  the  melodious  knack  of  expelling  it,  though  there  is  not  a  more  wanton  fiddling  set  of 
mortals  upon  the  face  of  the  earth."] 

In  the  beginning  of  September  I  accompanied  Mr  Consul  Wakeman,  and  Mr  Boddington 
to  Mount  Croce,  which  is  a  pretty  high  hill,  at  the  distance  of  about  four  hours  and  a  quarter, 
or  seventeen  miles  from  Larnica,  and  so  remarkable  as  to  be  an  excellent  land-mark  for 
sea-faring  people :  for  this  very  reason,  it  must  have  had  some  name  from  the  ancients, 
though  now  it  is  not  known. 


DRUMMOND. 


283 


Upon  the  summit  stands  a  church  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Cross,  and  sanctified  by  what 
they  imagine  part  of  the  wood  upon  which  our  Saviour  suffered,  fixed  in  a  large  cross  upon 
the  left  of  the  Altar.  This  piece  of  wood  was  given  to  a  papa  of  the  Greek  Church,  by 
St  Helena,  mother  of  Constantine  the  great,  with  liberty  to  build  a  church  where  it  now 
appears. 

She  likewise  endowed  it  with  certain  lands,  which,  at  present,  maintain  thirty  persons, 
who  serve  at,  or  about  the  Altar;  five  of  them  being  in  j^riest's  orders.  The  church  is  very 
small,  and  built  in  the  mean  manner  of  tlie  modern  (ireeks;  and  the  painting  is  so  monstrous, 
that  it  would  even  disgrace  a  paltry  alehouse  in  our  country. 

About  three  miles  from  this  odd  fabric,  is  another  chapel  and  convent,  upon  the  same 
consecrated  lands :  here  we  dined,  and  our  horses  were  taken  care  of  by  the  reverend  father, 
who  is  at  once  farmer,  innkeeper,  and  priest. 

The  Consul  and  Mr  Boddington,  who  are  extremely  obliging,  undertook  this  journey  in 
a  good  measure  for  my  satisfaction  ;  for  though  all  around  the  country  is  quite  parched, 
without  a  drop  of  water,  except  what  is  drawn  from  pits,  and  that  is  always  brackish,  I  was 
struck  with  the  appearance  of  the  place,  which,  at  a  distance,  resembled  our  highlands,  and 
seemed  to  promise  a  variety  of  delightful  prospects.  I  was,  however,  greatly  disappointed ; 
though  some  few  pleasant  bottoms  occurred  to  our  view,  and  appeared  the  more  agreeable  as 
they  relieved  the  eye  from  the  .sight  of  barren  wastes,  and  introduced  a  succes.sion  of  objects. 
A  parcel  of  low  pitch  firs  are  scattered  up  and  down  the  mountains,  though  none  of  the  size 
of  timber;  while  tlie  plains  produce  some  olives,  and  a  good  many  aromatic  herbs. 

We  ranged  over  many  bare  hills,  and  crossed  a  number  of  dry  channels;  so  that  during 
the  whole  excursion,  I  did  not  see  one  pile  of  grass,  or  one  drop  of  running-water,  except 
from  one  sickly,  aTid  almost  expiring  spring.  What  Hriton,  of  a  moderate  fortune,  would  live 
in  such  a  disjigreeable  country ;  where  though  the  necessaries  of  life  are  abundant,  and  the 
prices  reasonable  enough,  there  is  nothing  animate  or  inanimate  to  entertain  your  mind, 
delight  your  eye,  or  amuse  your  imagination  !  The  men  are  worse  than  beasts,  the  women 
more  ugly  than  fancy  can  conceive  human  females  to  be,  especially  in  an  island  which  was 
once  the  seat  of  beauty  and  of  love ;  and  not  the  least  vestige  remains  of  antiquity,  or  even 
of  those  remarkable  objects  which  the  Venetians  might  be  expected  to  have  left  uix)n  the 
island.  As  for  the  climate,  you  may  judge  of  it  from  the  thi'rmometrical  table  which  I  shall 
continue  until  the  year  is  completed,  and  send  over  as  opportunities  may  occur. 

Although  I  have  already  trespassed  upon  your  patience,  by  this  dull  letter,  I  can  not 
help  (now  that  1  am  talking  of  tlu;  climate)  communicating  some  fresh  jiarticulars  about  the 
Salines,  or  inland  salt-lakes;  though,  1  am  afraid,  1  have  already  been  too  imiiertinent  and 
prolix  upon  the  subject. 

Having  often  viewed  the  water  in  its  jjrogression  to  salt,  together  with  the  manner  of 
gathering  it,  and  considered  ('very  circumstance  with  all  the  attention  I  aiu  able  to  bestow,  I 
see  no  reason  for  changing  my  former  opinion;  but  shall  add,  that  the  wall  built  around  it, 
must  have  been  raised  with  a  view  to  pre.'^erve  a  greater  quantity  of  salt-water  than  flowed 
into  it  by  any  natural  subterranean  coiumunication  with  the  sea,  between  which,  and  the 
salt-lake,  there  is  a  very  distinct  canal  still  to  be  seen ;  there  the  wall  has  been  prodigiously 
strong,  with  two  sluices  to  admit  or  discharge  the  sea  water  at  pleasure ;  one  of  the  leaders, 
or  conduits  from  the  sluice,  is  entire  to  this  day;  and  what  fully  refutes  that  opinion  which 
supposes  that  the  salt  is  made  from  the  rain-water,  the  surrounding  wall  excluded  all  torrents 
from  the  adjacent  grounds,  for  the  reception  and  discharge  of  which  there  was  a  large  ditch 
or  canal  round  the  whole;  and  over  this,  at  different  places,  were  bridges  consisting  of  two 

36—2 


284 


EXOERPTA  CYPRIA. 


arches,  eight  or  ten  feet  each,  besides  the  intervening  pillar :  and  there  was  a  good  reason  for 
building  them  of  such  extent,  for  all  the  circumjacent  ground  declines  towards  this  lake,  and 
there  was  no  level  to  carry  it  off ;  so  that  as  vast  quantities  fell  in  the  winter,  there  it  lay 
until  it  was  exhaled  by  the  sun  or  imbibed  by  the  thirsty  soil. 

As  I  walked  through  the  crusted  sea,  the  steam  was  extremely  nauseous,  and  smelled 
like  putrified  hsh ;  the  salt  for  the  most  part,  was  concreted  into  cakes,  like  white  ice  when 
the  water  leaves  it :  and  immediately  below  this,  is  a  coagulated,  though  not  absolutely 
consolidated,  water.  The  surface  is  taken  off  with  paring  shovels,  and  laid  in  little  heaps, 
that  the  watery  part  may  be  exhaled  or  run  off ;  then  it  is  carried  on  asses  to  the  shore, 
where  it  is  formed  into  little  mounts :  what  I  call  the  coagulated  water  becomes,  in  a  few 
days,  a  solid  cake;  and  thus  the  people  work  during  the  whole  season,  in  which  the  sun  has 
the  necessary  influence ;  this  may  continue  to  the  end  of  September,  and  sometimes  longer. 

The  whole  may,  probably,  produce  no  more  than  the  two  thousand  piastres  I  mentioned 
by  way  of  miri,  or  farm-rent;  yet  about  5,000  cart-loads,  of  300  okes  each,  are  annually  made. 
Of  these,  the  farmer  is  allowed  to  make  2,000,  but  the  janisaries  make  and  dispose  of  the  rest 
at  pleasure,  though  not  without  paying  hush-money :  so  that  the  whole  quantity  will  amount 
to  about  50,000  bushels;  whereas  it  might  swell  to  an  infinitely  greater  proportion.  It  is, 
undoubtedly,  managed  in  a  very  slovenly  manner  and  when  I  say  so  to  the  inhabitants,  they 
answer,  that  they  make  as  much  as  they  can  consume.  But  if  any  man  could  be  properly 
secured  in  a  lease  of  it  for  twenty  years,  he  might  make  fifty  times  the  quantity,  export  it  in 
his  own  shipping,  and  find  sale  for  it  in  a  variety  of  markets. 

These  lakes  are  a  blessing  in  one  respect,  to  the  country,  but  a  very  great  curse  to  this 

town  of  Larnica ;  for,  to  their  noxious  vapours,  the  unhealthiness  of  this  place  is  imputed : 

indeed  exclusive  of  the  stench,  which  must  produce  foul  air  from  what  corner  soever  the 

vdnd  blows,  the  vapours  are  all  impregnated  with  salt,  insomuch  that  when  we  went  to 

Mount  Croce,  in  the  night  (for  people  cannot  travel  in  the  day)  the  dew  upon  our  whiskers 

was  as  salt  as  the  German  ocean,  though  the  water  of  the  Salines  is,  in  my  opinion,  ten  times 

more  salt;  so  that  there  must  be  an  immense  quantity  of  that  mineral  in  the  earth  itself. 

Frequently  the  milk  which  is  brought  for  our  tea  is  so  excessively  salt  that  we  can  not  use  it 

with  any  degree  of  pleasure ;  and  it  is  more  or  less  impregnated  according  to  the  pasture  of 

which  the  goats  have  fed,  for  there  is  no  such  thing  as  cow's  milk  to  be  had  on  the  island, 

because  there  is  no  grass  during  the  summer.    This  disagreeable  taste  prevails  in  spite  of  all 

the  sugar  we  can  use ;  and,  as  all  the  juices  of  the  human  body  are  salt  in  a  certain  degree, 

what  is  perspired  must  certainly  partake  of  that  quality;  but  here  it  is  impregnated  with 

such  an  incredible  proportion,  that  after  the  sweat  had  cooled,  I  have  often  rubbed  a  perfect 

dry  powdered  salt  from  my  forehead. 

Grood  Heaven !  what  a  country  must  this  be,  where  a  man  is  pickled  alive ! 

*  *  # 

Well  then,  our  government  is  changed :  and,  in  lieu  of  a  mussalem,  we  are  ruled  by  a 
pacha  of  three  tails ;  that  is,  of  the  highest  rank  next  to  the  grand  vazir,  but  he  is  provided 
with  the  same  officers,  though  in  a  greater  number ;  so  that  the  country  is  now  subject  to  a 
more  powerful  tyrant,  and  to  him  much  greater  honour  is  done  than  to  a  mussalem,  to  whom 
the  consuls  only  send  their  annual  presents;  whereas,  this  viceregent  exacts  their  personal 
attendance  at  Nicosia.  Accordingly,  Mr  Consul  Wakeman  set  out  from  hence  on  the  sixth 
of  May,  to  perform  this  expensive,  mean  ceremony ;  which,  I  think  is  unworthy  of  the  crowns 
of  Britain  and  of  France. 

The  Neapolitan  and  Ragusan  consuls  made  no  attempt  to  appear  magnificent  in  their 


DRUMMONl). 


285 


retinue  and  equipage,  but  tlie  Freucli  and  Venetians  made  strong  efforts  for  tliat  purpose, 
though  they  excelled  us  in  nothing  but  number  and  confusion :  our  little  troop  marched  with 
a  genteel  decency,  and  every  thing  was  conducted  in  an  elegant  manner.  The  greatest  part 
of  the  country,  until  we  arrived  at  the  river  Peroi,  which  is  about  eight  miles  from  Nicosia,  is 
extremely  barren ;  we  lodged  very  agreeably  at  a  village  called  Margo,  from  whence  we  set 
out  next  morning,  and  went  to  a  Greek  convent,  a  little  way  from  town.  The  pasha  had  sent 
his  horses  very  finely  caparisoned  a  la  Turquoise,  to  wait  our  coming;  a  very  extraordinary 
compliment:  these  we  mounted,  and  our  little  cavalcade  began  to  move  in  this  order.  First, 
the  chawush  qol-aghasi,  of  the  ojaq,  or  corps,  of  the  janisaries ;  then  the  rnuzur  of  the  ojaq, 
or  corps,  of  the  sipahi;  these  officers  may  be  understood  as  majors,  adjutants,  and  sometimes 
as  agents  for  the  respective  corps ;  after  them  rode  the  consul's  janisaries,  the  chancellor  and 
first  dragoman.  Doctor  Crutta,  the  first  dragoman's  son  being  a  protege,  the  dragoman  of  the 
seraglio,  the  consul,  with  his  clioqadars  on  each  side  of  his  horse;  Mr  Boddiiigton  and  your 
humble  servant,  together  with  Mr  (iolightly,  an  English  gentleman  who  was  occasionally 
here,  and  Mr  (iibson,  who  was  followed  by  the  servants  in  their  different  degrees. 

A  little  while  after  we  halted  at  our  lodgings,  the  consul  sent  to  know  if  the  Vazir  pacha 
would  please  to  give  him  audience:  and  the  answer  was,  when  it  would  be  most  convenient 
for  the  consul.  We  therefore  set  out  for  the  palace,  before  dinner,  in  the  order  I  have  already 
descril)ed,  and  all  of  us  dismounted  at  the  gate,  except  the  consul,  who  rode  into  the  court  of 
the  seraglio,  where  ten  or  a  dozen  fine  horses  stood  gorgeously  caparisoned;  indeed  their 
furniture  was  incredibly  extravagant.  All  the  guards  and  officers  (jf  the  palace  were  ranged 
in  the  court,  stairs,  passages,  and  apartments  thnjugh  which  we  passed  to  the  presence- 
chamber,  and  all  was  silent  and  still.  'I'herc  we  stood  until  the  entrance  of  the  i)acha,  who 
clapped  the  consul  on  the  shoulder,  as  a  mark  <jf  high  favour  and  regard,  desired  him  to  sit, 
and  several  times  bad  him  welcome:  nobody  .sat  but  the  pacha  on  his  divan,  and  the  consul 
on  an  elbow-chair  of  state:  the  pacha's  not  Iteing  in  the  room  to  receive  him,  and  the  consul's 
standing  until  the  other  entered,  proceeds  from  this  punctilio.  A  vazir,  a  mussalim,  and  even 
those  of  an  inferior  rank,  think  it  is  too  great  condescension  in  them  to  rise  from  their  seats 
and  salute  an  infidel  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  a  consul  will  not  go  into  the  presence  of  any 
officer,  whatever  his  distinction  may  be,  unless  he  is  received  standing;  so  that  this  nu'thod 
was  agreed  upon  as  a  salvo  for  the  honour  of  both:  and  these  preliminarie.s,  with  .several 
others,  are  always  .settled  by  the  intercourse  of  the  dragoman,  before  the  consul  goes  to 
audience. 

After  some  common-place  speeches,  and  hollow  a.ssurances  of  friendship,  which  gold 
alone  can  realize,  we  were  entertained  with  coffee,  sweet-meats,  and  sherbet,  and  lastly,  with 
perfumes,  which  always  imply  a  licence  to  withdraw.  When  the  consul  rose  to  take  his 
leave,  he  was  presented  by  the  vazir  with  a  hark,  or  robe  lined  with  fur,  which  was  put  upon 
him  by  one  of  the  officers. 

You  may  imagine  this  was  a  distinguishing  mark  of  generosity,  but  I  never  heard  of 
that  virtue  among  the  subjects  of  the  (irand  Signor;  and  this  vestment  had  been  dearly 
bought  by  the  presents  which  the  consul  had  nuide  Inin  in  the  morning.  From  the  presence- 
chamber  we  retreated  through  the  same  range  of  officers,  and  were  favoured  with  an  audience 
of  the  hiaya,  or  prime  minister,  conducted  in  the  same  numner,  though  with  this  difference, 
the  minister  is  not  served  upon  the  knee  like  his  nmster;  thence  we  returned  to  our  lodgings, 
with  the  same  order  and  parade. 

The  city  of  Nicosia  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful  plain,  between  Olympus  and 
another  range  of  mountains,  which  run  from  the  south-west  to  the  north-west  of  the  island : 


286 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


some  geographers,  or  rather  travellers,  have  distinguished  Mount  Croce  by  the  appellation  of 
Mount  Olympus,  but,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  the  first  to  be  Mamilla  Montis  Olympi,  which 
was  several  miles  to  the  south-east  of  Olympus ;  and  thus  you  see  how  these  two  mountains 
bear  to  each  other,  as  they  appear  from  the  road  of  Salines,  where  I  went  on  board  a  ship  in 
order  to  make  a  drawing  of  the  bay.  With  regard  to  Nicosia,  I  can  not  inform  you  at  what 
period  it  was  built,  or  whether  it  had  existence  while  the  ancient  Greeks  possessed  the  island: 
some,  indeed,  assert  it  is  the  same  as  Tremithus,  but  I  rather  believe  it  was  near  Idalium ; 
for,  in  a  very  old  charte,  which  was  shewn  to  me  by  the  French  consul  Monsieur  le  Maire, 
that  town  is  situated  near  a  river  called  Pedias,  upon  the  banks  of  which  was  the  famous 
Idalian  grove :  this  is  very  near  the  spot  where  the  Athalas  now  runs,  and  not  above  three 
miles  from  Nicosia :  yet  this  is  nothing  more  than  conjecture. 

The  city  was  well  fortified  by  the  Venetians,  according  to  the  manner  of  those  times; 
but  all  is  gone  to  ruin  through  the  supine  negligence  and  blind  security  of  the  Turks.  The 
place  is  round,  and  may  be  about  three  miles  in  circumference,  but  not  well  inhabited ;  a 
circumstance  to  which  it  owes  its  very  pleasant  and  beautiful  appearance;  for  this  want  of 
people  affords  room  for  a  great  number  of  gardens,  planted  with  orange,  lemon,  cypress, 
mulberry,  olive,  and  almond  trees,  which  exhibit  a  most  delightful  variety  to  the  eye  of  one 
who  walks  upon  the  ramparts.  All  the  Venetian  nobility  on  the  island  resided  here;  therefore 
the  town  has  been  finely  built,  as  appears  by  the  remains  of  some  edifices  patched  up  for 
Turkish  houses,  and  from  the  ruins  of  others  that  are  quite  desolate.  St  Sophia,  now 
converted  to  a  Turkish  mosque,  is  the  only  fabric  which  remains  entire,  and  is  of  tolerable 
gothic  work;  but  all  the  images  and  figures  are  defaced  by  the  brutal  superstition  of  the 
present  possessors.  One  inscription  was  all  I  perceived,  but  I  durst  not  go  near  enough  to 
read  it:  no  vestige  of  any  thing  truly  antique  is  to  be  seen;  for  I  searched  almost  every 
corner,  and  really  I  have  nothing  more  to  say  of  this  city,  but  only  that  its  situation  is 
extremely  ill  judged  for  a  fortified  town,  there  being  several  hills  upon  one  side  of  it,  from 
whence  the  houses  might  be  easily  battered  down. 

The  French  are  a  restless  people,  incessantly  employed  in  working  some  politic  point,  to 
gain  which,  they  use  truth  and  falsehood  indiscriminately  in  their  insinuations;  and,  when 
their  deceit  is  detected,  they  are  never  out  of  countenance.  Here  they  are  in  continual 
agitation  to  promote  their  own  interest,  at  the  expence  of  their  neighbours ;  but  their  unfair 
endeavours  are  always  foiled  by  the  address  and  known  veracity  of  Mr  Consul  Wakeman, 
whom,  notwithstanding  their  bad  success,  they  still  persist  in  perplexing  with  their  intrigues. 
It  was  in  order  to  repair  the  effects  of  a  dirty  mine  they  had  sprung,  that  I  was  obliged  to 
set  out  for  Lemisol;  a  task  which  I  undertook  without  hesitation.  All  the  country,  from 
Nicosia  to  that  town,  is  more  agreeable  than  any  part  of  the  island  which  I  have  yet  seen, 
being  diversified  with  hill  and  dale,  adorned  with  trees,  and  refreshed  with  water,  at  least, 
during  a  certain  season ;  for,  in  some  months,  no  other  than  dry  channels  are  to  be  seen. 

Lemisol,  though  not  rich,  is  a  very  pleasant  place,  accommodated  with  an  exceeding 
good  bay  for  ships ;  it  has  a  wretched  castle,  and  some  small  share  of  trade,  yet  this  small 
share  is  greater  than  that  of  all  the  other  sea-ports,  except  Larnica,  which  being  the  residence 
of  the  Europeans,  carries  all  before  it. 

About  six  miles  from  Limesol,  stood  the  Amathus  of  the  antients,  so  celebrated  for  the 
amours  of  Venus  and  Adonis ;  it  stretched  down  to  the  sea,  from  the  face  of  an  hill,  where 
there  has  been  a  very  strong  castle,  some  of  the  walls  of  which  are  immensely  thick,  and 
probably  were  built  by  some  of  the  Greek  emperors :  the  port  has  been  tolerable :  and,  from 
thence  to  within  eight  or  ten  miles  of  Larnica,  the  country  is  neither  bad  nor  disagreeable  j 


DRUMMOND. 


2«7 


but  all  around  this  place  is,  certainly,  the  worst  spot  in  the  kingdom,  on  account  of  the  salt 
air,  the  want  of  moisture,  and  the  almost  total  neglect  of  cultivation.  One  man  ploughs  wth 
two  oxen,  which,  tlujugh  lean  as  Pharaoh's  kine,  are  strong  enough  for  this  purpose:  the 
ground  is  cut  up  witli  an  instrument  not  so  strong  as  a  common  garden-scythe;  and,  in  lieu 
of  an  harrow,  a  fellow  stands  upon  a  short  thick  plank  drawn  hy  one  or  two  oxen ;  a  method 
which  does  not  so  much  break  as  Hatten  and  press  down  the  earth ;  yet  it  produces  a  better 
effect  than  one  would  at  first  imagine:  for  the  ground  being  naturally  mellow  and  tender,  is 
much  more  easily  broke  than  ours,  which  is  hard  and  tough ;  and  pressure  is  necessary  to 
cover  the  seed,  which,  otherwise,  would  be  apt  to  shoot  up  too  soon,  with  the  first  shower  that 
falls.  I  have  already  observed,  that  the  people  of  this  island  reap  with  sickles  furnished  with 
bells  to  frighten  the  serpents:  their  manner  of  separating  the  corn  from  the  ear,  is  this;  they 
nail  thick  planks  together,  about  three  feet  square,  in  which  are  fastened  broken  Hints  oi 
pebbles;  upon  this  stage  a  clumsy  fellow  sits,  or  .stands,  directing  an  ox  or  two  that  drag 
him  round  and  round  a  parcel  of  the  grain  as  it  is  brought  from  the  field,  which  he  from  time 
to  time  draws  down,  as  he  finds  what  is  ujider  him  sufficiently  cut  or  shaken  from  the  ear. 

You  have,  herewith,  a  thermometrical  table  of  the  weather  for  one  year  compleat;  by 
which  you  will  perceive  a  very  considerable  difference  between  the  heat  of  tliis  and  last  year; 
this,  I  a!n  told,  is  of  a  more  iiatural  temperature:  the  extremes  <jf  the  other  proceeded  from 
intolerable  NE  winds,  which  render  the  air  almost  insufferal)ly  hot. 

{_We  omit  a  de-scriptiou  of  the  cluiniaelcon,  mi  a)iiiiial  wnr  .sufficiently  kmini,  and  continue 
our  extracts  vith  Mr  Driimmo7id\s  account  of  his  xecond  viitit  to  Cyprus  in  April,  IT^iO, 
pp.  200—281.'] 

Starting  without  any  other  company  than  that  of  a  janis.sary,  two  servants,  and  a  guide, 
after  having  provided  such  stores  as  arc  absolutely  neces.sarj'  to  <me  who  travels  in  Turkey, 
my  first  stage  was  to  Cliitty,  a  village  which  took  its  name  from  its  neighbourhood  to  the 
point  of  land  formerly  called  Dades  Promontorium ;  but  in  latter  times,  distinguished  by  the 
appellation  of  Citiuni  i'roiiiontorium,  or  Chitty  jwint,  because  it  formed  the  bay  of  Citium, 
and  preserved  the  shipping  from  the  severity  of  the  westerly  win<ls.  Hut  to  say  that  this 
place  derives  its  name  from  the  antient  city  of  Citium,  as  some  people  affirm,  from  the  sole 
considerati(jn  of  the  affinity  of  sounds,  is  altogether  al)surd ;  as  there  is  not  one  reason  to 
support,  but  many  to  di.sprove  the  supposition :  for  example,  this  place  is  near  Dades 
Promontorium,  whereas  Citium  was  not,  neither  did  that  city  stand  upon  the  banks  of  the 
river  Tatius,  which  waters  this  village  of  Chitty,  and  over  which  there  has  been  a  well-built 
bridge  of  four  arches.  Here  is  no  anchoragt"  for  the  smallest  ]>ark,  liut  there  was  a  safe 
bay  for  a  numerous  fleet  near  Citiuni,  the  sea-port  of  which  was  called  Salines,  from  the 
neighbouring  salt-works.  About  this  village,  not  the  least  ve.stige  of  antiijuity  or  grandeur 
is  to  be  found ;  at  Larnica,  are  undeniable  proofs  of  its  having  been  the  antient  Citium ;  some 
of  these  I  have  already  nuMitioned,  and  one  or  two  more  I  found  when  I  was  last  in  that 
place.  Near  to  the  south  ruins  of  the  walls,  a  subterranean  vault  has  l)een  lately  discovered; 
it  is  nineteen  feet  in  length,  above  nine  feet  broad,  the  walls  are  near  three  feet  thick;  two 
stones  form  the  roof,  which  is  surrounded  with  a  bold,  plain,  well  wrought  corin'ce.  It  has 
two  passages  at  present  open,  and  I  call  it  subterranean,  i)ecause  it  plainly  appears  to  have 
been  hnWt  into  the  earth  with  stones  and  lime,  the  walls  on  the  outside  being  rayled;  which 
could  not  have  been  the  case  had  it  been  accidentally  covered  in  the  general  ruin.  For  what 
purpose  this  vault  was  intended,  I  shall  not  take  upon  me  to  determine:  if  as  a  catacomb,  one 
would  expect  to  see  some  places  for  repositories  to  the  dead;  and  if  it  had  been  meant  as  a 
sacellum,  or  chapel,  there  would,  in  all  probability,  have  ])een  some  place  for  the  statue  of  the 


288 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


god  whose  rites  were  here  performed;  in  either  case,  niches  for  lamps  would  have  been 
necessary,  yet  none  of  these  circumstances  appear :  and  it  could  be  supplied  with  no  other 
light  than  that  of  portable  lamps  or  candles. 

The  other  piece  of  antiquity  is  laid  across  what  seems  to  have  been  a  fossee  round  the 
city  wall ;  it  is  composed  of  two  stones,  the  upper  being  thirteen  feet  long,  near  eleven  feet 
broad,  and  above  six  feet  thick;  the  lower  I  could  not  measure;  but  they  are  cut  and  joined 
so  as  that  one  has  a  bed  at  right  angles  within  the  other ;  and  a  gate  way  four  feet  and  three 
quarters  broad,  and  one  foot  and  an  half  thick,  is  cut-in  the  middle,  as  if  the  gate  had  been 
let  down  from  above,  like  a  portcullis,  or  the  iron  gates  of  a  garrison.  The  use  of  this 
contrivance  foils  my  conjecture,  unless  it  has  been  a  sluice  to  retain  the  water  in  the  fossee. 

For  the  honour  of  Bekir  Pasha  I  must  communicate  an  instance  of  the  old  gentleman's 
public  spirit.  While  he  was  Pasha  of  this  island,  in  the  year  1747,  he  formed  the  noble  design 
of  bringing  water  from  the  river  at  Arpera,  and  occasional  springs  on  the  road  about  six  miles 
from  hence,  to  supply  the  people  of  Larnica,  Salines  and  the  shipping.  A  work  worthy  of  a 
great  and  good  man,  which  might  have  cost  him  above  fifty  thousand  piastres,  or  six  thousand 
two  hundred  pounds. 

Accordingly  he  set  down  sumpts,  or  pits,  and  carried  drifts  from  one  to  another,  to  lead 
the  water  through  the  high  grounds,  and  conveyed  it  in  aqueducts  over  the  hollows :  the  first 
of  which  from  Arpera,  is  an  arcade,  of  fifty  arches;  two  of  these  are  small,  the  others  nine 
feet  wide,  the  highest  twelve  feet  in  height,  while  the  others  diminish  as  the  ground  rises : 
the  pillars,  or  piers  of  the  arches,  are  eight  feet  broad  and  three  feet  thick ;  and  here  he  has 
planted  fine  silk-gardens,  with  a  vineyard,  and  built  a  mill,  in  which  grain  is  ground  by  the 
fall  of  water.  The  second  arcade  has  twelve  arches,  each  being  twelve  feet  wide,  the  pillars 
being  five  feet  broad,  and  three  feet  thick,  and  the  highest  about  eighteen  feet  in  height. 
The  third  arcade,  which  is  near  Larnica,  consists  of  thirty-one  arches,  four  feet  and  an  half 
wide,  the  height  of  the  highest  being  about  sixteen  feet,  each  pillar  is  four  feet  thick  and 
twelve  feet  broad. 

Here  the  work  stood  when  he  was  removed  from  his  pashaliq,  and  though  he  left  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  in  the  hands  of  Christofacco,  dragoman  of  the  Seraglio,  who  was 
murdered  when  I  was  last  in  Cyprus,  the  villain  did  not  carry  on  the  work  as  it  ought  to 
have  been  executed,  and  the  pasha,  his  successor  in  office,  who  knew  nothing  but  the  sordid 
passions  of  a  ravenous  Turk,  gave  himself  no  trouble  about  the  matter.  So  that  the  whole 
was  at  a  stand  until  last  July,  when  he  sent  a  person  to  set  it  a  going,  and  by  this  time  I  hope 
it  is  completed. 

From  Chitty,  which  is  beautified  with  a  number  of  silk-gardens,  to  Maroni,  the  roads 
are  very  pleasant,  the  view  being  bounded  on  one  side  by  the  hills,  and  on  the  other  by  the 
sea,  and  regaled  with  a  great  variety  of  trees,  though  the  greatest  part  of  those  upon  the 
plain  are  carobs,  or  what  we  call  locust-trees :  these  together  with  olives,  adorn  an  extensive 
plain,  that  the  eye  commands  from  the  village  of  Maroni,  which  is  delightfully  situated  upon 
a  rising  ground. 

We  often  meet  with  the  channels  of  rivers  which  are  not  mentioned  by  the  antient 
geographers,  with  a  number  of  rivulets  and  brooks  that  flow  plentifully  during  the  rainy 
season;  but,  as  I  performed  my  tour  of  nine  and  twenty  days  in  the  months  of  May  and  June, 
those  in  the  plains  were  generally  quite  dry ;  and  the  rest  among  the  hills  had  little  water, 
having  been  almost  exhausted  for  the  use  of  the  gardens  that  are  near  their  courses.  This  to 
be  sure,  is  the  best  way  of  disposing  them,  though  they  might  be  used  to  much  better  purpose^ 
if  the  wretched  people  had  any  encouragement  to  be  industrious. 


DRUMMOXI). 


289 


Some  tew  mik-.s  on  this  side  of  Ainatlius,  the  country  is  open  and  destitute  of  trees; 
and  to  the  northward  of  it,  are  the  Montes  Orini,  famous  for  the  wines  they  produce,  which 
are  reckoned  the  hest  that  grow  upon  the  Island.  From  their  two  high  pointed  tops,  which 
are  very  distinct  and  nearly  equal,  I  should  rather  choose  to  distinguish  them  by  the  name  of 
Mamilla;  Montis  Olympi,  than  Monte  Croce,  were  not  they  almost  as  high  as  Mount  Olympus, 
and  too  much  to  the  westward. 

I  dismounted  at  Amathns,  and  re\Tsited  the  ruins,  together  with  those  of  what  is  called 
old  Limesol  Ijy  tlie  moderns;  and  1  assure  you  these  are  the  same;  though  some  make  them 
distinct  places.  I  wish  their  foolisli  prince,  Isaac  Comnenus,  had  been  wiser;  or  Richard  the 
first  of  England  more  cool  in  liis  resentment ;  for  to  the  one  and  the  other,  we  owe  the  utter 
destruction  of  Amathus ;  though,  after  that  period,  .some  mean  houses  remained,  for  it  was 
inhabited  until  of  late.  I  could  find  nothing  upon  this  my  second  examination,  in  which 
I  was  so  eager  and  diligent,  that  I  should  certainly  have  found  the  temple  of  Venus  or 
Adonis,  had  the  smallest  vestiges  of  any  sucli  fabric  remained.  All  therefore,  that  I  can  say 
upon  this  subject,  is,  that  St  John  the  Almoner,  son  of  Kpiplianius,  Governor  of  Cyprus,  first 
saw  the  light  in  this  place:  in  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century,  he  was  made  patriarch 
of  yEgypt ;  but  he  had  such  attachment  to  his  native  spot,  that  he  chose  to  die  in  Amathus : 
and  so  grateful  were  the  dead  for  this  instance  of  his  regard,  that  when  he  resigned  his  soul 
to  heaven,  and  his  body  to  the  earth,  two  bishops,  who  had  been,  for  some  time,  in  peaceable 
possession  of  a  magnificent  tomb,  ro.se  up  at  his  approach,  and  made  way  for  his  more 
sanctified  carcase. 

Fatigued  and  disappointed,  I  proceeded  to  Limesol,  which  was  given  by  Henry,  King  of 
Cyprus,  to  the  Knights  Hospitallers,  when  they  left  I'alestine;  and  tliis,  I  humbly  ccmceive 
to  be  the  antient  Curium,  Carium,  or  Cumdium :  for  the  geographers  of  former  days  bring 
the  river  Lycus  from  two  different  sources  in  the  Montes  Orini,  unite  them  some  leagues  to 
the  northward  of  this  i)lace,  then  separate  them  again  into  different  l)ranches,  one  of  which 
empties  itself  into  the  bosom  of  the  bay,  while  the  other  is  di.scharged  to  the  westwanl  of  the 
neck  of  land  hard  by  the  walls  of  the  town.  Whereas,  I  affirm  it  is  one  river,  issuing  from 
one  fountain,  and  falling  into  nearly  tlie  midille  of  tlie  l)ay  on  the  north  side;  but  then  I  find 
another  river  emptying  itself  into  the  bottom  of  the  bay,  by  the  south-west  side  of  the  town, 
and  coming  from  the  nearest  range  of  hills  northwards.  I  know  not  how  to  reconcile  these 
differences,  yet  I  coiiclude  myself  right  because  my  account  proceeds  from  an  actual  survey, 
and,  I  believe,  most  of  my  predecessors  depended  upon  hear-say;  for  almost  every  one  of 
them  is  extremely  erroneous  in  laying  down  the  bay  of  this  place:  they  represent  it  as  a 
mill-pond,  whereas  it  is  a  full,  open  bay,  as  j-ou  see  in  the  chart  which  I  have  transmitted.  I 
took  the  bearings  and  distances  of  everj'  thing  there  inserted,  and  after  having  chequed  in 
different  ways,  I  found  1  had  not  erred  one  league  in  laying  down  the  whole  of  my  circuit. 

Upon  the  neck  of  land  which  joins  Curium  I'romontorium  to  the  main,  is  the  ^^llage  of 
Agrodiri,  which,  as  well  as  Mount  Olympus,  was  given  to  the  priests  of  St  Basil,  and  the 
reddendo  of  their  charter  was,  that  they  should  keep  a  sufficient  immber  of  cats  to  destroy 
the  serpents,  which  in  great  numbers  infested  the  neighbouring  grounds;  from  which 
circumstance,  the  Italians  bestowed  upon  the  promontory,  the  appellation  of  Cape  de  (xato, 
which  it  retains  to  this  day.  In  all  the  charts  1  have  seen,  this  appears  as  a  very  long-necked 
peninsula ;  an  error,  I  suppo.se,  owing  to  the  deception  occasioned  by  the  salt-lake  which  you 
perceive  to  the  westward ;  and  which  one  is  very  apt  to  mistake  for  the  sea.  1  my.self  was 
deceived  when  T  first  saw  it ;  but  now  the  lake  being  almost  crusted,  I  passed  so  near  as  to 
distinguish  it  perfectly.    From  hence  the  country  is  open  and  pleasant  to  Colo.s,  which  is  a 


290 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


fine  village,  where  there  was  formerly  a  commanderie  of  the  Knights  Hospitallers.  Lewis  de 
Magnac,  grand  commander  in  Cyprus,  built,  in  this  place,  a  plain,  square,  and  strong  tower, 
which  still  remains;  the  front  exhibiting  this  appearance.  It  is  about  seventy  feet  high,  and 
fifty-four  feet  broad,  adorned  with  coats  of  arms;  but  the  great  gate  is  buried  in  some 
vile  house,  so  that  I  could  not  see  it :  yet  part  of  the  convent,  which  has  been  large,  is  still 
to  be  seen. 

This  place  I  take  to  be  the  Treta  of  the  ancients,  because  a  river  runs  between  it  and 
Piscopi,  and  Treta  was  situated  east  of  a  fine  river.  But  I  find  it  impossible  to  reconcile  the 
ancient  geography  with  what  I  saw,  and  what  I  may  reasonably  suppose  from  appearances 
and  the  traditions  of  the  country.  Piscopi  is  a  beautiful  large  village,  resembling  those  of 
Great  Britain;  the  adjacent  grounds  are  watered  by  an  aquaeduct  from  the  river;  broken 
fiists  lie  scattered  around,  and  some  grand  ruins  are  still  visible.  Here,  or  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, was  a  nemus  sacred  to  Apollo ;  and  one  of  those  ruins  somewhat  resembles  a  temple : 
the  people  say  it  was  the  palace  of  one  who  taught  music ;  and,  from  this  tradition,  we  may 
conjecture  it  was  dedicated  to  Apollo ;  though,  to  me,  it  seems  to  have  been  the  palace  of  the 
superior,  or  lord  of  the  manor :  for  it  evidently  appears,  that  the  buildings  around  it  have  been 
intended  for  the  sugar  works  which  were  carried  on  in  this  place ;  and  I  could  find  neither 
figure  nor  inscription  which  might  have  ascertained  the  nature  of  the  whole. 

Having  proceeded  some  miles  beyond  this  village,  I  entered  the  hilly  country,  exhibiting, 
for  some  way,  nothing  but  bare  rocks  towards  the  shore,  which  is  bold;  but  afterwards  I 
found  the  ground  covered  with  woods.  In  one  place  I  saw  the  effects  of  an  earthquake 
which  happened  a  considerable  time  ago,  and  was  seized  with  horrour  at  the  sight.  Vast 
profound  chasms  opened  to  my  view ;  and,  into  these,  huge,  split  rocks  had  been  hurled : — 
Mountains,  which  were  rent,  seemed  to  gape  to  the  very  centre;  while  others,  still  more 
frightful,  hung  menacing,  as  in  the  very  act  of  tumbling,  with  such  an  enormous  weight  as 
(one  would  think)  might  shake  the  earth  to  its  foundation. 

Having  viewed  these  wrecks  of  nature  with  astonishment,  I  went  forward  to  Livathi; 
which  stands  upon  the  river  Aphdiem,  not  far  from  what  is  at  present  called  Capo  Bianco ; 
and  here  I  find  Arsinoe  about  two  leagues  north  from  this  shore ;  yet  we  see  it  always  laid 
down  west  of  Paphos  Antiqua :  perhaps  another  of  the  same  name  may  have  stood  in  that 
situation,  but  now  no  vestige  of  it  remains.  This  cape  I  suppose  to  be  Phrurium ;  because  it 
is  the  first  we  meet  with  to  the  westward  of  Curium,  which  has  any  considerable  projection, 
and  the  rest  are  rather  points  than  capes. 

Through  cursed  rocky  roads,  I  passed  the  mountains  about  Pisouri,  and  then  obtained  a 
better  view  of  a  bluff  head,  which,  according  to  my  geographical  system,  ought  to  be  Zephyria, 
though  there  is  no  Paphos  nor  river  to  the  eastward,  but  Chapatomi  to  the  west.  Couclia  I 
substitute  in  the  place  of  Arsinoe  upon  the  ancient  charts,  partly  for  the  above  reason,  and 
partly  because  it  is,  at  this  day,  known,  and  sometimes  called  by  the  name  Palikythera.  It 
is  a  charming  place,  and,  from  some  fragments  of  antiquity,  appears  to  have  been  of  note ;  or, 
according  to  the  language  of  the  country,  a  favourite  of  queen  Aphrodite.  If  this  is  granted, 
then  Lesata,  or  Mandraka,  or  both,  must  be  Hierocepia,  Xero  will  answer  exactly  to  the  river 
on  which  that  town  was  built. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  celebrated  Paphos,  which,  we  are  told,  was  built  by  Cinyras, 
King  of  Assyria,  who  had  Adonis  and  others  by  Metherme,  daughter  of  Pygmalion,  King  of 
Cyprus.  Some  say  the  founder  was  Paphos,  son  of  Pygmalion,  by  the  statue  which  Venus 
animated ;  and  thence  the  island  derived  its  name. 

"Ilia  Paphum  genuit,  de  quo  tenet  insula  nomen."        Ovid,  Met.  X.  297. 


DIIUMMOXIX 


291 


But  this  is  a  question  of  no  great  ijiiportance  at  present,  we  shall  only  mention  the 
temple  which  is  said  to  have  stood  upon  the  spot  where  the  goddess  landed,  when  she  was 
wafted  on  sliore  by  the  gentle  waves  from  which  she  sprung,  and  to  have  been  dedicated  by 
Cinyras.  It  was  one  of  the  three  sanctuaries  belonging  to  the  island,  and  noted  for  divination, 
which  was  introduced  by  Tameras  of  Cilicia,  who  agreed  that  the  rites  should  be  performed 
equally  by  his  descendants,  and  tliose  of  Cinj-ras ;  but,  at  length,  that  honour  was  entirely 
ceded  to  the  Paphian  royal  race.  Here  the  votary  had  the  choice  of  the  \actim,  which  was 
always  male,  as  being  most  acceptable  to  the  goddess,  whose  figure  was  round,  broad  at 
bottom,  and  terminating  in  a  point :  a  form,  the  reason  of  which  nobod}^  has  been  able 
satisfactorily  to  explain.  The  gi-eatest  faith  was  given  to  the  entrails  of  kids;  the  altars 
were  never  stained  with  blood;  nothing  but  pure  fire  was  offered  upon  them;  and  though 
they  stood  in  the  open  air,  and  the  rites  were  performed  in  all  seasons,  no  rain  extinguished, 
or  even  approached,  the  sacred  flames.  This  miracle  maj'  be  easily  accounted  for:  in  a  place 
where  it  rains  so  seldom,  they  might  easily  defer  the  sacrifice  until  the  clouds  were  drained ; 
for,  in  a  little  time  after  they  appear,  down  they  pour  in  a  deluge,  and  then  all  is  over. 

Tliis  place  is  likewise  renuirkaljle  for  an  horrid  scene  acted  by  the  royal  family,  when, 
Ptolomey  reduced  Cyprus.  Nicocles  at  that  time  reigned  in  Paphos,  and,  hoping  to  shake 
off  the  yoke,  made  an  offensive  and  defensive  alliaiice  with  Antigonus,  King  of  Syria;  but 
Ptolomey  was  informed  of  their  scheme,  and  defeated  it  before  it  could  be  brought  to 
maturity :  he  pronounced  sentence  of  death  upon  Nicocles ;  but  that  prince  prevented  the 
execution  by  making  away  with  himself.  Axithea,  his  unhappy  queen,  followed  his  example, 
after  she  had,  in  despair,  slain  her  own  daughters :  the  same  frenzy  seized  the  royal  sisters, 
who  likewise  put  an  end  to  their  lives;  and  their  husbands  added  to  the  funeral  pile,  by 
setting  fire  to  the  palace,  and  perishing  upon  the  bodies  of  their  beloved  wives. 

Old  Paphos  or  Erythra  I,  in  my  map,  removed  from  Zephyria;  Arsinoe  I  found,  and 
still  set  down,  near  that  place,  for  the  reasons  I  have  already  advanced,  and  becau.se  Ptolomey 
Philadelphus  consecrated  a  temple  on  the  Zephyrion  I'romontorium,  to  his  wife  Arsinoe, 
under  the  name  of  the  Zephyrion  Venu.s;  but  of  this  nothing  now  remains.  I  fix  old  Paphos 
at  the  poi't  of  Maffo;  Cythera  I  have  already  left  behind  me,  and  in  its  place  I  take  the 
liberty  to  put  Paphos  Nova,  or  Baffo,  as  you  will  see  thi'y  exactly  answer  to  each  other,  when 
you  compare  the  old  chart  I  sent  home  with  this  wliich  I  now  transmit :  but  that  you  may 
not  think  I  am  too  dogmatical  in  my  assertions,  I  shall  communicate  my  reasons  for  alterations 
I  have  made. 

No  place  in  this  island  ever  bore  the  name  of  Old  Paphos,  except  the  sea-port,  which 
nature  has  formed  into  an  harbour;  and  the  town  of  Baffo  is  handed  down,  from  father  to 
son,  as  a  place  that  was  built  long  after  the  town,  at  the  port,  which  is  capable  of  recei\'ing 
small  vessels;  yet  these  were  esteemed  large,  when  navigation  was  in  its  infancy.  At  or 
about  Zephyria  there  is  no  place  for  the  reception  of  any  boat  whatever;  let  us  therefore  lay 
aside  fal)le  and  appeal  to  truth.  \'enus  is  said  to  have  risen  from  the  sea,  and  landed  in 
Cyprus  near  Cythera :  true  it  is,  the  island  Cythera,  now  Cerigo,  contended  for  that  honour, 
though  the  greatest  jirobability  is  in  favour  of  Cyprus ;  for  that  goddess  was  first  worshipped 
in  Phaniicia,  and  this  worship  was  connnunicated  to  the  different  nations  with  which  they  had 
commerce :  the  vessels  they  first  used  consisted  of  small  pieces  of  wood,  bended  acro.ss  each 
other,  bound  with  wickers,  and  covered  with  hides :  consequently  their  na\'igation  could  not 
be  very  distant;  so  tliat  we  may  more  naturally  suppose  Cyprus  to  have  been  their  first 
discovery,  than  that  they  launched  out  into  a  wide  sea,  in  order  to  find  trade  in  Peloponnesus, 
or  any  of  the  adjacent  islands.    Cyprus  they  could  see  from  their  hills,  and  this  prospect 

37—2 


292 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


probably  invited  them  to  venture  from  their  shore;  and  though  the  west  end  was  the  most 
distant,  their  landing  in  that  part  might  be  owing  to  the  accident  of  contrary  winds.  When 
they  approached  the  coast,  it  is  to  be  supposed,  they  crept  along  it  until  they  found  a  place  of 
safety  for  their  vessel ;  and  if  they  missed  Limesol  Bay,  they  could  find  no  other  convenient 
shelter  until  they  arrived  at  the  place  which  I  imagine  to  have  been  the  ancient  Paphos ;  and 
indeed  to  me  it  appears  very  improbable  that  Paphos  should  be  built  at  either  of  the  capes 
which  I  make  Phrurium  and  Zephyria,  and  there  is  not  another  until  we  reach  Drepanum. 

In  Baifo  or  Paphos  Nova,  which  is  now  a  large,  agreeable  town,  there  are  no  remains 
of  antiquity ;  but  many  ruins  of  christian  houses  are  built  upon  by  the  Turks :  the  churches 
have  been  very  numerous,  not  only  here,  but  also  through  the  whole  island :  insomuch,  that 
though  I  intended  to  mark  them  singly  on  my  chart,  they  swelled  so  fast  that  I  was  fain  to 
drop  my  project,  otherwise  it  would  have  been  a  map  of  churches.  The  port,  or  Paphos 
Antiqua,  according  to  my  conjecture,  has  been  large,  and  contained  many  noble  buildings,  as 
appears  by  the  ruins  at  this  day,  pai'ticularly  by  those  of  the  churches  Agioi  Solomoni,  and 
Chrisoupolitissa ;  but  they  are  so  demolished  that  a  drawing  of  them  would  yield  no  satis- 
faction. Great  numbers  of  broken  columns  are  scattered  up  and  down ;  and  of  the  temple  of 
Venus,  which  stood  on  a  high  place,  three  subterranean  vaults  still  remain :  the  traditional 
account  of  this  temple,  taken  from  an  old  manuscript,  which  they  told  me  was  stolen  by  a 
gentleman-traveller  some  years  ago,  imports  that  it  was  a  palace  built  by  one  of  the  Queens, 
called  Aphrodite,  who  being  extremely  beautiful  and  excessively  lewd,  allured  all  the  young 
men  to  the  court,  and  bestowed  her  favours  upon  all  those  who  pleased  her  fancy.  Her 
example  was  followed  by  all  the  women  around;  and  this  disposition  soon  spread  over  the 
whole  island.  After  her  death  it  was  consecrated  as  a  temple,  and  rites  were  performed  to 
her  as  to  a  divinity,  because  nought  but  pleasure  was  known  during  her  reign.  It  was 
thrown  down  by  an  earthquake,  rebuilt  about  one  thousand  four  hundred  and  ninety-five 
years  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  and  finally  destroyed  by  Saint  Barnabas,  in  the  fortieth  year 
of  the  Christian  sera.  This  account  agrees  tolerably  well  with  the  story  of  Venus ;  though  it 
is  not  at  all  probable  that  the  temple  was  demolished  by  the  influence  of  Saint  Barnabas, 
during  whose  life  it  was  in  very  high  repute,  whereas  the  Christians,  at  that  time,  had  very 
little  power  and  authority :  at  any  rate  if  it  was  actually  thrown  down,  it  must  have  been 
reared  again  by  the  votaries  of  the  goddess,  for  it  was  an  asylum  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius, 
and  Titus  Vespasian  consulted  the  oracle  in  this  very  place,  upon  his  return  from  Corinth, 
after  having  heard  of  G-alba's  fate ;  and  in  consequence  of  the  response  repaired  to  his  father 
in  Syria;  so  that  its  last  destruction,  in  all  probability,  has  been  in  the  fourth  century,  when 
the  general  earthquake  changed  the  course  of  many  rivers,  and,  by  swallowing  up  many 
others,  occasioned  an  excessive  drought.  It  was  upon  this  occasion  (say  they)  that  Saint 
Helen  restored  water  to  the  island,  by  virtue  of  the  wood  of  our  Saviour's  Cross,  which  was 
in  her  possession.  Having  found  this  in  the  Holy  Land,  she  gave  one  half  of  it  to  the  priests 
of  Jerusalem,  and  brought  the  other  along  with  her,  to  sow  as  it  were,  its  sanctity  through 
the  east  and  west.  Accordingly  an  infinite  number  of  miracles  were  performed  by  this 
hallowed  timber;  and  had  not  she  thrown  one  of  the  nails  of  it  (which  our  heralds  call 
passion-nails)  into  the  sea,  when  she  was  overtaken  by  a  dreadful  storm  in  Satalia  Bay,  her 
imperial  majesty  Avould  undoubtedly  have  gone  to  view  the  wonders  of  the  deep;  but  the 
holy  nail  bore  down  the  waves,  smoothed  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and  procured  her  a  safe 
landing.  Though  I  do  not  find  that  either  she  or  any  of  her  beatified  historians  tell  us 
whether  or  not  the  nail,  after  having  knocked  down  the  tempest,  was  pleased  to  return  to  its 
former  station   I  can  recollect  nothing  else  to  say  about  this  Paphos,  but  that  here 


DRl'MMOXI).  293 

Elyrnas  the  sorcerer  was  struck  Ijliiid,  and  Sergius  Paulus  the  proconsul  converted  by- 
Saint  Paul. 

Near  Baffo,  to  the  westward,  are  what  they  call  their  Diamond-mines,  where,  in  some 
places,  the  spar  seems  to  be  crystalized,  and  pellucid  stones  are  found,  like  those  in  the 
western  and  northern  mountains  of  Scotland,  though  not  near  so  good  in  quality.  A 
muhassil,  some  time  ago,  deceived  by  the  name  of  Diamond-mines,  sent  thither  twenty  or 
thirty  men  to  dig  for  what  he  imagined  would  soon  enrich  him ;  but  he  was  grievously 
disappointed;  for  all  that  he  got  was  a  few  rock-crystals,  at  the  expence  of  three  or  four 
hundred  dollars.  At  Poli  di  Chrisofou  he  expected,  or  pretended  to  expect,  to  find  solid 
iron  ;  and  having  employed  his  people  to  dig,  without  success,  he  laid  a  tax  upon  both 
places,  granting  to  the  christians  of  Baffo  the  privilege  of  the  Diamond-mines  for  four 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  and  to  others  that  of  the  Iron-mines,  for  three  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  per  annum;  so  that  he  exacted  eight  hundred  dollars  annually  for  UDthing  from  those 
poor,  oppressed  people,  and  his  successors  have  ever  since  religiously  followed  his  example. 
I'rom  Baffo  I  took  my  route  northwards  through  the  mountains,  from  some  of  which  I  took 
the  bearing,  &c.  of  the  land  about  Acainas,  where  Hows  the  celebrated  spring  called  the 
Fountain  of  Love :  but  I  had  no  curiosity  to  taste  of  the  water,  the  effect  of  which  upon  old 
people  like  me,  is  said  to  be  that  of  making  the  spirit  willing  while  the  flesh  continues 

weak   The  roads  are  very  rugged,  extending  through  several  precipices  which  are 

dangerous  for  the  traveller:  the  woods  are  thin,  the  hills  very  bare,  the  intermediate  grounds 
good;  but  the  grain  was  as  if  it  had  been  sown  ten  degrees  north  of  the  plains  I  had  left  a 
few  hours  before :  but  about  Stroumbi  the  fields  have  a  better  aspect ;  for  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  village  which  is  pleasant  and  well-jx'opled,  one  might  easily  perceive  that  more 
industry  had  been  used  in  the  agriculture:  and  indeed,  through  all  ('yi)rus,  the  soil  is  such 
as  will  well  reward  the  labour  of  the  farmer. 

When  I  entered  the  village,  I  was  surrounded  by  almost  all  the  jn'ople  both  young  and 
old,  few  of  whom  had  ever  seen  a  person  in  my  habit  :  I  gratified  their  curiosity  by  standing 
amongst  them,  and  amusing  myself  with  their  pretty  children,  after  I  had  viewed  their 
church.  Tlu!  poor  little  creatures  were  shy  at  first,  but  soon  flocked  round  me  at  sight  of  a 
Para;  so  natural  it  is,  even  for  children,  to  be  allured  by  luoney. 

In  my  progress  forwards  I  arriv'd  at  Poli  di  Chrisofou,  which  is  beautifully  situated  in 
a  bottom  among  hills;  and  its  vicinity  to  the  sea  adds  to  the  agreeableness  of  its  situation. 
Though  there  is  no  trade  worth  luentioniug  any  where  but  in  jjarnica,  where  the  Europeans 
live,  yet  a  variety  of  creeks  for  small  craft  are  to  be  found  all  around  the  island,  particularly 
a  bay  near  this  place,  formed  by  the  Acamas  land,  which  would  be  of  infinite  service  to  the 
inluibitants,  in  manuring  their  gnnuids,  were  they  freed  from  oppression,  and  secured  in  their 
properties;  but  those  blessings  seem  to  be  at  an  infinite  distance  from  them,  for  the  misery  of 
the  people  is  at  present  inconceivable,  occasioned  by  a  total  want  of  rain,  wlierel)y  vegetation 
was  in  a  manner  choaked  up  in  the  earth  :  what  little  did  appear  above  ground,  was  in  many 
places  almost  totally  destroyed  by  innumerable  swarms  of  locusts,  which  covered  the  island, 
and  devoured  every  thing  that  had  the  least  verdure,  so  suddenly,  as  to  have  destroyed,  in 
one  night,  a  field  which  would  have  given  bread  to  fifty  thousand  men  for  a  week,  besides 
fodder  for  the  cattle:  nay,  a  farmer-priest  told  me,  that  of  three  hundred  scala  of  wheat 
(each  consisting  of  about  forty-five  yards  square)  which  he  had  sown,  he  had  not  reaped 
twenty.  All  these  circumstances  of  distress,  one  would  imagine  sufficient  to  drive  those  poor 
people  to  despair;  but  the  government  is  of  another  oi)iniou,  and  never  indulges  them  with 
the  least  compassion  or  forbearance:  those  who  were  obliged  to  depend  iqjon  the  produce  of 


294 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


their  lands  for  the  subsistence  of  their  families  and  payment  of  their  taxes,  must  sell  every 
little  moveable  in  their  possession  for  that  purpose;  and  those  who  could  not  thus  pay  the 
exactions  of  the  governor,  were  under  the  fatal  necessity  of  quitting  the  island,  or  obliged  to 
run  the  risque  of  dying  under  the  torture  of  the  drubbing-sticks :  many  thousands  have 
therefore  fled  into  other  countries,  while  those  who  remained  were  compelled  to  make  up  the 
deficiency  of  tlie  fugitives,  as  if  they  had  been  all  joined  together  in  a  general  co-partnership. 
Their  professing  the  christian  religion  was  a  sufficient  cause  for  subjecting  them  to  such 
horrid  tyranny  and  damnable  injustice !  such  as  must  inevitably  end  in  the  ruin  of  the 
kingdom,  unless  the  locusts  are  removed,  and  the  thirsty  soil  plentifully  supplied  with  rain, 
for  the  nourishment  of  the  seeds  and  roots  that  are  now  in  the  ground,  as  well  as  of  those 
that  may  be  sown  next  winter  and  spring. 

At  the  distance  of  an  hour  from  the  village  are  what  they  call  the  Iron-mines,  though 
this  is  no  more  than  the  place  where  their  furnaces  and  forges  were  erected :  the  ore  was 
undoubtedly  found  amongst  the  hills,  for  here  is  nothing  that  resembles  it :  wood  from  the 
mountains  might  easily  be  transported  hither  for  smelting;  and  for  this  purpose,  in  all 
probability,  the  adjacent  hills  have  been  left  bare  of  their  covering,  for  scarce  a  tree  is  to  be 
seen  upon  them,  while  those  at  some  distance  are  covered  ^vith  as  good  pines  as  any  the 
country  affords. 

In  my  progress  from  hence  I  found  myself  engaged  in  a  very  deep  gutt,  upon  the  rocky 
sides  of  the  river  Simbula,  between  two  impending  hills,  from  whence  the  rocks  and  trees 
seemed  to  stretch  themselves  horizontally  to  cover  us :  I  might  have  travelled  two  hours 
farther,  but  I  was  so  charmed  ^vith  the  romantic  wildness  and  delicious  coolness  of  the  spot, 
which  nothing  but  the  meridian  rays  could  invade,  that  having  dismounted,  I  indulged  my 
people  with  an  holyday  till  two  o'clock  next  morning.  Here  I  amused  myself  the  whole 
evening  in  wandering  through  the  woods  and  surveying  the  sea-shores  far  and  near,  which 
produced  variety  of  reflections  foreign  to  our  present  correspondence.  To  this  place  I  must 
take  the  libertj^  to  give  the  name  of  Jovis  Lucus,  because  I  find  it  exactly  answers  the 
situation  of  one  consecrated  to  that  deity,  near  which  a  river  fell  into  the  sea.  Next  morning, 
after  four  (for  two  hours  are  scarce  sufficient  to  put  our  caravan  in  motion)  I  left  this  pleasant 
retreat,  and,  in  the  course  of  thi'ee  or  four  hours,  rode  along  a  good  many  different  precipices, 
one  of  which  had  well-nigh  deprived  you  of  this  tedious  epistle,  for  my  mule  made  a  false 
step  upon  the  face  of  a  rock,  and  down  we  came  together :  had  this  accident  happened  a  few 
seconds  sooner  or  later,  I  should  have  been  crushed  to  pieces  before  I  could  have  reached  the 
bottom ;  but  we  were  pro\ddentially  saved  by  a  bit  of  rock,  which  served  as  a  natural  parapet ; 
so  that  I  escaped  for  a  contusion  on  the  hip-bone,  and  a  hurt  on  the  elbow ;  and,  after  having 
made  some  wry  faces,  proceeded  on  my  journey. 

Near  the  river  Pirga  I  dined  in  a  delightful  grove  of  tall  spreading  trees,  hard  by  which 
is  a  very  extraordinary  rock,  almost  perpendicular  with  a  ruined  christian  chapel  on  the  top : 
this  grove  is  said  to  have  been  planted,  and  the  chapel  built,  by  one  of  their  queens,  together 
Avith  what  they  call  a  grand  palace  in  the  mountains  in  this  neighbourhood.  Indeed,  all  their 
castles  and  palaces  have  been  raised  by  the  ladies,  if  we  may  depend  upon  tradition ;  but 
they  have  not  been  so  just  to  the  memory  of  these  benefactresses,  or  so  obliging  to  the 
curious,  as  to  preserve  their  names,  either  in  records  or  inscriptions.  Though  it  may  seem 
idle  in  me  to  take  any  farther  notice  of  this  building,  yet,  as  it  is  in  great  esteem  in  the 
Island,  I  must  give  you  the  appearance  of  it,  with  the  dimensions. 

The  fabric  has  been  extremely  mean,  being  only  sixteen  feet  high,  and,  as  it  were, 
intentionally  irregular  in  the  elevation. 


DRLMMOND. 


295 


Four  sorry  arches  adorn  the  front;  there  are  five  little  windows  above,  in  the  right 
wing,  two  only  in  the  other,  and  there  is  neither  letter,  figure,  or  ornament  upon  any  part  of 
it.  Among  the  mountains  1  found  many  broken  fusts  where  I  saw  no  vestige  of  building ; 
and  at  some  distance  from  this  place,  in  my  way  to  Lefca,  I  observed,  near  an  headland,  two 
small  perpendicular  rocks  in  the  sea,  about  which  the  natives  tell  the  following  story.  A 
brother  and  sister  being  enamoured  of  each  other,  Hed  hither  from  some  neighbouring  part  of 
the  country,  in  order  to  indulge  their  guilty  passion;  but  just  as  they  arose  from  the  .sea,  in 
which  they  were  bathing,  they  were  changed  into  these  rocks,  by  the  offended  deity ;  and 
their  piteous  moanings  are  often  heard  to  this  day.  Probably  the  inhabitants  of  this  corner 
of  the  island  have  heard  some  confu.sed  story  of  the  I'ropetides,  from  which  they  have  derived 
this  fable. 

After  having  endured  much  fatigue  through  the  day  I  arrived  at  night  at  Ijefca,  having 
passed  what  is  called  its  port,  and  a  river  which  1  take  to  be  the  iSatrachus.  The  port, 
I  presume,  is  the  ancient  town  of  that  name,  or  the  port  of  Solos,  for  it  is  surrounded  by 
many  foundations  of  houses:  the  town  is  prettily  situated  about  an  hour  from  the  port; 
a  variety  of  gardens,  the  meanders  of  the  river  that  wind  about  it  on  the  south,  and  the 
adjacent  grounds,  that  lie  in  the  form  of  a  theatre,  concur  in  beautifying  the  scene.  In  the 
morning  I  crossed  tlie  river  Cunara,  and  entered  a  deep  gut  between  the  mountains,  which 
are  covered  with  large  pines  or  pitch-fir,  and  of  these  they  make  a  considerable  quantity  of 
tar,  pitch,  and  rosin  :  the  river  one  must  often  cross,  ascending  and  descending  precipices 
which  are  frightful  to  the  view;  but  the  nniles  are  generally  so  sure-ftioted,  that  the  danger 
is  not  great.  I  have  no  where  seen  a  more  surprising  prospect  than  that  which  presents 
itself  to  the  eye,  from  the  top  of  a  mountain  near  the  river  Gambo;  the  numerous  hills  around 
rise  either  in  the  form  of  sugar-loaves  or  sharp  wedges ;  some  are  covered  with  tall  i)ines,  and 
others  with  small  firs,  interchangeably;  but  the  most  agreeable  view  is  where  the  verdure  is 
more  diversified,  and  these  verdant  pyramids  afford  great  variety;  such  as  prodigious 
sycamores  or  platanes,  a  name  we  borrow  from  the  Greeks  wluj  call  them  nkaravot;  Kapotmrj,  or 
the  locust,  which  name  they  have  from  the  Italians,  for  xapa^rja  is  the  proper  Greek  word  ; 
a-KXidpov,  which  I  take  to  be  our  elm;  <ro<^tXia,  ;i  tall  thorn;  very  large  Ka^iSta,  or  walnuts; 
almonds ;  which  have  two  names,  ftrjySaWa  or  aflao-ia ;  wtiHa-via,  a  kind  of  alder,  the  leaves  of 
which  shine  like  a  green  orange,  the  backs  of  them,  when  young,  are  yellow ;  but  as  they 
grow  old,  they  turn  brown:  aVSpovxAia,  which  I  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  in  Europe;  the 
leaf  is  pretty  broad;  it  bears  a  small  fruit  in  clusters,  and  annually  changes  the  bark,  which 
is  extremely  thin  and  smooth ;  the  old  is  of  a  fine  red  colour,  but  the  new  coat  is  white : 
(r)t,ri(f)La  has  a  narrow  leaf,  and  bears  a  small  fruit  not  larger  than  a  cherry,  but  of  the  apple 
species.  There  was  a  great  number  of  others,  which  1  cann()t  name;  but  the  whole  was 
sweetly  wild  and  agreeable. 

About  an  hour  from  (Jambo  were  the  first  vineyards  1  had  seen  in  those  parts;  a  circum- 
stance that  surprized  me  not  a  little;  for  nature  almost  every  where  affords  proper  grounds 
for  this  purpose.  From  hence,  for  a  considerable  way,  1  travelled  through  a  lane  of  natural 
perfumes,  such  as  roses,  the  first  honey-suckles  I  had  ever  seen  in  this  country,  and  a  great 
number  of  other  fragrant  plants  and  shrubs.  i)n  my  arrival  at  the  famous  Madonna  di 
Chekka,  I  was  received  with  great  courtesy  by  the  papa,  who  among  them  is  not  much 
inferior  to  a  bishop  in  point  of  dignity.  The  convent  is  well  ornamented  in  their  way ;  but 
none  of  the  particulars  are  worth  mentioning,  excei^t  that  the  architect  has  forgot  to  make  an 
entry  to  the  church  from  the  west :  yet  no  body  had  perceived  this  deficiency  until  I  took 
notice  of  it,  and  then  they  were  greatly  surju-ized,  because  it  is  such  an  uncommon  omission; 


296 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


for  at  their  first  entrance,  they  ought  to  see  the  great  altar,  that  they  may  cross  themselves  ' 
and  bow  to  it :  hence  judge  of  their  simplicity.  In  one  apartment  of  the  convent  is 
a  wretched  piece  of  painting  (which  however  they  highly  esteem)  representing  a  caloyer  on 
the  cross;  on  his  left  hand  is  a  gay  figure  of  a  man  on  horse  back,  at  full  speed,  holding 
a  cup  of  wine  in  steady  poise,  and  surrounded  with  palaces,  groves,  cascades,  &c.,  and  on  the 
other  side,  is  an  oddly-imagined  hell,  with  monsters  among  flames,  devouring  the  wicked,  while 
our  Saviour  in  the  clouds,  pointing  to  the  martyr,  offers  him  a  crown  of  glory.  On  each  side 
of  this  emblematical  performance  are  explanatory  verses  which  I  shall  give  you  in  English, 
not  for  their  poetical  excellency,  but  to  evince  their  taste  in  writing.  On  the  right  of  the 
picture  are  these  lines,  of  which  my  learned  and  valuable  friend,  the  Reverend  Mr  Crofts, 
gives  this  verbal  translation. 

Behold  here  fairly  pictur'd  the  life  of  a  true  monk, 

How  absolutely  he  is  crucified  to  the  flesh  and  to  the  world. 

Tlie  cross  expressively  typifies  naortification, 

Tlie  lamps  truly  represent  the  splendor  of  the  virtues. 

Tlie  sliutting  of  the  eyes,  that  he  is  not  to  regard  at  all 

The  vain  and  unstable  objects  of  this  false  world. 

Tlie  silence  of  the  mouth,  that  he  should  not  speak  unseasonably 

The  contumelious  and  filthy  language  of  the  present  age. 

The  nails  in  the  feet,  that  he  must  not  at  all  walk 

In  the  broad  path,  nor  indulge  in  intemperate  delicacies ; 

But,  with  charity,  silence,  and  purity  of  life. 

Shine  visibly  to  the  world  beyond  the  sun's  lustre ; 

And  wage  perpetiial  war  with  the  deceitful  world, 

The  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  the  malicious  devil: 

For  the  Lord  of  the  universe,  with  His  angels. 

Is  near  him  for  his  assistance. 

And  holds  in  His  hands  a  crown  and  a  diadem. 

That,  if  he  prove  victorious  over  the  lusts  of  the  flesh  and  the  world, 
He  may,  according  to  his  merits,  crown  his  brow. 
And  admit  him  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

July,  1742. 

In  the  evening  I  walked  about  the  place  with  intention  to  give  you  a  perspective  of 
it  from  some  proper  spot ;  but  as  I  could  find  no  point  of  view  either  uncommon  or  tolerably 
agreeable,  I  put  up  my  pencil,  and  dropped  my  design.  Yet,  notwithstanding  its  mean 
appearance,  the  revenues  are  sufficient  to  maintain  three  hundred  of  the  fraternity,  besides 
those  who  manage  their  farms,  if  they  lived  under  any  government  less  savage  than  that  of 
Cyprus ;  whereas,  when  I  was  there,  the  number  of  the  brothers  did  not  exceed  three  score. 

The  Valley  of  Sollia  or  Soglia  I  think  the  finest  in  the  island ;  Massaria  indeed  is  a  rich, 
extensive,  and  would  be  a  plentiful  country,  were  it  not  wholly  destitute  of  trees  and 
villages,  which  the  other  has  in  plenty,  together  with  abundance  of  water  and  wood  from  the 
adjacent  hills. 

When  Solon,  the  famous  Athenian  law-giver,  came  to  Cyprus,  he  lived  some  time  with 
Philocyprus,  one  of  the  kings,  whose  capital,  Apeia,  was  built,  in  the  mountains,  by 
Demophoon,  son  of  Theseus ;  it  was  strong,  because  almost  inaccessible,  but  the  circumjacent 
lands  were  barren  and  bare,  though  near  the  river  Clarius ;  the  sage  advised  him  to  remove 
from  these  naked  rocks  into  the  fertile  plains,  where  he  might  build  a  larger  and  fairer  city ; 
his  majesty  relished  the  ad%'ice,  and  left  the  management  of  the  whole  to  Solon,  who,  in 


DRUMMONI). 


297 


•a  little  time,  raised  a  large,  noble,  and  well-fortified  town,  which,  from  the  pleasantness  of  its 
situation,  the  rich  produce  of  its  soil,  and  the  equitable  laws  which  he  had  instituted,  drew  all 
the  inhabitants  from  Apeia,  which  was  left  quite  desolate,  and  soon  allured  the  best  men 
from  every  corner,  who  came  to  dwell  under  his  paternal  sway;  so  that  he  became  more 
opulent  and  powerful  than  all  the  neighbouring  princes.  In  gratitude  to  the  author  of  such 
felicity,  he  bestowed  upon  his  infant  city  the  appellation  of  Solos,  which  we  may  suppose  it 
bore,  without  corruption,  until  the  Italians  got  possession  of  the  island,  and  converted  it  into 
Soglia,  which  has  a  more  Italian  termination.  There  was  one  inevitable  inconvenience  which 
attended  this  concoui-se  of  people  from  different  parts:  the  language  became  so  proverbially 
corrupt,  that  to  speak  barbarously,  and  to  speak  like  those  of  Solos,  were  deemed  synony- 
mous phrases;  hence  comes  the  word  Solecism,  rather  than  from  the  Soli,  who  settled  in 

Cilicia  I  need  not  observe  to  you  the  absurdity  of  the  old  maps,  in  laying  down  the 

situation  of  this  town,  which  had  certainly  a  port  and  river.  Had  they  placed  it  in  a  spot 
where  there  either  is,  or  ever  could  have  been  a  bay  or  harbour,  I  should  have  approved  of 
the  site,  because  agreeable  to  history,  so  far  as  relates  to  the  port ;  l)ut  they  have  carried  it 
into  the  district  of  Morfou,  fur  frnin  that  which  bears  its  luime  to  this  day;  and  represented  it 
upon  a  place  from  whence  a  shallow  beach  extends  a  great  way.  I  therefore  presume  to  say, 
the  port  was  near  Satrachus,  Clarius,  or  the  river  that  runs  between  them,  which  probably,  in 
those  days,  bore  the  name  of  the  city. 

Morfou  is  a  very  cheerful  place,  about  a  league  and  a  iuilf  from  the  sea,  and  its  church 
is  the  handsomest  building  of  its  kind  in  the  whole  island :  the  court  is  finely  walled  with 
hewn  stone,  about  fourteen  feet  high,  extending  to  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet  on  each 
side,  with  forty-five  feet  for  cloysters,  »tc.  It  was  almost  finished,  in  a  kind  of  Italian  taste, 
when  the  Turks  conquered  the  island.  The  elevation  of  the  front  is  the  first  and  only 
instance  of  the  improvement  of  their  gout:  but  this  was  nipped  in  the  bud  by  the  irruption  of 
the  barbarians,  and  they  returned  to  their  old  maimer.  'Pliey  have  built  a  mean  corridore  in 
front,  which  has  never  been  intended  by  the  first  architect,  and  is  far  froiu  being  of  a  piece 
with  the  rest ;  but,  from  the  projecting  stones,  I  inuigine,  he  designed  a  portico,  which  might 
have  added  to  the  lieauty  of  the  fabric.— Saint  Mamas,  to  whom  this  church  is  dedicated, 
performed  abundance  of  miracles  while  he  lived  upon  earth,  and  even  now  alTords  daily 
matter  for  astonishment.  When  aliv(>,  he  either  could  not  or  would  not  pay  his  kharaj, 
or  p(jll-money,  and  the  collectors  were  always  restrained,  liy  the  operaticjii  of  some  pra-ter- 
natural  power  upon  tlieir  bodies  and  spirits,  from  using  him  in  the  savage  manner  in  which 
they  treated  others,  who  were  deficient  in  their  payments.  The  prince,  being  informed  of 
this  extraordinary  circumstance,  ordered  him  to  Ite  hunted  out  from  the  hollow  rocks,  caves, 
and  gloomy  woods  in  which  he  always  lived,  and  brought  into  his  presence;  and  Saint 
George  and  Saint  Demetrius,  hearing  of  his  being  taken,  followed,  overtook,  and  accompanied 
him  in  his  captivity.  During  his  journey  to  court,  seeing  a  lion  rush  out  of  a  thicket 
and  seize  a  lamb,  to  the  terror  and  astonishment  of  his  guards,  he  ordered  the  beast  to  quit 
his  prey,  and  his  ccmnnand  was  instantly  obeyed  by  the  lion,  who  fawned  and  wagged 
his  tail,  in  token  of  submission.  The  good  man,  being  tired  with  walking,  took  the  land;  in 
his  arms,  and  mounting  the  wild  beast,  rode  forwards  to  court,  to  the  amazement  of  all  who 
saw  him.  He  presented  himself  in  this  equipage  to  the  king,  who,  being  api)ri7.ed  of  these 
c-ircumstances,  accepted  the  lamb,  generously  renntted  the  kharaj  he  owed,  and  gave  orders 
that  the  Saint  should  live  without  paying  any  tax  for  the  future:  thus  favoured  he  came 
hither  and  built  a  little  church,  in  which  at  his  death  his  body  was  deposited.  This  is  one 
way  of  telling  his  story,  which  is  varied  by  every  papa  whom  you  consult  on  the  subject.  As 


298 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


I  have  related  one  of  his  performances  while  in  life,  I  will  now  communicate  one  of  the  feats 
he  has  acted  since  he  went  to  the  other  world.  Just  above  the  place  where  he  lay  interred, 
a  marble  sarcophagus  was  placed,  and  on  the  wall  is  a  picture  representing  him  riding  on  the 
lyon,  with  the  lamb  in  one  hand  and  shepherd's  crook  in  the  other :  upon  his  right  is  Saint 
George,  and  on  his  left  Saint  Demetrius,  both  on  horseback.  The  Turks,  expecting  to  find 
a  treasure  in  this  sarcophagus,  broke  it  up ;  and  ever  since,  through  two  little  holes,  which 
were  then  made,  water  is  continually  conveyed  into  a  hollow,  being  supplied  from  the  sweat 
that  issues  from  the  face  of  the  above  picture,  which  is  never  dry,  though  those  of  his 
brethren  saints,  who  are  close  to  him,  shew  no  signs  of  moisture.  I  know  the  Greeks,  who 
are  naturally  credulous,  gave  faith  to  traditional  miracles ;  but  if  I  rightly  remember,  this  is 

the  first  I  have  ever  known  them  impose  upon  mankind  So  much  for  miracles,  and  indeed 

for  this  place,  of  which  I  shall  take  my  leave  with  telling  you  that  several  marble  capitals, 
&c.  are  here  very  injudiciously  sited. 

About  six  or  eight  miles  hence,  I  was  pleased  to  see  the  industry  of  the  people,  who 
make  the  most  of  the  springs  from  above,  by  collecting  them  into  reservoirs ;  and  distributing 
them  to  the  fields  below;  yet  almost  all  the  grounds,  for  a  dozen  if  not  twenty  miles 
together,  though  rich  and  capable  of  improvement,  lye  quite  uncultivated,  except  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  these  springs :  a  circumstance  which  I  partly  attribute  to  the  lazy  trifling 
disposition  of  the  Greeks  themselves,  and  partly  to  the  tyranny  of  the  government  under 
which  they  live. 

In  a  former  letter  I  said  so  much  of  the  city  of  Nicosia,  that  it  will  be  needless  to  add 
another  word  on  the  subject,  because  I  did  not  find,  in  this  last  tour,  the  least  change  either 
for  better  or  worse,  though  I  walked  all  around  it,  in  order  to  refresh  my  memory ;  I  shall 
therefore  proceed  to  the  northern  mountains,  where  the  first  object  that  attracted  my 
attention,  was  a  hanging  rock,  by  the  side  of  a  charming  rivulet  that  runs  murmuring 
through  a  long,  narrow  vale ;  and  this  I  chose  for  the  place  of  my  noon  repose.  I  had  not 
long  solaced  myself  under  this  impendent  rock,  when,  looking  up,  I  was  agreeably  surprized 
to  see  that  all  above  me  had  been  once  a  wood  of  noble  trees,  the  roots  of  which,  now 
petrified,  formed  a  curious  projecting  canopy :  of  these  I  brought  away  some  pieces :  and, 
being  much  pleased  with  my  acquisition,  remounted,  and  soon  reached  the  plains  near  the  sea, 
from  whence  I  had  a  very  agreeable  ride  to  Lapitho.  This  town  is  said  to  have  been  built  by 
Belus,  and  stands  agreeably  situated  on  the  rocks  of  the  shore,  whence  the  harbour  seems  to 
have  run  far  to  the  westward ;  but  it  has  no  river,  and  yet  all  the  grounds  of  the  slope  from 
the  mountains  are  fertile  and  pleasant,  bearing  great  numbers  of  natural  and  planted  trees, 
with  fine  crops  of  grain :  so  that  I  do  not  wonder  it  should  be  formerly  called  Amabilis 
Lapithos.  At  present  there  is  not  a  tolerable  house  in  the  place;  yet,  by  some  remains, 
I  could  perceive  there  had  been  once  good  edifices,  and  some  grand  buildings,  particulai'ly  one, 
the  foundations  of  which  I  partly  traced :  the  wall  was  two  feet  thick,  and  fifty-seven  feet 
long ;  the  front  thirty-six  feet  broad,  and  in  the  center  of  the  west  side  was  a  space  of  six  feet, 
where  no  foundation  was  to  be  seen ;  I  therefore  suppose  this  to  be  the  width  of  the  gate :  the 
flooring  is  mosaic,  very  neat  work.  Perhaps  another  person  would  have  found  out  a  temple 
in  this  vestige;  but  I  chuse  to  represent  only  what  I  saw,  and  leave  you  to  your  own 
conjectures.  In  the  church  of  Saint  Acheropeto  I  found  a  monumental  stone.  The  work  is 
so  extremely  low,  that  it  cannot  even  deserve  the  name  of  basso  relievo.  It  is  but  about  two 
hundred  years  old.  [The  inscription  commemorates  one  Ceesar  Cariotes,  son  of  Marcos, 
of  Lapithos,  who  died  September  12,  1546.] 

Next  morning  I  set  out,  elevated  with  the  hope  of  seeing  some  valuable  things  upon  the 


DRUMMOND. 


299 


top  of  a  neighbouring  mountain,  with  which  my  expectation  had  been  regaled.  Passing 
through  the  village  of  Elia,  I  observed,  over  a  well-built  gate-way,  two  coats  of  arms 
inclosed  within  a  wreath  of  fruitage :  on  one  was  the  Imperial  eagle,  on  the  other  the 
Venetian  Saint  Mark,  or  winged  lion  seyant,  holding  the  evangelists  in  his  dexter  paw; 
whence  I  conclude,  they  must  have  belonged  to  some  public  edifice,  the  whole  being  very 
neatly  cut  in  bas  relief,  upon  a  stone  of  white  marble.  Here  were  the  first  cypress-trees  I  had 
seen  in  the  journey;  but  from  hence  there  is  plenty  of  the  different  kinds  along  the  shore  to 
the  eastward. 

As  we  approached  what  is  vulgarly  called  Agios  Largos,  but  properly  8.  Hilarion,  which 
is  on  the  summit,  we  found  the  west  side  of  the  hill  so  steep  that  our  beasts  could  not  mount 
it.  I  therefore  left  my  luggage  at  Carmi,  and  with  eight  mules  took  a  turn  to  the  eastward, 
in  order  to  find  an  easier  access.  When  I  came  to  the  rock  on  which  it  stands,  I  dismounted, 
and  having  refreshed  myself,  sat  down  to  make  a  sketch  of  the  extraordinary  aspect,  then 
taking  my  stick  in  my  hand  I  ascended  as  well  as  I  could,  and  walked  through  all  the 
different  parts  of  the  castle.  It  has  certainly  been  strong,  both  from  its  site  and  fortifi- 
cations, but  1  found  no  beauty  nor  inscription,  not  even  the  year,  upon  any  one  part  of  the 
ruins;  so  that,  being  disappointed  and  heartily  tired,  I  walked  down  the  west  side,  and  you 
will  have  some  notion  of  the  difficulty  of  the  descent,  when  I  tell  yon  that  I  spent  thirty-five 
minutes  in  reaching  the  foot  of  the  rock  upon  which  the  castle  stands.  This  extraordinary 
place  is  said  to  liave  been  fortified  by  one  of  their  (jueens,  but  by  which  of  them  I  could  not 
learn:  however  I  think  it  must  have  been  ( 'harlotta,  who,  with  her  husband,  was  obliged  to 
take  shelter  in  the  castle  of  Cerinia,  when  James  the  Bastard  was  established  on  the  throne 
by  the  Egyptian  power:  there  he  besieged  her  for  a  considerable  time,  but  was  obliged  to  quit 
his  enterprize,  and  left  her  a  great  while  at  liberty ;  in  which  interval,  we  may  suppose,  she 
built  this  castle,  to  secure  the  hilly  country,  as  that  of  Cerinia  gave  her  command  of  the 
plains  below;  till  the  poor  unhappy  royal  pair,  after  tedious  and  fruitless  solicitations, 
receiving  no  succour  from  their  friends  in  Europe,  and  the  bastard  making  new  preparations 
to  extirpate  them,  they  fied  to  Hhodes  and  put  themselves  under  the  protection  of  the  grand 
master,  who  received  them  with  all  the  honour  due  to  their  birth  and  dignity. 

Heartily  fatigued  and  scorched,  I,  in  about  two  hours,  reached  the  port  of  Cerinia,  which 
was  probably  built  by  Cyrus,  and  is  reckoned  the  best  on  the  north  side  of  the  island :  the 
harbour  seems  difficult  to  strangers,  and  is  only  fit  for  small  ves.><els;  the  entrance  hath  been 
in  some  measure  guarded  by  a  fortification  on  each  .side,  built  on  the  rock.s,  and  is  absolutely 
secured  by  a  very  strong  quadrangular  castle  on  the  land  :  two  of  the  oppo.site  angles  of  this 
fort  are  furnished  with  stjuare,  and  the  rest  with  round  bastions.  No  European  is  allowed  to 
enter  or  even  to  api)roach  it ;  so  that  I  can  only  judge,  from  its  appearance,  that  it  may  have 
been  fortified  by  King  Henry,  at  the  same  time  with  Famagosta  and  Nicosia ;  and  that  pro- 
bably the  whole  work  was  repaired  by  Savorniani,  who,  in  the  year  1525,  demolished  the  old 
works  of  these  places,  and  refortiiied  tiiein:  on  such  an  (tccasion  we  cannot  suppose  this 
important  place  to  have  been  forgot  and  neglected,  especially  as  we  find  flic  military 
architecture  of  all  three  in  the  same  stile.  The  town  has  likewise  l)een  very  well  walled,  and 
strengthened  by  towers,  bastions,  and  a  fosse e :  of  these  fortifications  we  may  judge  by  the 
immense  quarries  which  have  been  dug  on  both  sides  of  the  town,  as  they  could  have  no  use 
for  the  stones  elsewhere,  every  place  being  more  than  sufficiently  provided.  These  quarries 
they  have  wrought  in  such  manner  as  to  form  comnmnications  with  the  fortress,  and  make 
several  noble  granaries  for  their  grain. 

My  next  excursion  was  to  see  the  ruins  of  a  verj^  magnificent  structure,  called  Dela- 
Pays;  it  is  said  to  have  been  a  monastery,  but  no  circumstance  that  I  have  seen  gives  me 

38—2 


300 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


reason  to  be  of  that  opinion.  I  rather  suppose  it  to  have  been  the  grand  commanderie  of  the 
island,  for  it  is  built  in  the  palatial  stile  of  those  days  ;  and  its  Italian  name,  Della-Paese, 
though  a  little  corrupted,  seems  to  confirm  my  conjecture.  I  could  find  nothing  that 
resembled  the  cells  of  the  monks;  the  apartments  are  all  a  little  more  knightly:  the  court  is 
a  square  of  an  hundred  feet ;  the  corridor  round  it  fifteen  feet  within,  vaulted,  and  supported 
by  clustered  corinthian  pillars :  on  the  right  is  the  refectory,  an  hundred  feet  by  thirty ;  and 
on  the  left,  the  church,  which  is  by  no  means  equal  to  a  monastic  edifice  of  such  a  superb 
form  :  behind,  on  the  ground-floor,  are  two  spacious  rooms ;  but,  immediately  above,  is  the 
grand  sale,  of  an  hundred  feet  by  thirty,  and  thirty  feet  high,  arched  in  clusters,  from  six 
pilasters  on  each  side.  Over  the  gate  of  the  refectory  are  three  coats  on  a  marble  architrave ; 
that  of  Jerusalem  in  the  centre,  Jerusalem  and  Cyprus  quartered  on  the  dexter,  and  Cyprus 
on  the  sinister.  The  same  bearings  are  likewise  in  other  parts  ;  and  just  by  the  gate  of  that 
dining-room  stands  a  beautiful  marble  fountain,  from  whence  the  company  have  been  sup- 
plied with  water :  on  each  side  of  it  is  a  boy  bearing  up  festoons  of  fruitage ;  and  in  the 
bendings  thereof  are  lions  heads,  and  bulls  heads  on  the  angles,  all  well  executed.  Just  by 
the  church  door  is  an  inscription  on  a  tomb-stone,  in  old  French  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
which  however  I  cannot  understand.    [It  should  probably  be  read  thus, 

DovMARiN  .  Qvi  .  Trespassa  . 

A  .  XXIX  ,  lORS  .  DB  .  Decembre  . 

A  .  LAN  .  DB  .  MCCCXVIIII  .  DB  .  Christ  .  ] 

From  this  delightful  retirement  I  went  to  Agios  Phanentis,  the  rocks  of  which  are 
washed  by  the  sea,  and  there  I  found  several  human  bones  and  teeth  petrified.  The  country 
people,  who,  you  know,  abound  in  legends,  say  that  a  vast  number  of  foreigners,  called 
Allani,  who  came  from  a  savage  country  to  subdue  and  seize  their  fruitful  lands,  were  here 
shipwrecked  and  perished ;  their  bones,  as  a  punishment,  and  monument  of  their  crimes,  were 
turned  into  stone  as  we  now  see  them ;  though  some  of  them,  being  converted  to  the  christian 
faith,  lived  happily  in  the  island  and  became  saints.  Of  this  number  was  Saint  Mamas,  of  whom 
such  honourable  mention  hath  been  made ;  yet  some  say  he  was  a  native  of  the  island,  while 
others  affirm  he  was  born  upon  the  main.  Ridiculous  as  this  fable  may  appear,  there  is 
certainly  some  foundation  for  it.  We  know  the  Groths  invaded  Greece,  and  visited  some  of 
the  islands ;  and  though  I  do  not  remember  the  circumstance  in  history,  some  of  them  may 
have  made  an  attempt  upon  Cyprus ;  else  how  should  the  inhabitants  become  acquainted  with 
the  word  Allani,  and  transmit  it  from  father  to  son  ?  I  never  saw  a  vegetation  of  stone- 
bones,  stone-teeth,  &c.  yet  I  have  such  petrifactions  in  my  possession ;  and  heads,  fingers,  and 
toes  have  been  found ;  whence  I  conclude  that  a  great  many  people,  in  the  early  or  distant 
ages  of  the  world,  have  been  wrecked  upon  this  little  point,  and  their  bodies,  when  washed 
on  shore,  indurated  by  the  natural  means  of  petrifaction. 

On  my  road  from  this  place  nothing  occurred  worth  mentioning  until  I  re-crossed  the 
hills  and  came  to  Citrfea,  which  is  one  continued  chain  of  gardens  and  summer-houses  of  vast 
extent;  everything  was  in  the  highest  bloom  and  gayest  verdure,  being  watered  by  living 
streams,  conveyed  to  every  field  through  little  channels. 

In  my  way  to  Saint  Chrysostomos  I  crossed  a  field  where  perpendicular  strata  of  stones 
run  along  the  surface  like  so  many  foundations  of  walls.  The  convent  of  which  this  saint  is 
protector,  I  found  a  large  though  mean  building;  some  parts  are  of  good  marble,  well 
wrought,  and  tolerable  mosaic  of  variegated  stones,  with  a  great  deal  of  gilding  and  painting ; 
but  nothing  is  of  a  piece. 

The  superior  had  no  records,  which  indeed  none  of  them  have,  but  he  told  me  it  was 


DRUMMONI). 


foundt'd  by  the  king's  daughter,  who  built  the  Spitia  tis  Keginas,  upon  the  top  of  an  almost 
inaccessible  rock,  two  miles  farther  up  in  the  mountains. 

This  night  I  lodged  at  Pahucitraea,  about  three  miles  from  Citrsea.  It  had  been  one  of 
the  ancient  Cytheras  or  Cythereas,  of  which  there  were  several  in  the  island ;  but  I  saw  no 
vestige  of  antiquity :  Indeed  I  was  conducted  to  a  place  where  the  foundation  of  a  temple, 
sacred  to  the  queen  of  love,  remained  about  a  foot  high  some  years  ago;  but  the  cadi,  in 
order  to  save  the  expence  of  working  a  ([uarry,  ordered  the  stones  to  be  removed  and 
employed  in  building  an  house  for  his  women.  I  should  not  be  sorry  to  hear  they  had 
tuml)U'd  down  upon  this  barbarous  Goth,  and  crushed  hiiu  in  the  embraces  of  his  favourite 
concubine,  provided  the  innocent  girl  could  escape  unhurt. 

I  have  already  said  something  of  the  country  of  Massaria,  anciently  Macaria,  through 
•which  I  now  travel,  and  it  affords  nothing  new  to  communicate. 

About  four  miles  N.N.E.  Famagosta  appear  the  ruins  of  the  famous  Salamis,  l)uilt  by 
Teucer,  of  which  I  have  taken  some  notice  in  a  former  letter.  I  saw  a  great  many  founda- 
tions, which  I  conceived  to  be  the  remains  of  different  fabrics;  but  I  shall  mention  none 
except  those  of  the  celebrated  temple  dedicated  to  Jupiter  Salamine,  for  they  are  so  distinct 
that  I  cannot  well  mistake  them.  It  is  an  hundred  and  ninety-two  feet  in  length,  seventy- 
two  in  breadth  ;  the  walls  are  four  feet  thick,  besides  cloisters  for  the  priests,  their  apparatus 
and  attendants,  which  run  the  whole  length  of  the  teinple  on  the  south  side,  and  are  in 
breadth  twenty-one  feet  within  walls,  with  an  entry  different  from  that  of  the  temple. 
Nothing  is  now  to  be  seen  but  the  vaults  below,  which  supported  the  temple,  and  some  parts 
of  the  walls  above:  the  vaults  are  uncovered,  and  it  a|)pears  that  twelve  rows  of  arches 
have  run  from  side  to  side,  and  four  from  one  end  to  the  other;  which  must  have  formed 
a  very  firm  groupe,  and  was  their  manner  of  ljuilding,  in  order  to  prevent  the  effects  of 
earthquakes.  Part  of  the  pedestal  that  supported  the  statue  remains  in  the  east  end :  the 
grand  court  is  six  hundred  and  sixty  by  three  hundred  and  ninety  feet,  and  hath  included 
other  buildings  besides  the  temple,  but  of  what  kind  I  will  not  presume  to  say.  One  part, 
on  the  north  of  the  square,  I  take  to  have  been  a  circus ;  great  numbers  of  broken  fusts  are 
scattered  about,  some  being  three  feet  aiul  a  half  in  diameter,  so  that  they  must  have 
been  very  high:  they  lie  near  the  tenq)le,  among  sonic  fountlations  which  probably  belonged 
to  the  palace,  as  one  person  was  both  king  and  highpriest.  The  city  has  been  large,  about 
half  a  mile  from  the  sea;  but  T  cannot  perceive  that  they  had  any  .safe  or  convenient 
harbour,  as  there  is  no  great  depth  of  water  near  the  i)lace.  I  need  not  oKserve,  that  the 
temple,  being  on(>  of  the  three  sanctuaries,  maintained  the  priests  in  affluence,  and  drew 
many  people  within  its  confines;  or,  that  this  city,  in  the  time  of  Evagoras,  was  reckoned  the 
capital  of  the  island. 

For  th(>  same  reason  I  gave  you  at  Nicosia,  I  say  nothing  of  Famagosta,  but  that  I  took 
up  my  (luartci-s  under  a  tre(>  in  a  garden;  a  kind  of  lodging  1  always  prefer  to  an  house, 
though  they  would  have  opened  the  gates  for  me  at  any  time. 

Sancta  Nappa  is  much  admired  by  the  i)eoi)le  of  the  country,  though  for  what  I  do  not 
know  :  the  convent  is  rendered  agreeabh'  within,  by  a  fountain  of  water,  round  which  the 
people  can  sit  and  solace  themselves  under  a  large  cupola ;  but  there  is  nothing  beautiful 
in  or  about  the  place.  Here  I  found  a  Latin  inscription  on  a  marble  stone  :  by  which  it 
plainly  appears  to  have  been  a  Roman  convent :  and  I  found  a  place  called  the  Latin  chapel, 
under  the  same  roof  with  the  Greek  church,  part  of  which  is  dug  out  of  a  rock. 


302  EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 

I 

F       .      M    .   HE         .         S   .   A      .  P 

Hoc  .  opvs  .  Fieri  .  Fecervnt  . 

GVBEENATORES  .  FrATERNITATIS  . 
SaNCT^  .  NaP^  .  DVCES  .  ET  . 

Pro  .  HiERONiMvs  .  de  . 
Salaseris  .  Oremesis  . 
Civis  .  Famagvstanvs  . 
Ad  .  Honorem  .  Beat^  .  Virginis  . 
MDXXX 


Near  the  convent  is  a  pretty  little  harbour,  which  I  take  to  be  Leucola  Portus ;  and  from 
hence  the  poor  people  employ  themselves  in  fishing,  with  boats  of  a  very  particular  texture, 
consisting  of  a  few  sticks  bound  together,  with  some  very  small  ones  laid  in  the  hollow,  where 
the  fisherman  sits  managing  his  tackle,  and  steering  his  machine  with  a  paddle. 

From  this  place  I  returned  to  Larneca,  through  lands  which  though  naturally  good  are 
quite  disregarded;  and  I  shall  finish  the  journal  of  my  tour  with  this  observation. 

We  are  told  that  Ptolemy  Soter  destroyed  the  city  and  kingdom  of  Malum :  and  indeed 
not  only  the  remains  of  the  city  are  thought  to  be  lost,  but  the  very  kingdom  itself  is  gone. 

May  not  the  ancient  geographers,  who  were  very  inaccurate  in  many  things,  have  erred 
in  laying  down  its  situation  ?  Malum,  we  know,  lay  east  from  Citium ;  now,  if  Chitty  be  the 
Citium  of  the  ancients.  Malum  must  have  been  situated  where  there  is  nothing  but  sea;  and 
Ptolemy,  instead  of  razing  it  to  the  ground,  must  have  tore  away  the  land  itself,  and  sunk  it 
in  the  deep :  a  piece  of  history  which  hath  not  as  yet  fallen  in  my  way.  But  if  Larnaca  be 
the  ancient  Citium,  which  I  suppose  it  to  be,  there  are  many  places  even  to  Cape  Grreco, 
extremely  proper  for  the  situation  of  a  city ;  nay,  there  cannot  be  a  nobler  site  in  the  whole 
island  than  that  very  point,  which  seems  to  be  cut  out  by  nature  for  the  purpose  ;  and  on  the 

road  to  Sancta  Nappa  many  ruins  are  to  be  seen  You  will  say  this  is  a  bold  conjecture; 

but,  from  all  these  circumstances  taken  together,  I  pronounce  it  to  have  been  the  seat  of  the 
ancient  kings  of  Malum. 

At  my  return  to  Larneca  I  concerted  with  Mr  Boddington,  who  was  quite  recovered, 
another  tour  through  the  province  of  Carpass,  which  we  very  soon  put  in  execution.  On  the 
15th  of  June  we  directed  our  course  towards  the  river  Piroi,  the  ancient  Giallias,  not  Athalas, 
as  I  formerly  called  it,  upon  wrong  information,  on  the  banks  of  which  was  the  famous 
Idalian  grove ;  for  the  old  chart  gives  the  name  of  Pedius  to  this  river,  leaving  the  real 
Pedius  to  find  a  name  for  itself;  thus  Idalium  cannot  have  been  where  Nicosia  now  is, 
but  somewhere  down  this  river  eastward,  near  the  grove ;  and  by  comparing  what  you  find 
in  my  former  letter  with  the  map  I  now  send,  you  will  perceive  what  difference  there  will 

always  be  between  informations  and  an  actual  survey  As  Mr  Boddington  had  never  been 

to  the  northward,  we  took  my  former  route  through  the  mountains,  of  which  I  have  nothing 
further  to  say. 

From  Malandrina  we  went  towards  the  bay  of  Limeone,  where  vessels  from  the  east 
come  to  an  anchor  when  they  cannot  fetch  Cerinia ;  and  if  the  ground  is  clean  and  good,  it 
has  the  appearance  of  a  place  of  safety.  About  two  or  three  miles  farther  is  a  bluff-head  on 
which  are  the  ruins  of  Sancta  Marina,  which  has  not  been  a  mean  place,  for  several  broken 
fusts,  &c.  are  to  be  seen  lying  scattered  around  it.   Probably  it  was  Macaria,  the  situation  of 


303 


whicli  should  l)e  liereabouts :  the  soil  is  very  good,  l)iit  so  much  disregarded  as  to  be  covered 
with  shrubs  and  underwood. 

The  village  of  Agathou,  on  the  skirts  of  the  mountains,  is  extremely  pleasant ;  but  we 
saw  nothing  else  worth  regarding  till  we  came  to  Zdavlo,  where  we  found  a  pretty  good  bay, 
with  a  rock  on  each  side,  and  ruins  which  may  possi])ly  have  been  Aphrodisiuni,  as  this  was 
the  first  thing  like  a  port  which  we  met  with  in  the  division  of  Carpass.  From  this  place  we 
mounted  a  very  steep  hill  in  order  to  visit  the  castle  of  Cantara,  the  buildings  and  fortifi- 
cations of  which,  we  were  told,  remained  almost  entire.  We  accordingly  dismounted  at  the 
foot  of  the  rock  on  which  it  stands,  and  after  a  very  difficult  and  fatiguing  search  ascended 
to  a  gate,  through  which  we  entered;  and  viewing  the  whole,  found  it  as  much  out  of  repair 
as  any  we  had  seen. 

The  greatest  part  of  the  country  is  extremely  pleasant,  particularly  from  Estalsonii  to 
Platonissa,  where  rising  ground  covered  with  wood,  and  opening  glades,  form  an  agreeable 
contrast :  from  the  tops  of  the  hills  about  Lionarissa  the  plains  and  gardens  delight  the  eye ; 
and  there  is  a  gj-eat  deal  of  rural  sweetness  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Agios  Andronicos,  even 
to  Galousa,  from  which  directly  north  about  a  league,  is  a  large,  broad  bluff  head,  with  a  little 
rocky  island  both  at  the  east  and  west  point.  In  the  morning  we  went  to  survey  it,  and 
passed  through  many  ruins  with  two  churches,  about  a  mile  from  (ialousa:  upon  the  east  side 
of  this  head  we  found  what  they  call  the  harltour,  though  a  little  to  the  north  west  is  another 
much  better :  the  first  has  a  rising  ground  on  each  side ;  that  on  the  west  of  the  head  has  been 
covered  with  buildings,  one  of  which,  being  round,  nuiy  have  been  a  temple,  dedicated  to  the 
goddess  of  love;  and  the  whole  I  suppose  to  have  been  the  Aclueorum  Littus,  but  I  cannot 
allow  the  harbour  a  west  situati(m,  which  the  ohl  geographers  say  it  had:  indeed  the  old 
chart-makers  seem  t(»  be  very  fond  of  giving  their  bays  and  harbours  a  western  exposition, 
even  when  nature  has  made  them  easterly  ;  for  what  reason  I  know  not :  but,  be  that  as  it 
may,  this  is  a  very  bad  harbour;  and  in  my  oi)inion  none  can  be  safe  which  are  not  sheltered 
from  the  west.  About  half  a  dozen  miles  fi-om  heiuf  we  struck  off  to  the  southward  to  see 
a  ruinous  village,  where  we  were  told  we  should  find  nuignificent  remains:  the  place  has, 
I  believe,  been  of  note;  and  by  the  cutting  of  the  stones  which  lie  scattered  ujj  and  down, 
seems  to  have  been  well  built  :  two  square  towers,  end)attel]ed  with  a  lu'at  little  chapel,  are 
still  standing;  the  portraits  of  some  saints  are  undefaced,  ami  two  large  cisterns  not  yet 
i"uiiied  ;  but  no  figui'cs  in  sculi)tui"e  or  letters  ai"e  to  be  seen.  In  the  bay  of  the  Carpasian 
Promontory  the  (iolgi  inhabited,  not  unlikely  where  we  fouiid  a  large  modern  cistern,  with 
old  foundations  of  houses. 

The  modern  Carpass  is  by  no  means  so  fine  a  town  as  1  ex|)ected  to  see:  it  consists 
of  a  i)aix'el  of  vile  scattered  houses  and  gardens  ;  and  I  did  not  see  one  handsome  woman  in 
the  place,  wliicli  hath  been  always  bimcd  I'ur  IxMutics.  Here  is  a  new  church,  l)uilt  after  the 
mean  vulgai-  t'onn,  though  the  wooih-u  carved  work  of  the  choir  is  better  than  what  I  have 
observed  in  any  (Jrei-k  church,  and  must  have  belonged  to  some  other,  for  it  is  very  old. 

Al)oMt  two  miles  eastward  are  fine  ruins  of  a  village,  which  they  call  Athendnu,  though 
I  can  not  find  it  in  any  map  I  have  seen  :  however,  in  many  circum.stances  it  answers  the 
description  of  the  ancient  Carpasia,  built  by  Pygmalion  ;  and  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  mark 
it  as  such  in  my  chart.  The  island  is  very  narrow  in  this  place,  from  whence  we  ascended  to 
the  top  of  Mount  Olympus,  where  Venus  had  another  fane,  in  lieu  of  which  we  found,  just  on 
the  summit,  the  ruins  of  a  little,  wretched  (uvek  chapel.  From  this  spot,  which  is  a  great 
deal  higher  than  any  other  part  in  the  neighl)ourhood,  I  took  the  bearings  of  the  country  to 
Cape  Andre,  or  Clides  Prom.,  and  we  found  the  air  intolerably  cold,  and  so  moist,  that 


304 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  vellum  paper-case  that  was  in  my  pocket  parched  and  shrivelled  up  with  the  heat,  in  a  few 
minutes  felt  humid,  and  soft  as  my  glove.  From  hence  to  the  point  are  little  plain  spots 
interspersed  with  bushy  hillocks,  but  altogether  uninhabited. 

We  returned  through  a  variety  of  good  and  bad,  beautiful  and  bleak  grounds,  until  we 
arrived  at  the  convent  Canakarga ;  I  shall  only  inform  you  that  it  is  built  exactly  according 
to  the  mode  of  the  ancient  Grreek  churches,  which,  you  know,  consisted  of  a  narthex,  or 
porch,  pronaos  or  outward  chapel,  naos,  body  or  nave,  bema,  the  chancel,  and  thysiasterion, 
the  altar. 

About  three  miles  from  hence  we  passed  some  rocks  of  talc,  then  descended  into 
a  delightful  bottom,  where  stands  the  village  of  Rosala,  surrounded  with  corn-fields,  gardens, 
gentle  swells,  pretty  tufts  of  trees,  and  a  natural  fence  of  little  hills.  Half  an  hour  farther 
we  came  to  Komatougalou,  which  is  prettily  situated,  and  the  fields  are  well  laid  out  near  the 
sea :  it  was  once  so  extensive  as  to  contain  fourteen  churches ;  but  now  five-sixths  of  it  lie  in 
ruins,  among  which  is  the  church  of  our  Lady,  where  I  found  the  following  inscription  upon 
a  stone,  accidentally  laid  on  the  four  pillars  of  the  altar-table.  It  is  written  in  old  French, 
like  that  which  I  sent  you  from  Dela-Pays :  I  can  read  every  letter,  and  many  words  I  under- 
stand ;  but  I  cannot  oblige  you  with  an  explanation  of  the  whole,  which  I  therefore  leave  to 
your  own  investigation. 

Ici  .  Gist  .  Dame  .  Margverite  . 

De  .  BOVDAPRE  .  ESPOVSE  .  Qvi  .  FVT  . 
De  .  MeSSIRE  .  AnTOINE  .  de  .  G-EBELIN  . 

Laqvelle  .  Trespassa  .  A  .  XXX  . 
lORS  .  D'OCTOBRE  .  L'an  .  MCCCXXIIII  . 
De  .  Christ  . 

Through  a  number  of  delightful  spots  we  came  to  Famagosta ;  and  from  Castro,  where 
there  are  still  cisterns,  with  the  remains  of  a  town  and  fort  upon  a  little  hill,  I  traced  a  cause- 
way, made  in  the  Roman  manner,  the  whole  way  to  Salamis,  where  we  lost  it  for  a  while,  and 
found  it  again,  proceeding  almost  as  far  as  the  garrison,  which  we  reached  at  noon,  having 
travelled  above  nine  hours  that  morning,  with  intention  to  stroll  about  the  city  after  dinner. 
But  the  silly  people  of  the  country,  being  alarmed  at  my  taking  notes  and  making  sketches, 
and  especially  at  my  looking  often  upon  my  compass,  which  they  took  to  be  a  sort  of  divina- 
tion, began  to  imagine  we  were  people  sent  to  reconnoitre  proper  places  for  descents,  and 
observe  where  their  greatest  strength  or  weakness  lay.  These  notions  are  circulated  with 
incredible  rapidity ;  and,  like  snow-balls,  gather  as  they  roll  along  :  nay,  they  produced  such 
a  clamour  at  Cerinia,  that  the  Cadi  sent  a  message,  desiring  to  know  our  business,  and 
whither  we  were  going.    Our  answer  to  this  impertinent  address,  was,  that  we  were  in  search 

of  our  pleasures,  and  he  had  no  business  to  ask  what  they  were  This  wise  magistrate  was 

weak  enough  to  inform  the  muhassil,  that  we  were  employed,  by  the  Venetians,  as  spies; 
and  that  we  had  made  drawings  of  the  harbour,  town  and  castle :  in  consequence  of  this 
impeachment,  the  muhassil  sent  for  Signer  Crutta,  chief  dragoman  to  the  British  nation,  who 
happened  to  be  at  Nicosia,  and  questioned  him  touching  this  important  matter;  which  Mr 
Crutta  explained  so  much  to  his  satisfaction,  that  he  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  officious 
fool  who  had  sent  such  intimation.  Besides  this  accusation,  we  were  exposed  to  other 
dangers ;  for  people  were  actually  sent  to  way-lay  us ;  but  one  of  them,  having  more 
consideration  than  his  fellows,  diverted  them  from  their  purpose,  by  representing  that  we 
were  British  subjects  and  friends  to  the  government  These  circumstances,  simple  though 


DRUMMOXD. 


30J 


they  seem  to  be,  together  with  an  expression  which  was  dropped  by  a  fellow  as  we  passed  by 
the  side  of  the  fossee  of  Famagosta,  made  us  determine  to  avoid  the  risque  of  being 
insulted  in  the  town,  which  l)oth  of  us  had  seen  before :  we  therefore  turned  aside  into 
the  garden,  where  I  had  formerly  lodged ;  there  we  refreshed  ourselves  with  good  meat  and 
drink,  and  cooled  our  half-burnt  carcases  in  the  shade,  from  whence  we  did  not  stir  that 
whole  afternoon  ;  but  next  morning  set  out  for  Larneca,  where  we  arrived  in  safety,  ■without 
ha^^ng  seen  any  other  thing  worth  mentioning ;  except  large  tracts  of  fine  land,  which  lie 
quite  uncultivated. 

Thus  I  finished  a  tour  of  about  six  hundred  miles,  vnth.  less  fatigue  perhaps  than  that  you 
will  undergo  in  reading  the  account  of  it ;  for  I  had  already  written  so  much  to  my  friends 
concerning  CyiJrus,  that  the  little  matter  it  alfords  was  in  a  good  measure  exhausted.  This 
letter,  however,  you  will  be  so  good  as  to  receive  by  way;  of  testimony  of  that  esteem  and 
affection,  with  which  I  continue  to  be 

Dear  Sir 

Alexandretta  Your  most  obedient  servant 

November  13,  1750. 

The  water  is  now  brought  into  the  city  of  Larneca. 

NoTK.  The  reading  given  of  the  three  inscriptions  is,  to  some  extent,  conjectural.  Contractions  are 
written  in  full.  The  stones  seen  by  Mr  Drummond  at  Kci/ii;  mv  TtaXoO  and  Hagia  Napa  are  no  longer  to 
bo  found  there. 

The  place-names  on  p.  191  are  correctly  written  AfVKtom'a,  Aapra^,  'AXikt],  'Afifi6x<a(TTos,  KrjpCvtta, 
AffXT)fTbi  and  Tla(\>oi  :  those  of  trees  in  p.  213  HXnravoi  (PlataUUS  Orientalis),  Ktparfa  (TtpaTaia,  Xapovirid, 
Ceratonia  Siliqua),  2K\fj6pos  (Alnus  Orientalis),  Mna-cpiKta  (Mespilus  Germanicus),  Kapvai  {Kapva,  Juf^lans 
llegia),  'A/ivyfiaX('<ii('A^(i(T(ai,  Amygdalus  Communis),  llfpvui  (nplvnt,  Quercus  Alnifolia),  '.\v!lpoi'K\(s  (Arbutus 
Andrachne),  and  Zt^'uc^ui  (Zizyphus  Spina  Christi). 


89 


306 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


HASSELQUIST. 

Frederic  Hasselquist,  a  Swede,  Doctor  of  Medicine  in  the  University  of  Upsala  and  a  pupil  of  the  great 
Linnaeus,  set  out  from  Stockholm,  April  7,  1749,  travelled  in  parts  of  Asia  Minor,  Egypt  and  the  Holy 
Land ;  visited  Cyprus,  and,  returning  to  Smyrna,  died  there  on  February  9,  1752,  aged  thirty. 

His  diaries,  edited  by  Linnaeus,  were  published  by  order  of  the  King,  Adolf  Fredrik,  of  Sweden,  and 
were  translated  into  English,  French  and  German.  The  present  extracts  are  translated  anew  from  the 
French  version,  pp.  245—253,  Paris,  1769. 

I  left  Sidon,  May  23,  1751,  in  a  little  Frencli  vessel  sailing  for  Cyprus.  On  the  28tli  we 
anchored  in  the  roadstead  of  Larnaco,  a  village  where  the  European  Consuls  live.  Part  of  it 
is  on  the  shore,  another  and  larger  part  is  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  the  sea.  The  Consul 
for  Naples  lives  in  the  first,  the  Consuls  for  France,  England,  Venice  and  Ragusa  in  the 
second.  I  lodged  with  the  Venetian  Consul,  who  is  also  Consul  for  Sweden,  waiting  an 
opportunity  to  return  to  my  country.  It  was  this  that  led  me  to  Cyprus,  for  I  had  no 
intention  of  travelling  in  the  island,  the  heat  being  at  this  time  so  great  that  one  can  only 
go  out  of  doors  at  night.  It  was  not  the  season  for  botanising,  nor  does  the  island  produce 
any  curious  plant.  I  was  content  with  making  two  little  excursions,  and  began  with  a  visit 
to  the  Holy  Cross,  which  is  the  highest  mountain  in  the  island. 

I  started  on  the  evening  of  June  9  with  my  servant  and  a  guide,  believing  that  I  needed 
no  other  escort  in  a  country  where  thieving  is  unknown.  We  rode  mules.  These  animals 
are  considered  the  best  of  their  kind  in  the  Levant,  and  are  largely  exported  by  Syrians, 
who  send  in  their  stead  horses  for  those  who  have  the  privilege  of  riding  them.  The  road  to 
the  mountain  is  broad  and  even,  the  country  on  either  side  full  of  hills  and  valleys.  The 
mountain  is  formed  of  a  reddish  limestone,  impregnated  with  sulphate  of  copper.  At  the 
bottom  of  the  valleys  I  found  a  kind  of  greyish  limestone,  pure  and  unmixed.  In  several 
parts  of  the  mountain  are  mines  of  lead,  copper  and  small  rock  crystal.  Near  Paphos  this 
latter  is  found  large  and  transparent.  I  saw  a  piece  of  such  at  the  French  Consul's.  Some 
years  ago  a  man  carried  some  of  it  to  the  Court  of  the  Grand  Signor.  It  Avas  taken  for  real 
diamond,  and  greatly  delighted  persons  no  better  informed  than  himself.  These  persuaded 
the  Sultan  that  he  had  a  diamond  mine  in  his  dominions.  Workmen  Avere  sent  at  once  to 
Cyprus  to  find  these  treasures.  They  began  to  work.  The  place  was  guarded  and  shortly 
after  abandoned.  In  the  woods  are  found  myrtle,  pine,  the  cistus  laclanifera  of  the  East, 
arbutus  andrachne  and  oleander.  The  villages  I  passed  on  my  way  were  better  built  than 
is  usual  in  the  Levant.  At  one  of  these  I  arrived  a  little  after  midnight,  but  it  was  too  late  to 
find  a  lodging,  and  a  shepherd  gave  me  up  his  bed  at  the  foot  of  an  olive  tree.  The  weather 
was  extremely  clear,  and  I  was  able  to  observe  an  almost  total  eclipse  of  the  moon.  Before 
sunrise  I  continued  my  journey.  At  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  to  the  right,  there  is  an 
enclosure,  in  the  midst  of  which  stands  a  little  Greek  Chapel.  Just  beyond  this  we  began  to 
ascend  the  mountain,  and  in  half  an  hour  reached  the  summit.  We  rode  the  whole  Avay  on 
a  good  broad  path.  At  the  top  is  a  little  Greek  hermitage — a  chapel  with  two  or  three 
rooms;  a  monk  politely  gave  me  his  cell.  So  different  was  the  climate  that  I  could  not 
believe  myself  in  Cyprus.  Instead  of  the  burning  heat  which  had  suffocated  me,  I  was 
breathing  a  keen  and  refreshing  air.  Respiration  was  easy,  and  the  air  far  purer  and  more 
wholesome  than  in  the  rest  of  Cyprus,  especially  Larnaco. .  As  far  as  my  eye  could  reach,  I 


HASSELQULST. 


307 


saw  the  sea  on  one  side  and  the  whole  island  on  the  other — a  grand  \new.  On  my  return 
I  expressed  my  surprise  that  the  Franks  had  no  country  houses  on  the  mountain  for  a  change 
of  air,  especiallj'  when  living  in  the  most  unwholesome  and  disagreeable  spot  in  the  Island. 
They  told  me  they  had  never  thought  of  country  houses,  nor  of  where  to  build  such,  but  they 
admitted  that  my  choice  was  probably  the  best  that  could  be  made.  It  is  true  that  one  could 
with  difficulty  build  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  which  is  all  rocks  and  stones,  amidst  which 
the -monks  have  just  found  room  for  their  hermitage.  But  below  there  are  many  excellent 
sites.  The  lichen  {licJienes  imhricati)  was  the  only  natural  curiosity  I  found  on  the  mountain. 
It  is  rare,  as  far  as  I  remember,  in  the  Levant. 

Famagusta  ought  to  be  seen,  less  for  itself  than  because  it  was  formerly  the  strongest 
place  in  the  island,  and  irmch  talked  of  in  history.  I  went  there  on  June  13  with  an  English 
merchant  of  Aleppo  and  the  interpreter  of  the  English  Consulate.  We  followed  the  coast, 
travelled  all  night,  and  arrived  Ijefore  daybreak.  As  the  gates  are  never  opened  before  the 
sun  is  up,  we  waited  at  the  house  of  a  Greek  deacon  outside  the  town.  The  Turks  here,  as 
at  Jerusalem  and  Damascus,  forbid  any  Christian  to  enter  the  towni  on  horseback.  To 
conform  to  this  absurd  custom  we  alighted  at  the  head  of  the  bridge,  and  remounted  our 
mules  on  the  other  side.  At  once  we  set  out  to  examine  the  ramparts  and  all  the  quarters 
of  the  city.  Mr  Frudvord,  an  English  merchant,  had  built  at  Lamaca  the  finest  house  in 
the  island  of  Cyprus,  in  which  was  one  of  the  most  spacious  saloons  that  I  had  seen  in  the 
Levant.  He  had  caused  several  others  to  be  built  between  Larnaca  and  Famagusta :  most 
of  them  had  fallen  into  ruin.  The  first  thing  that  we  did  on  arri\-ing  at  the  latter  town  was 
to  call  on  the  Governor,  to  obtain  permission  to  \'isit  the  fortress.  He  was  as  ill-looking  as 
his  surroundings,  a  man  of  low  type,  not  a  bit  the  (Governor,  for  he  had  no  crowd  of  servants 
such  as  Turks  always  have  about  them,  however  little  their  fortune  may  allow  of  it.  The 
Governor  of  Famagusta  was  not  one  of  these.  Officers  of  this  nation  are  wont  to  take  froin 
the  military  chest  of  their  district  enough  to  supply  their  wants,  without  troubling  to  think 
whether  or  no  the  money  is  owing  to  the  soldiers.  This  man  had  but  two  or  three  hundred 
soldiers  under  his  command,  so  that  his  revenues  were  very  modest.  The  fort  has  not  been 
repaired  since  the  Turks  took  it  from  the  Venetians,  and  is  falling  into  ruin.  I  saw  about 
two  hundred  c^innon,  not  one  of  tliem  ser\nceable.  The  garrison  was  composed  of  three 
hundred  men,  called  Levanti.  They  serve  in  the  navy,  and  are  the  woi-st  troops  that  the 
Grand  Hignor  has  in  his  pay.  The  galley  harbour  has  been  wholly  destroyed.  I  never  saw 
so  many  true  aloes  as  on  the  ramparts.  We  went  next  to  see  the  church  of  S.  Sophia,  which 
the  Turks  have  turned  into  a  mosque.  It  is  a  Gothic  edifice,  and  seems  to  have  had  its  merits 
but  it  was  injured  some  years  since  by  an  earthquake,  and  the  Turks,  who  are  the  worst 
architects  in  the  world,  have  repaired  it  as  they  could.  The  tombs,  monuments  and  chapels 
built  by  the  Christians  are  entirely  destroyed.  1  saw  on  the  pavement  a  few  Latin  epitaphs 
in  Gothic  characters,  and  others  in  modern  Greek :  these  were  close  to  the  threshold,  which 
Christians  are  forbidden  to  cross.  Opposite  the  church  are  the  ruins  of  a  palace,  the  former 
residence  of  the  \\'netian  Governors ;  one  may  still  see  in  it  several  colunms  of  granite  and 
porphyry,  and  on  some  points  of  the  wall  the  Lion  of  Venice  in  low  or  high  relief.  The 
town  is  in  far  worse  condition  than  the  fort;  all  the  houses  built  by  the  Venetians  are 
utterly  demolished  or  deserted.  There  are  but  three  hundred  inhabitants,  chiefiy  Turks, 
who  occupy  the  miserable  remains  of  the  famous  city  of  Famagusta. 


89—2 


308 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


CONSTANTIUS. 

Constantius,  Archbishop  of  Sinai,  is  known  to  us  only  as  the  author  of  the  Kvnpias  Xapitacra  xoi 
€7r  iTOfios,  which  was  printed  in  4to  at  Venice  in  1819,  at  the  end  (pp.  125 — 154)  of  the  UepLypa(f)fj  or 
Description  of  the  famous  Monastery  of  the  Virgin  of  Kykko.  He  mentions  a  visit  to  Larnaca, 
apparently  during  the  revolt  of  Klialil  Agha  in  1766,  but  nowhere  speaks  of  himself  as  a  Cypriot.  He 
writes  an  affected  Greek,  and  our  translation  might  well  have  pruned  away  more  of  his  pomposity  and 
pleonasms.  The  work  has  no  independent  value,  but  as  it  was  circulated  gratis  among  pilgrims  to  Kykko, 
it  was  probably  for  very  many  years  the  chief  source  from  which  Orthodox  Cypriots  drew  their  knowledge 
of  the  island's  history. 

A  PLEASANT  AND  BRIEF 
CYPRIAD, 

Setting  forth  what  in  this  happy  island  is  most  worthy  to  be  remembered  and  described. 

The  Archbishop  of  Sinai,  who  compiled  it,  gratefully  offers  and  dedicates  it  to  the  chief 
ecclesiastical  dignitaries,  and  worthy  gentlemen,  of  Cyprus,  on  whom  have  been  showered  so 
many  graces. 


History,  a  living  and  speaking  voice,  a  herald  that  stirs  and  thrills,  rings  through  the 
ages,  showing  as  in  one  general  picture  the  peculiarities  of  nations  and  places  ;  and  thus,  ever 
linking  the  past  with  the  present,  displays  all  that  men  in  their  generations  have  done  for  one 
another,  and  through  one  another. 


Cyprus,  one  of  the  largest  islands  of  the  Mediterranean  sea,  and  the  closest  and  largest 
of  all  those  which  lie  near  Asia,  is  situated  in  the  35th  parallel  of  latitude,  and  52nd  of 
longitude.  It  is  washed  or  encircled  on  the  W.  by  the  Pamphylian  sea,  on  the  S.  by  that  of 
Egypt,  on  the  E.  by  the  Syrian,  and  on  the  N.  by  the  Cilician  sea.  Its  shape  is  that  of  a 
bull's  hide  set  lengthways. 

Perhaps  no  other  spot  in  the  world  has  had  so  many  names  as  the  ancients  gave  to  this 
island.  Pliny  gives  a  number  of  them,  and  others  after  him  distinguish  it  by  various  and 
curious  appellations,  justifying  each  of  them  by  some  characteristic.  Some,  for  instance, 
called  it  Sphekeia,  from  the  Sphekes  who  inhabited  it :  others  Kerastia,  from  the  horns  or 
narrow  promontories  which  stretch  into  the  sea  :  others  Cypris,  because  it  was  selected  to  be 
the  home  of  Aphrodite,  and  the  ancients  called  Aphrodite  Cypris  :  others  from  a  hero  Cypres, 
who  is  unknown  however  to  our  historians.  Some  from  the  abundance  of  Cypres  or  Copper, 
which  was  first  found  there :  and  lastly  Cyprus,  from  the  Cypros,  a  plant  of  fame  among  the 
ancients,  and  still  used  by  the  peoples  of  Asia.  This  plant,  which  the  Hebrews  called  Gopher, 
the  Greeks  Cypros,  the  Arabs  and  Ottomans  Kina,  still  adorns  the  gardens  of  Cyprus,  and 
makes  them  fragrant  wdth  its  flowers.  The  women  of  the  island  deck  themselves  with  bunches 
of  this  plant,  as  did  those  of  the  Hebrews,  as  Holy  Scripture  testifies. 

But  of  all  these  names  which  try  to  figure  the  character  of  Cyprus  the  truest  and  most 
fitting  (albeit  suiting  and  matching  but  ill  with  its  present  condition)  is  that  of  Macaria,  the 
blessed.  It  earned  this  rich  addition  on  account  of  its  teeming  soil,  its  rich  and  easily-won 
harvests,  the  pleasantness  of  its  climate,  its  temperate  air,  the  unfailing  beauty  with  which 
its  fields  greet  the  eye,  and  the  richness  of  its  products.    The  fantasy  which  inspired  the 


COX.STANTIUS. 


conjectures  of  the  ancient  poets  lias  even  added  to  this  swarm  of  natural  beauties  the  birth  of 
the  Cytherean,  and  filled  their  lyric  songs  with  numberless  scenes  of  grace  and  charm. 

On  such  a  theatre,  once  dedicated  to  learning  and  good  cheer,  now,  alas !  expatiate  the 
barbarians,  who  have  transformed  it  into  an  abode  of  ruin  and  slavery.  Where  once  charms 
so  many  and  so  great  reigned,  there  now  rules  a  devouring  tyranny.  So  that  even  husbandry 
has  ceased  to  spread  its  treasures  over  the  wonderful  plains,  and  the  glory  of  an  island  once 
blessed  is  extinguished  and  darkened.  The  treasures,  of  which  historians  have  said  so  much, 
which  it  holds  buried  in  its  breast,  have  been  buried  deeper  still  by  tyranny,  or  by  the  earth 
heaped  over  them.  All  excavation,  exploration  or  search  for  metals  has  been  forbidden  by 
its  rulers,  and  the  copper  once  so  precious  and  plentiful  remains  nnworked  in  the  bosom  of 
the  mountains  which  enfold  it,  as  well  as  vitriol  of  two  kinds,  lead,  iron  and  other  metals, 
which  formerly  made  this  island  universally  knowi  and  renowned. 

And  gold,  the  end  and  aim  and  active  cause  of  all  man's  efforts  and  eiiergy — gold,  which 
the  corruption  which  daily  swells  and  spreads  among  us  tends  to  fix  as  the  necessary  and 
inevitable  curse  upon  which  our  warmest  and  most  earnest  wishes  are  set — this  too  has  veins 
in  the  land.  But  they  have  been  choked  and  hidden  for  long  ages,  and  a  mere  tradition 
survives  to  hint  at  the  spots  which  once  yielded  this  sweetest  and  much-desired  wealth.  The 
mines  of  this  precious  metal  lie  near  the  village  now  called  Chrysochos,  formerly  Acaniantis, 
one  of  the  famous  cities  of  the  island.  There  are  other  veins  about  Tamasia,  and  again  on 
the  lower  slopes  of  Mount  Trogodos. 

Copper  is  chieHy  found  near  that  famous  city  of  anticjuity  Amathus,  and  the  city  close 
by  called  then  Neniesos,  and  now  corruptly  Lemesos.  There  is  found  buried  that  fine  copper 
which  nature  alone  has  cleansed,  preparing  it  beforehand  for  man's  handicrafts.  This  was 
the  copper  first  known  to,  and  first  found  in,  the  world,  and  especiallj'  sought  after  by  the 
ancients  for  the  preparation  of  that  famous  Corinthian  metal,  a  lilending  and  fusing  of  this 
copper  with  gold  and  silver,  a  thing  of  great  price,  whose  preparation,  the  means  employed, 
and  the  proportion  of  the  metals  used,  remain  entirely  hidden  and  unknown  to  us. 

Vitriol,  the  natural  kind  and  blue  vitriol,  is  found  in  abundance  in  the  aforesaid  copper 
mines,  but  chiefly  in  those  of  Tamasia  and  Chrysophou.  Iron  inines  occur  over  the  island. 
So  too  there  is  found  in  the  mountains  near  Paphos  a  kind  of  liquid  congealed  by  cold  into 
exquisite  crystal,  which  is  called  the  Paphos  diamond.  The  folds  of  the  higher  hills  contain 
also  emeralds  and  amethysts.  The  jasper  of  Scythia  was  considered  l)y  the  ancients  the  most 
precious  until  that  of  Cyprus  appeared,  and  at  last  that  of  Egypt.  The  river  Peda3us,  which 
takes  its  rise  in  the  hills  near  Leucosia,  washes  down  with  its  limpid  stream  quite  large 
fragments  of  fine  red  jasper.  The  nmiantus,  that  thread  of  the  ancients  which  was  neither 
consumed  nor  injured  by  fire,  is  still  found  in  the  hills  of  Acamas.  Tlu*  island  is  rich  too 
in  gypsum,  and  dyes  of  various  hues. 

To  all  these  products  must  be  added  salt,  extracted  from  its  salines,  which  in  the  days 
of  the  Venetians  was  a  source  of  great  revenue.  The  circumference  of  this  salt  lake,  which  is 
near  the  modern  Scala,  was  formerly  about  five  miles.  But  under  the  Turks,  as  the  export 
grew  less,  the  lake  partially  dried  up,  so  that  the  water  now  collected  in  it  both  from  the  sea 
and  the  rain  cover  a  surface  of  scarcely  two  miles.  The  force  of  tiu'  heat  of  the  blazing  sun 
evaporates  all  the  moisture  and  effluvia  of  the  waters  of  the  lake,  and  leaves  on  the  surface  a 
thick  layer  of  salt,  which  is  collected  about  September  and  October. 

The  gifts  of  husbandry  are  little  fewer  in  number  than  those  precious  metallic  treasures: 
but  in  both  cases  nature's  gift  has  fallen  into  careless  and  ignorant  hands.  The  olive  trees 
are  not  so  many  as  they  were  formerly,  and  their  produce  is  not  always  sufficient  for  the 


310 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


wants  of  the  inhabitants,  while  formerlj^  the  oil  of  Cyprus  was  among  the  products  which 
contributed  in  no  insignificant  manner  to  its  commerce. 

The  sycomores  or  mulberry  trees  in  some  parts  of  the  island  still  make  small  groves,  but 
their  cultivation  has  been  neglected,  and  the  laziness  which  shrinks  from  watering  them  duly 
during  the  dog  days  has  left  most  of  them  to  wither.  The  trade  in  silk  does  not  flourish  as  it 
did  before  the  advent  of  the  Turks,  but  it  is  even  now  an  article  not  to  be  despised. 

A  tree  not  held  in  so  much  account,  but  still  reckoned  among  the  products  of  the  island, 
spreads  its  shade  over  many  parts,  and  its  fruit  makes  by  itself  quite  a  commerce.  This  is 
the  Carob.  The  sea  coast  between  Scala  and  Lemesos  is  thick  with  these  trees,  and  Lemesos 
is  the  chief  depot  and  place  of  sale. 

In  most  of  the  fields  formerly  adorned  by  the  cotton  plant  traces  of  it  may  still  be 
found.  But  this  only  gives  a  faint  notion  of  its  former  luxuriance.  The  whole  island  now 
can  scarcely  export  4,000  bales  of  cotton,  while  under  the  Venetians  the  annual  supply 
exceeded  25,000. 

Under  the  Venetians  also  the  sugar  cane  was  cultivated  in  many  parts  of  the  island, 
and  was  almost  as  successful  as  in  Egypt.  Sugar  gave  an  excellent  return  at  Episcopi,  one 
of  the  most  fertile  districts  in  the  island.  But  the  fury  of  the  barbarians,  pressing  on  their 
triumph  with  sword  and  flame,  and  jealously  effacing  every  trace  of  useful  labour  devised  by 
those  whom  their  prejudice  calls  unbelievers,  destroyed  and  burnt  these  rich  plantations, 
and  blighted  the  wide  fields  destined  to  give  new  impulse  to  the  knowledge  and  welfare  of 
humanity.  Their  insensate  passion  brought  all  the  ruin  which  only  the  demon  of  destruction 
could  achieve. 

It  ought  not  to  be  wholly  impossible,  or  even  very  difficult,  although  little  effort  has 
been  made  to  prove  my  point,  to  increase  still  more  the  natural  advantages  of  this  fertile 
island.  The  quality  of  the  soil  points  out  many  spots  fit  for  the  cultivation  of  coffee, 
and  promises  success  to  this  valuable  industry.  The  heat  of  Cyprus  is  not  less  than  that  of 
the  countries  not  far  off  where  the  fruit  of  this  plant  acquires  its  highest  aroma :  and  I  feel 
sure  that  a  practical  trial  of  its  cultivation,  conducted  with  due  care,  will  not  disappoint  the 
hopes  I  entertain  of  seeing  it  flourish  and  prosper.  But  this  must  be  for  another  age,  not  in 
these  evil  and  difficult  daj^s. 

Everywhere  we  have  evidence  of  the  richness  of  the  soil.  The  gardens  are  full  of 
valuable  vegetables ;  large  cauliflowers  are  abundant,  and  the  return  of  garden  produce  is  so 
large  that  it  is  even  carried  for  sale  outside  the  island.  They  are  adorned  too  with  many 
kinds  of  beautiful  flowers,  and  various  aromatic  plants,  which  diffuse  Avidely  their  exquisite 
odours.  Orange,  citron,  pomegranate  and  lemon  trees,  with  other  fruit  trees,  make  little 
evergreen  groves  round  the  houses,  and  particularly  in  winter  leave  a  charming  impression 
on  visitors  from  northern  climes  who  touch  on  this  enchanted  isle. 

All  these  parts  which  the  harshness  of  tyranny  has  not  condemned  to  bareness  and 
barrenness  produce  cereals  in  rich  abundance.  But  the  districts  which  contain  them  are 
small  and  restricted,  and  most  of  the  fields  have  nothing  now  to  show  but  neglect  and  misery. 
Wheat  and  barley  used  to  be  among  the  principal  exports,  now  these  barely  suffice  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  inhabitants,  even  if  they  escape  the  terrible  scourge  which  wastes  every- 
thing, the  countless  myriads  of  locusts,  which  collect  like  thick  clouds,  and  sweep  down  on 
the  fields,  often  just  as  they  are  ready  to  give  the  labourer  some  return  for  the  toil  of  his 
hands  and  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  Not  even  fire  spreads  in  so  brief  a  space  so  great  destruction 
as  do  these  ravening  devouring  insects.  And  the  ruin  they  cause  reaches  beyond  the  harvest: 
the  locusts  strip  the  mulberry  trees  of  their  leaves,  and  destroy  the  precious  worm  that  feeds 


CONSTANTIUS. 


311 


thereon.  Wherever  they  light  straightway  every  green  herb  vanishes,  and  they  eat  even 
the  bark  of  trees.  From  this  deadly  pest,  and  the  oppression  of  the  rulers,  follows,  as  of 
consequence,  the  sickly,  languishing  and  decaying  state  of  agriculture  in  Cyprus. 

The  question  is  fisked,  how  is  it  possible  that  these  -winged  insects,  so  little  capable  (jf 
a  long  flight,  can  spring  up  suddenly  and  appear  like  a  deadly  whirlwind  over  a  land 
surrounded  on  every  side  by  the  sea?  It  may  be  resolved  in  this  natural  fashion.  The 
promontory  of  Crommyon,  near  Kyrene,  is  not  far  distant  from  Cilicia  Tracheia;  nor  is  that 
of  S.  Andreas  from  Syria.  A  strong  east  wind  can  easily  bring  over  from  Asia  to  Cyprus 
the  light  swarms  of  these  devouring  creatures :  they  are  aided  by  their  own  wings,  and  being 
naturally  strong  and  swift,  and  trained  to  such  migrations  and  wanderings,  have  been 
observed  by  naturalists  to  cross  even  broader  stretches  of  sea. 

Such  locusts  as  escape  the  perils  of  birds,  or  of  larger  insects,  bury  their  eggs  in  the 
ground,  especially  on  sandy  spots.  In  Europe  men  were  compelled  at  last  to  seek  some  means 
of  destroying  them,  which  they  do  thus.  In  spring  time,  before  the  warmth  hatches  out  their 
eggs,  by  order  of  Government  the  villagers  go  out  en  masse  with  their  women  and  children, 
who  search  out,  find  and  collect  the  eggs,  which  they  burn.  They  keep  up  this  w(jrk  for  two 
or  three  successive  years,  until  the  locusts  are  eradicated. 

One  product  of  the  island  has  been  up  tf)  this  time  flustered  with  great  zeal  and  care,  and 
is  still  one  of  the  chief  articles  of  export — but  even  this,  like  the  rest,  has  felt  the  presence  of 
tyranny — this  is  its  delicious  wine.  This  fragrant  nectar  of  Zeus,  expressed  and  flowing 
from  the  vines  which  abound  in  this  shrine  of  his  beloved  son  Bacchus,  is  drawn  from  a  part 
of  the  island  called  Conumderia,  for  here  was  the  lot  and  inheritance  of  the  Comandery,  the 
order  of  the  Templars  and  Knights  of  Malta,  which  lies  between  Mount  Olympus  and  the 
towns  of  Nemesos  and  Paphos.  This  excellent  wine  is  one  of  the  things  greatly  in  request  in 
Europe. 

The  nature  of  the  island's  products  testifies  to  its  climate.  In  summer  there  reigns 
indeed  excessive  heat,  but  not  equally  in  all  its  parts.  Cyprus  is  split  or  divided  from  east  to 
west  by  a  continuous  chain  of  mountains,  and  has  two  sections,  each  naturally  with  its  own 
climate.  On  the  north  the  winds  which  blow  from  the  high  mountains  of  Pamphylia  and 
Cilicia  are  caught  and  deflected  by  the  hills  which  divide  Cyprus  lengthways,  and  temper  in 
summer  the  fiery  heat  of  this  region ;  while  in  winter  they  bring  piercing  cold,  and  preserve 
the  snow  on  the  highest  peaks  in  a  frozen  state  for  a  considerable  portion  of  the  year.  The 
part  of  the  island  which  hjoks  west  is  the  most  mountainous,  stony,  and  varied  with  forests 
and  groves :  it  is  the  wildest,  and  the  least  fertile.  In  the  southern  districts,  on  the  other 
liand,  the  fierceness  of  the  sunnner  sim,  caught  on  and  reflected  from  the  precipitous  rocks 
and  crags  where  the  mountain  range  is  rugged  and  broken,  is  spread  over  the  land  without 
check  or  stay:  while  the  north  winds,  which  cannot  traverse  that  natural  middle  wall  of 
partition  formed  by  the  mountains  which  divide  the  island,  leave  the  air  of  the  southern  half 
deprived  of  all  coolness  and  refreshment :  and  if  that  gentle  west  wind,  which  blows  sometimes 
off  the  sea,  and  moderates  the  heat  of  tlu-  sun,  were  wholly  to  fail,  the  whole  of  that  region 
would  be  unbearable  during  certain  days  of  summer,  liain  in  summer  is  very  rare  indeed, 
an«l  long  and  severe  droughts  check  and  sometimes  destroy  the  much-desired  greenness  of 
the  country,  dry  up  entirely  vegetation,  attract  the  myriad  legions  of  the  swift  locusts,  and 
push  on  terrible  want,  jwverty  and  distress  to  rule  harshly  over  a  bumt-up  and  thirsty 
land.  Watering  and  refreshing  the  soil,  a  task  neglected  by  men  naturally  fond  of  work  but 
depressed,  afflicted  and  desperate,  can  no  longer  restore  the  welcome  moisture  to  the  parched 
plains.    In  certain  spots  the  stagnant  pools  of  salt  and  useless  water  give  off  a  hornble 


312 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


stench,  pollute  the  air,  and  breed  disease.  The  living  springs  are  few,  and  the  rivers  are 
mere  torrents  filled  by  the  winter  rain  and  the  melting  snow,  but  dry  throughout  the  summer. 
This  drought  is  seriously  increased  by  the  growing  tastelessness  of  the  inhabitants.  Plants 
are  disappearing,  trees  grow  fewer,  forests  are  cut  down.  The  criminal  carelessness  and 
neglect,  which  sees  the  fertility  of  the  island  daily  diminish,  surprises  nobody  who  looks  at 
the  despotism  which  oppresses  it.  But  in  well-governed  countries,  where  the  common  weal 
is  like  a  science  universally  studied,  and  thoroughly  worked  out,  the  disorders  which  stain 
the  lot  of  lands  which  groan  under  the  barbarian  yoke  ought  to  beget  a  general  burst  of 
righteous  indignation  and  rage. 

The  Greeks  who  inhabit  the  island,  the  much-suffering  and  long-suffering  descendants 
of  that  wonderful  Teucer,  brother  of  Ajax  the  son  of  Telamon,  are  well  proportioned  and  good 
looking :  the  more  refined  classes  especially,  and  the  dwellers  in  Leucosia,  Larnaca,  Scala,  and 
some  few  in  Lemesos,  are  sociable,  afPable,  sumptuous  and  hospitable,  ready,  quick--\vitted, 
fond  of  amusement,  a  little  given  to  ostentation^  fond  of  work,  thrifty,  and  apt  at  business,  to 
which  the  great  spur  is  gain,  that  inevitable  ill,  whether  to  a  commonwealth  of  men,  or  to 
each  individual  member  thereof.  But  the  peasants  of  the  island  are  sensual,  lazy,  rough,  most 
difficult  to  guide  even  with  the  whip  and  threats,  with  no  natural  inclination  of  their  own  to 
good.  The  inhabitants  of  Carpas  in  the  east  are  little  better  than  savages.  But  let  no  one 
judge  their  character  with  blame,  but  as  worthy  rather  of  sympathy  and  regret,  for  its  springs 
lie  deep  in  their  ignorance,  the  close  companion  of  their  hard  slavery.  But  here,  where 
nature  herself  is  ever  young,  and  the  seasons,  with  their  attendant  Grraces,  have  fixed  their 
pleasant  seat,  where  Aphrodite  Cyprogeneia  was  so  devoutly  worshipped,  the  softer  sex  is 
rich  in  the  gifts  of  the  Grraces,  and  full  of  charm  and  beauty.  Among  the  primates  of  the 
island,  who  do  not  encourage  the  jealous  prejudices  of  Asiatics,  the  women  enjoy  their  ease 
and  liberty,  whence  they  are  well-mannered  and  affable.  They  do  indeed  enjoy  a  larger 
freedom  than  was  allowed  them  in  the  times  when  their  forefathers  sent  every  year  to  the 
Persian  Queen  as  a  kind  of  slavish  tribute  fifty  Cypriot  maidens,  whose  duty  it  was  at  that 
proud  and  despotic  court,  to  attend  the  Queen  on  foot,  with  spears  in  their  hands,  at  either 
hand  of  her  chariot-throne,  and  to  lend  her  their  shoulders  as  a  kind  of  step  when  her  majesty 
mounted  or  descended  from  her  lofty  vehicle. 

The  highest  and  most  remarkable  of  the  mountains  whose  chain  extends  from  west  to 
east,  and  divides  the  island  into  two  parts,  is  the  breast-shaped  Olympus,  called  Trogodos. 
On  its  crest  was  once  a  temple  dedicated  to  Aphrodite  Acraea.  By  a  law  strange  indeed  in  a 
country  so  devoted  to  this  goddess,  this  temple  might  not  be  approached,  nor  even  seen,  by 
women.  There  are  found  upon  this  mountain,  according  to  Aristotle  and  other  later  writers 
on  physics,  many  varieties  of  plants  useful  in  the  healing  art.  About  its  slopes  are  situated 
the  gold  mines,  at  a  place  called  Boucaisa,  looking  to  the  north.  When  Titus  was  Emperor, 
one  of  the  peaks  of  this  range  burst  forth  at  the  top  with  such  a  fierce  fire  that  many  cities 
and  villages  lying  near  it  were  consumed. 

On  these  mountains  were  built  many  religious  houses  as  places  of  refuge,  and  with  their 
diligence  the  monks  adorned  the  greater  part  of  the  chain  with  fair  gardens,  containing  trees 
and  plants  of  every  kind,  so  that  this  was  the  most  fascinating  and  exquisite  part  of  the 
island,  and  the  richer  Cypriots  flocked  here  in  summer  to  breathe  the  cool  zephyr  blowing 
from  the  shady  bowers  watered  by  so  many  limpid  rills.  But  the  tyrant,  insensible  to  the 
charms  strewn  here  by  the  happy  union  of  nature  and  art,  brought  his  savagery  to  destroy 
these  lovely  spots,  rooted  out  the  monasteries,  and  changed  all  the  grace  and  joyousness  of 
their  surroundings  into  bareness  and  barrenness. 


(JOXHTANTIUS. 


Let  us  describe  the  sea  coast,  l^egiiiiiing  from  the  promontorj-  called  "the  ox  tail,"  now 
Cape  S.  Andreas.  Then  the  ruins  of  tlie  once  famous  Cyprian  Salamis,  built  by  Teucer, 
brother  of  Ajax,  son  of  Telamon,  after  the  fall  of  Troy,  and  afterwards  called  Constantia.  In 
this  spacious  bay  stood  the  city  Arsinoe,  called  after  its  foundress  Arsiiioe,  sister  and  wife 
of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  king  of  Egj^pt.  On  its  ruins  was  built  the  city  now  called 
Famagosta  or  Ammochostos,  a  later  name  concerning  whose  derivation  authors  curiously 
differ.  Its  harbour  is  safe  but  small,  and  partly  filled  up.  The  fortifications  are  the  work 
of  the  Lusignans,  Genoese  and  Venetians.  But  these  too  are  growing  ruinous,  through  the 
carelessness  of  the  tyrants,  who  know  only  how  to  efface  and  destroy,  never  how  to  build  ui> 
and  restore.  These  fortifications  recall  to  well-informed  persc^ns  a  dreadful  deed,  a  deed  of 
the  most  savage  and  atrocious  treachery,  a  trampling  by  tyrannic  might  on  all  the  rights  of 
humanity.    Ah  !  by  such  the  w(jrld  can  judge  truly  of  the  character  of  this  race. 

Next  to  Ammochostos  comes  Thronos,  a  city  and  promontory  of  the  same  name,  now 
called  Cape  de  la  Crega.  Further  on  is  a  broad  bay,  the  chief  roadstead  of  the  island,  called 
Scala,  the  resort  of  every  nation.  There  is  a  small  t(jwn  on  the  seashore,  called  either  Scala, 
or  Salines,  from  the  salt-lake  ov  salinen  not  far  off.  Half  a  mile  inland  from  the  lake  is  the 
city  of  Larnaca,  the  residence  of  the  Metropolitan  of  Cition,  a  few  trading  consuls,  and  a  good 
many  families  of  position.  Larnaca  is  built  on  the  ruins  of  an  older  city  called  Chrysopolis, 
which  stood  at  no  great  distance  from  Cition.  The  excavations  alreadj^  made  prove  the 
importance  of  this  city.  While  I  was  in  Cyprus  there  were  discovered  subterranean  passages 
full  of  graves  and  sarcophagi,  still  containing  the  bones  and  bodies  of  men  who  died  long  ago: 
doubtless  this  was  the  necropolis  or  cemetery  of  Chrysopolis.  All  about  these  tombs  were  set 
funeral  lamps,  vessels  large  and  small,  of  clay  and  glass,  which  the  ancients,  according  to 
their  superstitious  practice,  filled  on  certain  fixed  days  of  the  year  with  hydrotnel,  oil  and 
wine,  offering  libations  and  sacrifices  to  the  gods  of  the  lower  world  on  behalf  of  their  dead  : 
thinking  forsooth,  the  poor  wretches,  that  with  such  meat  and  drink  offerings  poured  upon 
the  graves  to  Pluto  and  his  fellows,  the  bodiless  shades  of  their  deceased  friends  which 
wandered  about  those  fabled  Elysian  plains,  were  nourished,  while  the  poor  corpse  who  had 
left  behind  him  on  earth  no  friend  or  rehition  passed  unfed  and  luingry  to  Hades.  So  that 
we  conclude  and  say  without  hesitation  that  this  city  was  called  |jai-nax  fntni  the  tombs  so 
frequently  found  there.  Near  this  city,  the  ancient  Chrysopolis,  was  (according  to  Strabo) 
the  closed  harbour  of  Cition. 

Cition  lay  not  far  from  the  cape  of  the  same  name,  and  remnants  of  its  de.struction  maj- 
be  seen  scattered  here  and  there.  It  was  once  a  notable  and  glorious  city,  ljuilt  and  colonised 
by  the  Phoenicians,  where  flourished  Zenon,  the  leader  of  the  Stoic  sect,  and  Ai)oIlonius,  the 
famous  physician.  Jiefore  the  walls  of  this  city,  while  he  was  besieging  its  Persian  garrison, 
fell  Cimon,  that  wonderful  Athenian  general,  who  in  no  wise  fell  behind  Miltiades  in  courage 
or  Themistocles  in  skill.  As  he  was  dying  he  bade  his  soldiers  to  sail  away  forthwith  from 
the  island,  concealing  his  di-ath.  So  it  befell  that  as  neither  the  Persians  nor  the  people  of 
Cition  discovered  the  stratagem  the  Athenians  sailed  in  safetj-,  with  Cimon  (even  after  his 
death)  for  leader.  But  the  inhabitants  of  Cition,  who  were  bidden  by  the  oracle  not  to  forget 
Cimon,  but  to  honour  him  as  a  superior  being,  and  pay  him  reverence,  raised  to  him  outside 
their  city  a  magnificent  monument,  and  honoured  him  in  times  of  faiuine  and  dearth. 

Near  the  mlhies  is  situated  a  Turkish  shrine,  and  within  it  a  tomb  in  which  these  sons  of 
Hagar  believe  that  the  grandmother  of  their  prophet  was  buried.  Hither  they  flock  to  do 
honour  to  the  mother  of  their  prophet's  mother,  without  however  enquiring  too  curiously 
how  she  was  convej'ed  and  transported  to  this  spot  from  the  depths  of  Arabia.    No  clear  and 

c.  40 


314 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


exact  tradition  exists  to  inform  us  on  the  subject,  but  piety,  with  its  random  prejudices  and 
prepossessions,  believes  easily  and  exalts  to  miracles  things  naturally  impossible,  and  is 
content  therewith.  The  only  person  who  gives  us  trustworthy  information  concerning  a 
Saracen  woman  dying  in  Cyprus  is  Constantinos  Porphyrogennetos,  who  in  his  book  irepi 
Oe/jLOLTOiv  says  that  in  the  days  of  Heraclios,  Emperor  of  the  Bast,  the  Greek  forces  were  routed 
and  the  Saracens  took  Cyprus,  under  the  leadership  of  Abu  Bekr  or  Mu'awiyah,  whose 
daughter's  tomb  is  seen  there.  It  is  evident  then  from  the  statement  of  this  monarch,  that 
during  his  reign,  that  is  about  A.D.  950,  her  tomb  was  to  be  seen  in  Cyprus.  This  terrible  and 
mighty  warrior  Mu'awiyah  was  the  seventh  Khalifah  from  Mohammad,  and  under  Othman, 
the  fourth  from  Mohammad,  was  sent  by  him  against  Cyprus  with  a  large  fleet,  and  subdued 
it.  His  daughter,  who,  with  her  mother,  seems  to  have  accompanied  Mu'awiyah,  fell  sick 
and  died  at  Cition,  and  was  buried  near  this  city,  where,  under  the  Turks,  the  present  shrine 
was  erected.  So  then  they  boast  in  vain  who  exalt  into  the  grandmother  of  the  Arabian 
lawgiver  this  later  born  daughter  of  Mu'awiyah,  who  closed  her  days  in  this  island. 

With  the  exception  of  the  fair  gardens  round  certain  houses  the  country  about  Larnaca 
and  Scala  is  bare.  The  soil  is  dried  up  by  the  neglect  of  years :  a  few  trees  are  seen  scattered 
here  and  there  on  the  fields,  and  serve  to  show  their  former  fertility,  while  a  little  barley 
cultivated  in  patches  lends  at  times  a  tender  greenness  to  the  generally  barren  earth.  In  the 
dog  days  the  atmosphere  is  full  of  salt  and  unwholesome  exhalations  from  the  neighbouring 
salines,  and  these  inflamed  by  the  burning  heat,  make  the  air  one  breathes  pestilent  and 
noisome.  Wliole  groves  of  olives  once  clothed  these  fields,  where  now  a  few  trees  only  are 
visible,  and  the  cisterns  which  one  may  see  about  Larnaca  half  destroyed  were  the  receptacles 
of  the  abundant  yield  of  oil.  The  houses  of  Larnaca  are  spacious,  and  furnished  in  European 
fashion.  In  that  of  Mr  K.  we  found  on  the  base  of  an  ancient  column  the  following 
inscription: — (Now  at  Berlin.    Boeckh  [C.I.G.  2617]) 

H  nOAIS 
AriAN  AAMO@ETOY  KPHTA 
TON  APXI2nMAT04)YAAKA 
KAI  Eni  TH2  nOAEOS 
APETHS  ENEKEN  KAI  EYNOI 
A2  TH2  EI2  BA2IAEA  UTO 
AEMAION  KAI  BA2IAI22AN 
KAEOnATPAN  THN  AAEA 
$HN  ©E0Y2  4>HAOMHTOPA2 
KAI  TA  TEKNA  AYTON  KAI 
TH2  EI2  AYTHN  EYEPPESIAS 

The  pillar  was  erected  to  the  honour  and  memory  of  the  said  Agias,  Captain  of  the 
Body-Gruard,  by  the  people  of  Cition,  and  the  interpretation  of  its  laconic  inscription  is  this : 
the  city  crowns  and  honours  Agias,  who  was  appointed  Grovernor  therein,  with  this  monument 
and  pillar  on  account  of  his  virtue  and  his  loyalty  towards  King  Ptolemy  and  Queen  Cleopatra, 
and  of  the  benefits  conferred  on  this  city  by  the  said  Agias. 

Scala  too  is  increasing  and  growing  daily,  not  only  as  concerns  its  buildings,  but  in 
the  civility  and  moral  development  of  its  inhabitants :  their  manners  are  becoming  sociable, 
affable,  and  pleasant.  Already  three  ensigns,  one  Imperial,  one  Royal,  and  one  senatorial, 
float  in  the  air  over  the  houses  of  Consuls  of  native  birth. 

The  one  monument  of  antiquity  still  standing  in  Scala  is  the  church  of  the  righteous 


COXSTANTIUS. 


315 


Lazarus.  The  Gothic  architecture  testifies  to  its  erection  under  the  Greek  rulers  of  the  island. 
Under  the  Holy  Table  is  the  tomb  of  the  first  bishop  of  the  church  of  Cition,  \vith  a  Hebrew- 
inscription  on  the  side  towards  the  wall,  "  Lazarus,  the  four  days  dead,  and  friend  of  Christ." 
And  here  my  heart  cannot  express  all  its  gratitude  to  the  leading  families  in  Larnaca  and 
Scala,  and  to  sundry  of  Leucosia,  for  the  kindness,  attention  and  hospitality  showered  on  me 
throughout  my  brief  stay  in  Scala,  in  return  for  which  I  shall  never  cease  with  reiterated 
praise  to  publish  the  gratitude  which  my  feelings  towards  them  will  always  keep  alive  and 
ardent. 

After  passing  Cape  Kiti  there  is  no  other  sea  coast  town  till  you  reach  Amathus,  whose 
huge  ruins  ai*e  seen  not  far  from  Lemesos.  Here  was  once  a  very  famous  city,  one  of  the  first 
in  the  island,  but  chiefly  remarkable  for  its  temple  of  Adonis  and  Aphrodite,  where  was 
treasured  (according  to  Pausanias  in  his  Boeofica,  IX.  41)  a  necklace  of  emeralds  linked 
together  with  gold,  the  work  of  Hephiestus,  and  given  by  him  to  Harmonia.  It  was  called 
Amathus  from  Amathus,  son  of  Heracles,  or  (according  to  Stephanos  Byzantios)  from 
Amathusa,  mother  of  Cinyras.  Amathus  too  was  destroyed,  and  lies  a  ruin,  like  Paphos, 
Idalia,  and  many  other  famous  and  charming  cities  of  the  island.  Their  beauty  is  changed 
into  unseemly  chaos,  and  their  remains  call  forth  only  sad  memories  of  their  former  splendour. 

lieyond  the  site  of  Amathus  is  Ncmesos,  now  called  corruptly  Lemesos.  This  town  is 
no  longer  what  it  was,  a  populous  and  thriving  connnercial  centre,  but  ranks  among  seaport 
towns  next  after  Scala ;  it  is  largely  frequented  by  strangers,  and  has  an  excellent  market 
for  wine,  cotton,  silk  and  other  island  produce.  The  country  around  is  fertile,  but  wants 
better  cultivation.  But  this  needs  men  who  are  fond  of  toil,  and  the  hardworking  Cypriots 
leave  their  country  every  day  to  seek  other  lands  with  fewer  troubles  and  taxes.  The  air  of 
Lemesos  is  hot  and  unwholesome  in  summer,  on  account  of  the  exhalations  of  the  salt  lake 
which  is  not  far  off .  Its  inhabitants  are  industrious,  apt  at  commerce,  and  remarkably  subtle 
in  what  concerns  tlieir  profit;  save  a  few  well-bred  persons  most  of  them  can  only  ape  the 
very  imperfect  manners  of  their  betters. 

After  Nemesos  comes  the  bare  promontory  of  Curias,  now  called  Cape  della  Gata :  then 
the  ruins  of  Curiou,  one  of  tlio  chief  cities  of  Cyprus,  founded  by  Argives.  Then  Episcopi, 
whose  .soil  is  as  fertile  as  any:  water  abounds,  and  grain,  oil,  fruits  of  all  kinds,  cotton  and 
silk  are  its  chief  riches.    Here  was  once  a  temple  of  Apollo,  and  its  ruins  are  still  visible. 

After  Pjpiscopi  is  old  Paphos  (Palaipaphos)  founded  by  Cinyras,  a  King  of  the  SjTians. 
It  lies  about  ten  stadia  from  the  sea,  has  a  harbour  and  an  ancient  temple  dedicated  to  the 
Paphian,  because  here  first  she  rose  from  the  foam,  and  so  took  her  name  of  Paphia.  Here 
she  was  worshipped  in  a  peculiar  way,  on  bloodless  altars,  with  the  odours  of  the  sweetest 
flowers,  and  the  fragrance  of  all  the  incense  which  the  land  of  the  Saba^ans  sent.  Therein 
was  the  oracle  of  the  goddess,  very  famous,  whither  flocked  from  all  parts  crowds  of  men 
blinded  by  their  hopes.  New  Paphos,  the  creation  of  Agapenor,  is  (m  the  shore,  sixty  stadia 
from  Palaipaphos.  It  had  a  harbour  and  temples  richly  adorned.  Here  dwelt  Sergius 
Paulus  the  proconsul,  and  Elymas  the  sorcerer.  The  sudden  blinding  of  the  latter  opened 
the  eyes  of  the  mind  of  the  former  to  the  knowledge  of  (rod's  truth.  After  Pai)hos  comes 
Acamas,  a  cape  of  that  name,  now  called  Cape  S.  Kpiphaneius,  and  a  village  once  called 
Leukylla,  now  Levkai,  full  of  fruit-bearing  trees. 

Solo\is  was  once  a  city,  now  Solaia.  Strabo  saj-s  it  was  founded  by  Phaleros  and  Acamas, 
Athenians;  but  by  Achilles  Tatios  the  Alexandrian,  who  wrote  the  story  of  Leucippe  and 
Cleriophon,  and  about  the  heavenly  spheres  and  other  matters,  and  who  became  later  a 
Christian  and  a  bishop,  it  is  ascribed  to  Cyprianor,  one  of  the  nine  petty  Kings  of  Cyi^rus,  to 

40—2 


316 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


whom  tlie  wise  Solon  gave  counsel.  Cyprianor  called  the  town  after  his  name,  and  Solon  in 
return  touched  his  lyre,  and  sang  to  him  these  lines : — 

Long  may'st  thou  rule  them  both,  new  town,  and  land  of  thy  fathers ; 

Town  that  shall  bear  my  name,  land  that  thine  own  shall  recall! 
Happy  and  famed  be  thine  islel    But  me  o'er  the  great  windy  waters 

Swift  ships  bear  to  obey  bests  of  the  Cyprian  Queen. 

Here  was  a  temple  of  Aphrodite  and  Isis.  Hence  came  Stasanor,  one  of  the  companions 
of  Alexander,  who  became  himself  a  ruler.  Hence  too  sprung  the  learned  poet  Aratos,  who 
flourished  under  Antigonos,  son  of  Demetrios  Poliorcetes.  He  exactly  imitated  Hesiod,  and 
composed  works  about  the  aspects  of  the  sky,  about  Homer  and  his  Iliad,  about  osteology 
and  medicine,  and  other  poems. 

Next  is  the  point  of  Crommyon,  called  Carmasiki,  and  opposite  it,  at  no  great  distance 
in  Cilicia  Tracheia,  is  Anemourion. 

Then  Lapidos,  an  ancient  city  built  by  Laconians,  which  had  a  harbour  and  docks.  It 
was  styled  by  the  Latins  amabilis,  or  the  lovable,  on  account  of  the  wonderful  beauty  of  its 
situation.    Vestiges  of  stately  buildings  are  still  seen  there. 

Kyrineia,  Kyrine,  Keronia  or  Keraunia,  a  town  with  a  small  fort  and  a  tiny  harbour, 
has  nothing  to  show  but  ruins,  signs  of  its  former  splendour.  It  was  built  by  the  great  Cyrus, 
King  of  the  Persians,  after  he  had  overcome  the  nine  Kings  of  Cyprus. 

Next  after  Kyrineia  came  Aphrodision  or  Idalia,  a  city  famous  for  its  grove  sacred  to 
Aphrodite,  in  which  was  the  temple  Aphrodision,  dedicated  to  the  goddess  whom  the 
Phoenicians  worshipped  there  under  the  name  of  Astarte.  The  grove  was  called  in 
Phoenician  Idalach,  the  place  of  the  goddess,  whence  Idalion.  There  grew  in  it  the  sweet 
herb  amaracus,  which  the  French  call  marjolaine,  the  Italians  marjorana,  of  whose  sweet 
savour  Vergil  sings  (^n.  I.  691 — 4), 

Over  the  limbs  of  her  Ascan  the  tranquil  waters  of  sleep 
Venus  bestows,  then  bears  him  to  gi'oves  on  Idalia's  steep. 
Lulled  on  her  bosom.    Beneath  him  a  yielding  amaracus  laid 
Folds  him  in  bright-hued  flowers  and  in  fragrant  bowery  shade. 

From  this  plant  is  made  the  oil  or  ointment  called  by  its  name.  The  Cyprian  amaracus 
was  thought  by  the  ancients  to  be  the  sweetest  of  all.  They  hold  it  to  be  deadly  to  scorpions. 
The  hog,  that  mud-loving,  filthiest  of  creatures,  avoids  its  scent. 

Achaion  Acte,  where  Teucer  and  his  companions  landed.  Then  Carpasia,  one  of  the 
most  notable  cities  of  the  island,  where  Philo,  the  commentator  of  the  Scriptures,  was  bishop. 
As  a  deacon  he  was  at  Rome,  in  the  train  of  Pulcheria,  the  sister  of  Arcadius  and  Honorius. 
There  she  fell  sick,  and  learning  that  Grod  healed  the  sick  by  the  hand  of  Epiphaneios,  bishop 
of  Constantia,  Philo  was  sent  to  bring  the  saint  to  Rome.  He  came  to  Cyprus,  and  following 
a  revelation  from  above,  Epiphaneios  about  A.D.  401  consecrated  him  bishop  of  Carpasia,  and 
being  himself  about  to  sail  for  Rome  left  Philo  in  charge  of  the  church  of  Constantia. 

Of  the  cities  of  the  interior,  the  largest  and  most  remarkable  is  Leucosia  or  Nicosia, 
a  famous  city,  the  capital  of  the  island.  In  it  resides  the  archbishop  of  Cyprus  and  the 
Governor  of  the  island,  just  as  it  was  the  royal  residence  of  the  former  Kings.  Their 
palaces,  once  distinguished  for  architectural  beauty,  have  suffered  that  ruin  and  disgrace 
which  has  destroyed  all  its  ancient  buildings.  The  stately  church  called  S.  Sophia,  in  which 
the  Latin  Kings  of  Cyprus  were  crowned,  has  suffered  the  same  change  and  is  now  a  Turkish 
mosque.    The  situation  of  the  city  is  charming,  wells  and  springs  and  verdant  orchards 


CONSTANTIUS. 


317 


abound.  Its  circuiiiforeiice  is  more  than  four  miles.  The  country  round  is  wonderfully 
fertile,  wanting  only  the  hands  of  freemen  to  resume  the  flourishing  state  of  which  it  is 
so  capable.  I  can  speak  only  in  this  cursory  way  of  this  famous  city,  and  only  judge  its 
inhabitants  by  coupling  them  with  those  of  Larnaca,  whose  praise  I  sang  but  lately.  For 
I  did  not  see  Nicosia.  At  the  moment  I  touched  in  my  journey  at  Scala  the  island  was  con- 
vulsed by  an  insurrection,  and  the  capital  besieged  by  the  Imperial  Legate  Ahmed  Pasha. 
Its  Christian  inhabitants  suffered  s(n-ely,  together  with  their  venerable  Archbishop,  at  the 
hands  of  the  rebels  within,  who  committed  with  imi^unity  all  kinds  of  horriljle  excesses.  But 
those  whom  we  saw,  and  with  whom  we  enjoyed  familiar  intercourse,  themselves  supplied  the 
testimony  of  many  witnesses,  and  I  acknowledge  their  merits,  just  as  one  finger  gives  the 
proportions  of  a  statue,  or  as  one  judges  of  a  rich  garment  by  the  hem. 

Among  the  remaining  towns  of  the  interior  the  chief  are,  first  Kythrea  or  Kythereia,  still 
adorned  with  pleasant  orchards,  and  watered  by  many  a  pure  stream ;  while  human  industry 
has  used  to  the  best  advantage  the  bounty  of  nature. 

Tamasia,  an  ancient  and  once  famous  city :  Trimethous,  to  which  its  godly  and  wonder- 
working bishop  Spiridon  has  given  renown — the  saint  who  with  the  simplicity  of  God-inspired 
wisdom  overthrew  the  philosopher  priding  himself  on  the  tortuous  dexterity  of  his  fatuous 
learning.  He  lies  in  Corfu,  as  though  he  were  alive,  his  Hesh  being  still  fresh  and  soft  after 
1380  years,  a  wonder  to  those  who  touch  and  adore. 

Morphoi  with  an  ancient  church  dedicated  to  S.  Mamas,  a  shrine  rich  in  miraculous 
cures,  worked  daily  by  the  saint  upon  faithful  pilgrims. 

Levkara,  where  is  a  fragment  of  the  Cross,  which  exhales  a  strange  yet  unspeakably 
pleasant  odour,  and  works  many  miracles  for  its  devout  worshippers. 

Omodos,  a  small  village,  but  well  known  for  its  Monastery  of  the  Holy  Cross,  in  which  is 
preserved  a  fragment  of  the  precious  rope  with  which  ungrateful  men  bound  Christ,  here 
called  the  Ti/ttios  Ka'i  aySo?. 

The  most  celebrated  monastery  in  the  island  is  that  of  Kykko,  so  well  known  fur  its 
wonder-working  portrait  of  the  Mother  of  (Jod,  the  work,  it  is  said,  of  S.  Luke.  The  face  is 
covered,  and  not  to  be  seen  of  men.  We  say  no  more,  nor  of  all  known  miracles  is  there  one 
we  could  compare  with  this  unspeakable  mysteiy.  Let  so  much  suffice  concerning  things 
that  pass  our  understanding,  that  to  an  island  so  close  as  this  is  to  Jerusalem,  in  which  city 
were  wrought  all  the  mysteries  of  our  salvation,  many  precious  relics  of  the  Passion,  and  the 
like  sacred  treasure,  were  brought  over  by  the  Apostles  and  their  disciple.s,  and  other 
righteous  men  in  the  first  age  of  the  Church,  and  given  to  the  Cypriots,  whose  church 
was  founded  so  soon  after  that  of  the  Holy  City.  1  may  quote  as  examples  the  piece  of  the 
Cross  still  preserved  at  Levkara,  the  precious  rope,  the  Hebrew  origiiud  of  the  Gospel  of 
8.  Matthew,  to  which  the  Orthodox  Church  of  Cyprus  owes  its  autonomy.  The  remains  of  the 
Apostle  Barnabas,  and  the  righteous  Lazarus,  with  other  remarkable  relics  were  formerly 
treasured  in  the  island.  Some  of  them  were  carried  off  to  Constantinople  by  the  Greek 
Emperors,  others  the  Latin  rulers  of  Cyprus  got  into  their  hands,  and  transferred  thera  to 
their  own  temples. 

We  need  not  dwell  on  the  poisonous  serpents,  the  tarantulas  and  other  venomous  insects. 
It  is  enough  to  say  that  the  greatest  curse  of  Cyprus  is  the  barbarous  and  ungovernable 
temper  of  the  islanders,  ever  ready  for  rebellion,  and  to  arm  themselves,  not  in  any  noble 
cause,  but  for  the  ruin  and  destruction  of  their  unhappy  country. 

These  then  are  our  ideas  about  Cyprus,  wliich  follow  as  a  proper  pendant  to  our  personal 
observations — ideas  which  I  do  not  expect  to  have  weight,  except  with  philosophers.  But 


318 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


philosophy,  we  know,  is  generally  out  of  touch  with  men's  ideas,  and  is  often  diametrically 
opposed  to  the  interests  and  combinations  of  political  craft :  with  these  last  I  am  not  familiar. 
I  know  no  other  interests  but  those  of  down- trodden  humanity,  a  wisdom  early  acquired,  for 
I  find  it  innate  in  our  inmost  heart. 

A  SYNOPSIS  OF  THE  ANCIENT  POLITICAL  CONDITION  OF  CyPKUS  UP  TO  ITS  CAPTURE  BY 

THE  Turks. 

We  have  given  a  concise  account  of  the  geography  of  an  island  which  was  first 
discovered  by  the  Phoenicians.  Its  government  was  monarchical,  divided  between  nine 
Kings,  each  independent  of  the  rest.  This  arrangement  obtained  until  the  days  of  Cyrus  the 
Grreat,  who  overcame  all  these  Kinglets,  and  made  them  tributary  to  the  Kingdom  of  Persia. 
They  bore  this  dishonourable  yoke  until  the  reign  of  Darius,  son  of  Hystaspes,  when  they  all 
revolted,  at  the  instigation  of  the  chief  among  them,  Onesilaus,  King  of  Salamis.  After  this 
he  and  his  successors  by  force  of  arms  ruled  over  the  other  Kinglets.    Their  names  were 


The  founder  of  Salamis  and  its  first  King,  B.C.  1170,  was  Teucer,  son  of  Telamon,  who 
distinguished  himself  in  the  Trojan  war.  He  was  driven  away  by  his  father,  and  at  last 
found  refuge  in  Cyprus,  where  he  built  Salamis.  But  before  he  and  his  companions  reached 
these  shores,  Phoenician  Kings  had  already  reigned  there,  among  whom  was  Cinyros,  grand- 
son of  Pygmalion,  and  father  of  the  well  beloved  Adonis.  The  successors  of  Teucer  are 
unknown  to  history,  until  Evelthon,  who  in  B.C.  525  made  himself  tributary  to  the  Egyptians, 
and  afterwards  to  the  Persians,  and  sent  men,  money  and  ships  in  aid  of  the  expedition  led 
by  Cambyses  against  Egypt.  About  B.C.  466,  in  the  reign  of  the  first  Evagoras,  the 
Athenians  appointed  Cimon,  the  son  of  Miltiades,  their  general,  and  bade  him  sail  to  Cyprus. 
He  reached  the  island  with  a  strong  force,  fought  bravely  by  sea  and  land,  and  set  up 
trophies  of  his  victory  over  the  Persians. 

After  the  death  of  its  gallant  defender  Cimon,  Cyprus  remained  independent  and  at 
peace  until  the  days  of  Artaxerxes  Memnon,  B.C.  383,  when  it  again  submitted  to  the  Persian 
yoke ;  Evagoras  was  expelled,  and  replaced  by  the  dynast  Protagoras,  who  made  terms  with 
the  Persians,  and  reigned  quietly  at  Salamis.  Under  Evagoras  II.  the  island  took  up  arms,  in 
alliance  with  the  Egyptians,  against  Artaxerxes,  but  failed  to  change  their  lot.  About 
B.C.  351  the  Cypriots  made  another  unsuccessful  attempt  at  revolt.  Evagoras  II.  was  expelled 
by  Artaxerxes  Ochus,  who  gave  him  the  government  of  an  Asiatic  province.  He  administered 
this  also  badly,  and  fled  again  to  Cyprus,  where  he  was  caught  and  punished. 

After  the  overthrow  of  the  Persian  Empire  by  Alexander  Cyprus  became  subject  to  the 
Macedonians,  then  to  the  Egyptian  Ptolemys,  and  to  the  Macedonian  Kings  of  Syria;  at  last 
Demetrios  Poliorcetes,  son  of  Antigonos,  overcame  Ptolemy,  and  brought  the  whole  island 
under  his  father's  rule.  About  B.C.  56  Cyprus  fell  under  the  Romans.  Cato,  the  Consul, 
sent  thither  by  the  Senate,  collected  and  despatched  to  Rome  immense  treasures  of  silver, 


Teucer 

Euelthon 

Siromes 

Cherses 

Grorgos 


Evagoras  I. 

Protagoras,  the  Dynast 
Nicocreon 

Nicocles  I.,  son  of  Timarchos 
Evagoras  II. 
Nicocles  II. 
Evagoras  III. 


Onesilaos 

Neicocrates 

Timarchos 


CONST  AXTI  us. 


319 


little  less  than  six  thousand  talents.  Fearing  the  length  of  the  voyage  from  Cyprus  to  the 
coast  of  Italy,  he  constructed  a  number  of  cases,  each  holding  two  talents  and  five  hundred 
drachmai :  to  each  case  he  bound  a  cord,  and  at  the  end  of  the  cord  a  large  cork,  so  that  were 
the  vessel  to  break  up  the  cork  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  sea  would  show  the  position  of 
the  cases. 

Cyprus  had  shaken  off  her  tyrants,  or  changed  her  masters,  and  was  henceforth  governed 
by  men  of  consular  dignity,  or  senators.  The  profound  wisdom  and  foresight  of  the  Ronums, 
duly  considering  the  populousne-ss  and  prosperity  of  the  island,  never  committed  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  whole  to  a  single  senator  or  governor.  And  they  made  a  deci-ee,  punishing 
with  death  any  Roman  invested  with  military  or  political  office,  who  should  approach  the 
island  without  the  consent  and  authority  of  the  Senate. 

Rome,  illuminated  at  last  by  the  divine  light  of  truth,  changed  her  faith,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  seat  of  Empire,  and  established  herself,  not  perhaps  without  regret,  on  the  pleasant 
.shores  of  the  Bosphorus.  The  Greek  Emperors  who  reigned  in  this  new  and  rival  Rome  ruled 
Cyprus  through  Dukes. 

Under  HeracHus  the  Greek  arms  were  worsted,  and  the  Saracens,  taking  advantage  of 
their  carelessness,  seized  the  island,  under  the  leadership  of  Abu  Bakr,  called  also  Mu'awiyah. 
Later  still  Basil  the  Macedonian  constituted  it  the  fifteenth  Theme,  and  sent  over  his  famous 
general  Alexander,  who  held  it  for  seven  years,  when  it  was  again  wrested  from  him  by  the 
Saracens.  Yet  again  it  was  swept  into  the  net  of  the  Empire,  and  remained  under  a  Greek 
administration  up  to  the  days  of  the  tyrant  Andronicos.  During  his  reign,  about  A.D.  1180, 
a  certain  Isaac  Comnenos,  a  relation  of  Andronicos  but  a  rebel  to  the  Empire,  conceived 
a  passion  for  ruling  by  himself,  and  sailed  away  to  Cyprus.  At  first  he  made  a  show  of 
legality,  and  exhibited  to  the  Cypriots  Imperial  rescripts,  and  forged  orders.  His  ^^^cked 
schemes  fully  answered  his  hopes,  and  he  became  easily  master  of  the  island.  But  in  no  long 
while  the  villain  .showed  himself  the  tyrant  he  was,  and  bore  himself  towards  his  wretched 
subjects  with  an  atrocity  of  which  no  former  ruler  liad  been  guilty.  This  Isaac,  like 
a  spiteful  Jinn,  an  angry  sea,  a  mad  fury,  daily  guilty  of  numberless  crimes,  stained  with 
innocent  blood,  raging  to  torment  and  destroy,  defiled  with  adulterous  lusts,  a  ravisher  and 
fiend,  stripped  the  prosperous  of  their  goods,  left  the  wealthy  nobles  bare  and  starving,  ruin- 
ing without  show  of  cause  men  who  before  were  held  in  high  esteem,  if  he  had  not  in  his 
passion  already  slain  them  with  the  sword. 

About  the  year  1 191  Richard,  King  of  the  English,  who  was  leading  by  sea  an  expedition 
against  the  Saracens,  who  held  Palestine  and  had  sacked  Jerusalem,  touched  on  his  way  at 
Cyprus,  and  took  possession  of  it.  He  caught  this  tj-rant,  this  inhuman  and  insatiable 
destroyer  of  the  island,  and  at  fir.st  kept  him  in  bonds ;  afterwards  he  drove  the  wretch  from 
the  island,  and  gave  him,  like  a  slave  fit  for  the  scourge,  to  some  Englishman.  But  the  filthy 
Centaur  got  free  from  his  chains,  and  like  a  venomous  snake  or  blood-sucking  beast  began  to 
cherish  his  old  passion  for  tyranny.  But  by  the  divine  mercy,  while  in  the  midst  of  his 
.schemes,  the  curse  of  Cyprus  gave  up  the  ghost,  and  was  numbered  among  the  tyrants  whom 
the  hand  of  God  has  struck  down. 

When  the  aforenamed  King  of  England  reached  Cyprus  the  wretched  islanders,  trodden 
down  by  the  brutal  Isaac,  welcomed  the  English  as  so  many  heaven-sent  saviours.  The  poor 
things  little  knew  that  they  had  escaped  the  wolf  to  fall  into  the  jaws  of  tlie  bear;  for  this 
very  Richard,  who  was  thirsting  to  redeem  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  warred  manifestly  against 
Christ  when  he  robbed  and  stripped,  like  some  bloodthirsty  beast,  tlu'  whole  of  the  island. 
Later  he  sailed  away  to  Palestine,  leaving  behind  him  a  garrison,  as  though  the  country  was 


\ 


320 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


his  own,  and  sending  transports  to  exact  a  supply  of  victuals.    Finally  he  sold  it  to  those 
arrogant  and  vicious  Knights  Templar  for  200  litras  of  gold  :  and  they  in  turn  sold  it  to  Gruy 
de  Lusignan,  who  was  seeking  compensation  for  the  loss  of  his  own  throne  in  Palestine. 
The  Latin  Kings  who  ruled  in  Cyprus  were  these  : — 


The  house  of  Lusignan  kept  the  throne  of  Cyprus  for  232  years,  until  the  time  of  Jacques 
the  bastard.  Jean  III.  died,  leaving  his  daughter  Charlotte  heir  to  his  crown.  She  married 
Louis,  Count  of  G-enoa,  second  son  of  the  Duke  of  Savoy;  but  her  bastard  brother  Jacques, 
forgetting  the  irregularity  of  h^s  birth,  revolted  against  his  sister,  drove  her  from  the  throne, 
assumed  the  royal  crown  and  mantle,  and  was  proclaimed  king  by  the  soldiery  and  nobles. 
Not  long  after  he  married  Catherina,  daughter  of  Mark  Cornaro,  a  Venetian,  and  died.  She 
bore  a  posthumous  son,  called  also  Jacques,  who  died  when  scarcely  two  years  old.  Catherina 
was  compelled  to  confer  on  the  Venetians  the  sovereignty  of  Cyprus,  although  Charlotte  was 
still  living,  and  lawful  heir  to  the  throne.  She  had  taken  refuge  at  Rome,  and  died  there 
about  1487,  leaving  an  empty  title  to  the  Kings  of  Sardinia,  who  still  bear  the  useless 
addition  of  Kings  of  Cyprus. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  at  length  the  spiritual  and  bodily  sufferings  of  this 
pious  people  under  the  Latin  rule.  Force,  sophistry,  threats  were  daily  used  against  the 
Orthodox :  they  were  daily  oppressed,  and  their  clergy  harassed.  Some  of  the  bishops 
and  priests  were  driven  into  heterodoxy :  others,  like  Archbishop  Esaias,  fled  into  far  lands : 
others  again,  who  refused  to  conform,  like  the  Archbishop  Neophytus,  were  banished. 
Moreover  they  compelled  the  priests  and  monks,  with  their  congregations,  to  conform  to  the 
Latin  rite,  and  communicate  Avith  them,  and  to  acknowledge  the  Pope.  Those  who  submitted 
were  left  at  peace,  the  recusants  were  openly  chastised  with  bonds  and  imprisonment.  Some 
they  tied  to  the  tails  of  horses,  which  dragged  them  over  rough  and  rocky  places  till  they 
died.  The  chief  men  of  the  island  were  burnt  on  a  huge  pile,  and  earned  by  their  constancj'- 
to  the  Truth  the  crown  of  martyrdom :  among  whom  was  the  Very  Reverend  Abbot  of 
Toupoi,  loannes. 

The  Venetian  Senate  ruled  Cyprus  till  1571,  in  which  year  began  another  era  of  slavery, 
when  the  island,  once  so  fertile,  became  a  part  of  the  Empire  of  the  Ottoman  Sultan,  Selim  IL 

Concerning  sundry  wise  men,  distinguished  for  virtue  and  learning,  who 

ADORNED  THIS  ISLAND  AFTER  THE  BIRTH  OF  ChRIST. 

Barnabas,  the  Apostle.    Read  his  life. 
Spyi'idon,  the  wonder-worker,  likeAvise. 

John,  called,  from  the  lavish  alms  he  bestowed  on  the  needy,  the  merciful,  born  in 
Amathus.    After  the  death  of  his  wife  and  children,  about  A.D.  601,  he  was,  for  the  holiness 


1191  Guy 


1194  Amaury 
1205  Hugues  I. 
1218  Henri  1. 
1253  Hugues  II, 


1267  Hugues  III. 


1284  Jean  1. 

1285  Henri  II. 


1315  Hugues  IV. 
1352  Pierre  I. 


1371  Pierre  II. 
1383  Jacques 
1410  Jean  IL 
1431  Jean  III. 

1458  Charlotte  (crowned  and 
expelled  about  1467) 

Jacques  (the  bastard,  died 
about  1473) 

Jacques  (the  child,  died 
about  1475) 


CONSTAXTICS. 


of  his  life,  made  against  liis  will  Aix-hbishop  of  Alexandria.  Such  was  the  cliarity  of  this 
saintly  and  benevolent  man  towards  the  poor  that  one  day  when  he  returned  home  weeping 
and  wailing,  and  his  friend  Sophronios  asked  him  the  reason,  he  replied,  "To-day,  for  my 
many  sins,  I  have  been  unable  to  offer  anything  to  my  Lord  Christ."  It  was  he  first  who 
frustrated  the  addition  to  the  hymn  Trisagion.  When  the  Arabs  invaded  Egypt  he  retired 
to  his  mother  country,  and  lived  there  in  peace  until  616,  when  at  the  age  of  57  he  gave  up 
his  saintly  soul  to  God. 

Neophytus,  the  monk  or  anchorite,  a  native  of  the  island,  who  flourished  about  1222. 
He  was  chosen  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  but  was  expelled  by  the  Latins.  A  few  short  sermons 
for  certain  Sundays  and  holy  days  survive  him. 

George,  a  Cypriot  who  flourished  about  1283,  was  Patriarch  of  Constantinople  under 
Andronicos  the  Elder,  in  whose  palace  he  had  been  a  chaplain.  A  remarkable  orator,  who 
restored  in  his  writings  the  lofty  rhythm  of  the  Hellenic  tongue,  and  its  Attic  purity,  which 
had  been  so  long  buried  in  oblivion,  and  by  his  taste  and  care  gave  it  new  light  and  life. 
Anxious  for  a  life  of  quiet  he  put  aside  honours  and  dignities,  and  sought  rest  first  in  a  con- 
vent of  the  "  Guides,"  and  then  in  that  of  S.  Andreas,  where  in  no  long  time  he  died. 

Hilarion  Kigallas,  another  Cypriot,  flourished  about  1660.  He  studied  at  Venice  and 
Padua,  and  excelled  in  Latin  and  Italian  learning.  While  yet  a  monk,  happening  to  be  in 
Jerusalem  he  was  of  much  use  to  Nectarios  of  Sinai,  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  who  was  writing 
against  the  authority  of  the  Pope,  as  the  interpreter  of  several  Latin  Fathers  of  ^veight.  Then 
he  became  Archbishop  of  Cyprus.  He  wrote  a  (ireek  grammar,  and  while  he  was  at  Constan- 
tinople, and  writing  about  the  fixity  of  the  Paschal  Feast,  death  overtook  him. 

Philip,  Protosyncellos  of  the  Great  Church,  was  the  compatriot  and  contemporary  of 
Kigallas  :  a  learned  man,  and  not  without  prudence,  who  assisted  at  the  two  Synods  at  Con- 
stantinople which  condemned  the  Luthero-Calvinistic  confession.  He  wrote  a  Chronicle  in 
Greek  and  Latin  of  the  Patriarchs  of  Constantinople  do^vn  to  1639. 

Esaias,  the  Cypriot,  a  strict  monk,  from  whose  hand  there  survives  in  print  a  letter 
to  NicolaoH  Clengias.  He  was  the  founder  of  the  royal  and  autonomous  Monastery  of  Kykko, 
and  lived  as  a  hermit  on  the  mountains  around  it  in  the  days  of  Alexios  Comnenos.  By  his 
prayers  he  r(>lieved  Manu(>l  Boutoinetes,  the  Governor  of  the  island,  from  a  lethargic  affec- 
tion, and  enjoined  upon  him  by  all  means  to  bring  to  Cyprus  the  picture  of  the  Mother  of  (iod 
preserved  in  the  Imperial  Palace,  being  one  of  three  painted  by  the  Apostle  Luke,  for  such 
was  the  will  of  the  Lord,  and  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  And  while  he  was  in  Constantinople  it 
happened  that  the  daughter  of  the  Emperor  fell  sick  of  a  lethargy,  which  gave  to  Boiitoiuetes 
an  opportunity  to  tell  Alexios  what  the  hermit  Esaias  had  enjoined  him.  Xor  in  any 
other  way  could  the  Princess  be  healed  ;  and  at  length  the  Emperor,  warned  by  a  vision, 
gave  his  consent,  and  sent  to  the  saint  on  an  imperial  vessel,  and  with  imperial  rescripts,  the 
now  wonder-working  picture.  Having  attained  his  desire,  with  money  received  from  the 
Emperor  through  the  Duke  of  Cyprus,  Esaias  built  the  holy  monastery  on  the  mount  Kokkos, 
now  called  Kykkos. 


0. 


41 


322 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


LOPEZ. 

P.  Joan  Lopez,  born  1730,  a  Franciscan  and  Missioner  in  Syria  and  Palestine,  whence  he  returned  to 
die  as  President  of  a  convent  at  Vich  in  1798.  From  his  Peregrinacid  a  Jerusalem,  pjD.  124 — 126,  published 
in  1900  from  a  Catalan  MS.  in  the  public  library  of  Barcelona,  I  translate  his  Breu  Descripcio  de  la  Insula 
de  Xipre. 

The  island  of  Cyprus  is  the  nearest  to  the  Holy  Land,  and  as  I  read  in  an  old  book  it  was 
at  one  time  a  continent,  joined  to  Sidon,  Beirut  and  Tyre  and  the  rest  of  the  land  of  Syria, 
and  a  terrible  earthquake  made  it  an  island.  On  the  side  which  looks  towards  Cilicia  or 
Caramania  it  is  very  near  the  mainland,  so  that  the  people  on  the  other  shore  can  be  seen ; 
but  on  the  side  towards  Syria  and  Africa  there  is  much  water  between  it  and  the  mainland. 
The  island  is  three  or  four  days'  journey  in  length,  and  two  in  breadth.  It  has  in  its  midst 
a  fair  city  called  Nicosia,  which  is  the  capital  of  the  kingdom,  well  walled,  with  its  fine  gates, 
which  are  three,  to  Avit  the  gate  of  Paffo,  of  Famagusta,  and  Cirina.  That  of  Famagusta  is 
most  beautiful,  and  in  my  judgment  the  city  of  Barcelona  has  none  to  match  it.  In  the 
middle  of  the  city  is  the  cathedral,  a  magnificent  building,  made  into  a  mosque  for  the  Turks. 
The  island  has  other  cities  such  as  Famagusta,  Cirina,  Llimasso,  and  although  1' Arnica  is  no 
city  yet  it  is  better  known  than  the  other  cities,  because  the  consuls  live  there  and  other 
European  merchants.  The  most  famous  mountains  are  those  of  Paffo  towards  the  south, 
those  of  the  goddess  Venus  towards  the  north,  the  rest  are  not  very  high.  The  towns  and 
villages  are  many,  those  which  I  visited  were  the  villages  of  Azomatos,  Carpasia,  Cornegiti 
and  Citrea,  the  last  is  the  most  delightful  and  pleasant  of  all,  full  of  trees  and  streams  which 
come  from  two  sources  :  the  volume  of  each  is  equal  to  the  girth  of  two  men.  These  villages 
belong  to  Maronite  Christians.  Venice  held  the  island  for  a  long  time,  then  the  Grand  Turk 
seized  it,  and  still  you  may  see  cannons  on  the  walls  with  the  arms  of  Venice.  The  greater 
part  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  island  are  schismatic  Greek  Christians,  a  few  Armenians,  and 
the  remaining  Christians  are  Catholic  Maronites.  The  rest  are  Mohammedans.  The  island 
abounds  in  all  things,  especially  wine.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and  if  it  were  not  that  the  Turks 
oppress  the  poor  people  with  so  many  exactions,  victuals  would  be  almost  given  away. 
It  abounds  too  in  serpents,  particularly  asps,  whose  bite  is  incurable  :  they  are  like  snakes  of 
three  palms  in  length,  and  move  very  little.  On  this  account  the  natives  always  wear  very 
stout  boots  throughout  the  year,  and  at  reaping  time  they  put  bells  on  their  sickles,  for  the 
sound  scares  away  every  venomous  beast. 

The  natives  of  Cyprus,  particularly  the  Christians,  live  and  fare  very  much  as  in  Europe 
in  their  dress  and  general  habits,  and  they  enjoy  as  much  liberty  as  in  a  Christian  country, 
without  molestation  from  the  Turks  or  others.  They  use  also  carts  or  wains,  and  the 
Europeans  caleches  and  coaches.  The  Holy  Land  has  here  two  convents  of  the  Greek-speak- 
ing Mission,  these  are  1' Arnica,  a  seaport,  and  Nicosia,  the  capital.  In  this  last  I  lived  a  year, 
from  the  beginning  of  October,  1770,  until  September,  1771.  The  heat  of  the  island  is 
excessive,  and  during  the  summer  by  day  one  can  travel  neither  on  foot  nor  on  horseback, 
but  by  night  only.  The  languages  of  the  natives  are  Greek  and  Turkish,  the  Maronites  know 
Arabic  as  well.  Throughout  the  island  one  never  meets  a  Greek  Christian  who  is  a  Catholic, 
except  only  the  Maronites,  so  it  may  be  said  that  the  Holy  Land  sent  this  mission  here 
"  in  testimonium  fidei."    The  Hospice  at  Nicosia  is  fair  and  pleasant,  with  a  good  garden  near 


LOPEZ.  JOTHXAL. 


323 


the  Paffo  gate  looking  west.  It  is  the  saddest  thing  to  see  the  palaces,  churches,  and  many 
convents,  which  in  part  are  entire,  possessed  by  the  vile  Mohammedan  sect  for  the  sins  of  the 
inhabitants;  since — as  I  read  in  an  old  account  by  a  Dominican  father,  who  was  a  native  of 
the  island,  preserved  in  the  archives  of  this  convent — the  Christians  of  that  time  were  worse 
livers  than  the  Turks,  and  thus  they  lost  it. 

When  I  found  that  there  was  nothing  for  me  to  do  in  Cyprus,  seeing  that  the  only 
Catholics  are  Maronites  who  have  their  own  parish  priests,  I  asked  permission  to  return 
to  Damascus,  where  the  harvest  is  greater  and  the  labourers  fewer,  leaving  this  land  of 
delights  and  liberty,  to  work  in  the  Lord's  vineyard.  So  when  September  1771  came  I  left 
for  I'Arnica  and  there  embarked  with  another  Cantabrian  monk  who  was  going  to  learn 
Arabic  at  Damascus. 


JOURNAL. 

A  small  8vo  volume  of  pp.  15.5,  printed  at  Horsham  in  1784,  contains  "  a  journal  kept  on  a  journey 
from  Bassora  to  Bagdad,  over  the  little  desert  to  Aleppo,  Cyprus,  Rhodes,  Zante,  Corfu,  and  Otranto  in 
Italy  in  the  year  1779,  by  a  Gentleman,  late  an  oflBcer  in  the  service  of  the  Honourable  East  India 
Company."  The  anonymous  author  left  Bassora  March  10  and  reached  Famagusta  June  30.  1779.  On 
July  22  he  continued  his  voyage  to  llhodes,  pp.  115 — 120. 

Cypru.s,  June  30. 

About  sunset  we  anchored  off  the  town  of  Famagusta,  formerly  the  capital  of  this  island, 
when  the  Venetians  had  the  possession  of  it,  at  which  jx-riod  it  was  a  most  beautiful  flourish- 
ing city,  and  remarkable  for  the  .stately  cathedral  churcli,  which  at  present  is  made  use  of  as 
a  Turkish  jnosquo.  The  fortifications  were  certainly  very  strong  and  extensive,  and  main- 
tained a  siege  of  si.x  months  before  the  town  surrendered  to  the  Turks,  who  although  it 
capitulated  with  the  honours  of  war,  cruelly  caused  the  governor  to  be  Head  alive,  and  put  the 
rest  of  the  inhabitants  to  the  sword. 

This  beautiful  ])lace,  once  so  much  admired,  is  now  entirelj^  neglected ;  its  stately  edifices 
are  all  in  ruins,  and  inhabited  by  Creeks.  The  Turkish  governor  has  his  seat  at  the  city  of 
Nicosia  (now  the  metropolis)  in  the  middle  of  the  country.  The  European  merchants  who 
reside  on  this  island  live  at  Larnica,  a  town  about  twenty  miles  distant  from  hence,  which  has 
a  more  convenient  harbour,  and  is  consequently  better  situated  for  traffic. 

^i'hursday,  July  1.  In  the  evening  we  weighed  anchor,  and  sailed  for  Larnica  and 
arrived  about  noon  of  the  2nd  at  the  Marine,  a  mile  distant  from  the  town  ;  we  went 
immediately  on  shore,  and  being  conducted  to  the  Consular  house  found  Mr  Burford  in  a  very 
indifferent  state  of  health,  and  likewise  learned  that  the  Consul  M.  Devezin  had  been  seized 
that  morning  with  a  violent  fever.  He  however  soon  came  out  to  receive  us,  and  gave  us  as 
kind  and  genteel  a  reception  as  could  be  expected  from  a  person  in  his  situation,  and  we  are 
all  accommodated  with  lodgings  at  his  house. 

In  the  evening  we  paid  a  vi.sit  to  Mr  Rizzini,  a  merchant  of  this  place,  and  brother 
to  the  Venetian  Consul  of  Aleppo,  and  also  to  the  lady  of  the  latter,  who  lives  at  present 
at  the  house  of  her  brotli(>r  Mr  Caprara,  the  Venetian  proconsul.  We  met  with  a  very 
polite  reception,  and  found  the  lady  sensible  and  accomplished ;  she  was  very  agreeable 
in  her  person,  but  being  an  Italian,  of  French  education,  she  was  very  partial  to  their 
manners. 

41—2 


324 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Saturday,  July  4.  We  set  apart  this  day  to  view  the  town,  which  consists  of  regular 
streets  and  fine  houses,  belonging  to  the  Consuls  and  merchants  of  different  nations,  and  to 
the  principal  Greeks.  Few  of  the  Turks  live  in  the  town.  It  is  by  no  means  healthily 
situated,  being  surrounded  by  low  lands  and  salt  marshes,  which  considerably  infect  the  air ; 
these  added  to  the  heat  of  the  climate  in  the  summer  season  subject  the  inhabitants  to 
continual  fevers,  that  carry  numbers  of  them  off.  Most  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  island 
are  Greeks,  the  lower  class  of  whom  are  generally  employed  in  tilling  land,  and  dressing  the 
vineyards.  The  island  produces  great  quantities  of  grapes  from  which  excellent  wine  is 
made  and  sent  to  all  parts  of  Europe.  Great  quantities  of  cotton  are  likewise  cultivated  here, 
which  appears  of  a  much  finer  quality  than  any  I  have  ever  seen  in  India.  In  short,  the  soil 
is  exceedingly  luxuriant,  and  the  farmers  would  be  immensely  rich  but  for  the  heavy  taxes 
levied  by  the  Porte,  and  the  rapaciousness  of  the  Turkish  governors,  who  are  continually 
plundering  them  till  they  have  reduced  them  to  a  state  of  wretched  poverty.  Our  time,  for 
about  ten  days,  was  spent  in  one  continued  scene  of  gaiety  and  amusement,  at  the  different 
villas  of  the  European  gentlemen ;  but  we  now  began  to  find  our  healths  much  impaired  by 
the  unwholesomeness  of  the  climate,  and  every  one  of  us  were  seized  with  a  violent  fever, 
which  had  such  an  effect  on  the  head  as  to  render  us  almost  distracted.  The  doctors  advising 
a  change  of  air,  we  removed  to  a  country  house  belonging  to  the  Venetian  Consul,  ten  miles 
from  Larnica,  where  we  remained  a  few  days,  when,  finding  ourselves  getting  worse,  we  were 
obliged  to  return  to  the  town  for  assistance.  Every  medical  attempt  to  establish  our  health 
proving  fruitless,  it  became  necessary  for  us  to  leave  the  island  as  fast  as  possible,  but 
a  French  frigate  coming  into  the  harbour  we  were  obliged  to  be  very  cautious  about  the 
mode  of  our  departure,  for  fear  of  being  made  prisoners.  We  agreed  with  the  captain  of 
a  Sclavonian  vessel,  bound  to  Venice,  for  the  cabin  of  his  ship,  for  which  we  were  to  pay 
sixty  pounds  sterling,  which  though  exorbitant  we  joyfully  gave.  The  French  frigate  sailing 
the  next  day  for  Acria,  we  shipped  on  board  a  proper  quantity  of  provisions,  and  taking  leave 
of  our  good  and  generous  friends  who  had  shown  so  much  civility  during  our  stay  on  the 
island,  on  the  22nd  in  the  evening  we  embarked  on  board  the  vessel,  in  very  infirm  states  of 
health,  and  early  the  next  morning  sailed  out  of  the  harbour.  Our  situation  on  board  was 
truly  deplorable.  We  found  a  very  dirty  vessel,  and  so  crowded  with  cotton  bales  upon  deck 
that  we  had  not  room  to  move  ourselves ;  and  to  complete  our  misfortune  the  captain  and 
crew  spoke  a  language  we  did  not  understand. 

The  island  of  Cyprus  is  situated  on  the  most  easterly  part  of  the  Mediterranean,  sixty 
miles  south  of  the  coast  of  Caramania,  and  thirty  west  of  Syria :  and  is  supposed  to  have 
taken  its  name  from  the  great  number  of  Cyprus  trees  growing  in  the  country.  Its  circum- 
ference is  about  250  miles.  The  air  of  this  country  is  for  the  most  part  hot  and  there  are  but 
few  springs  or  rivers  in  the  island,  so  that  if  the  rains  do  not  fall  plentifully  at  the  usual 
seasons,  the  inhabitants  are  much  distressed  by  the  scarcity  of  water.  Ancient  tradition  says 
the  whole  island  was  consecrated  to  Venus,  and  she  is  represented  by  the  poets  as  taking 
a  particular  pleasure  in  visiting  this  country,  and  to  have  holden  her  court  there.  Be 
this  as  it  may  ;  very  few  of  her  representatives  are  there  to  be  found  at  present.  This  island 
was  conquered  by  Richard  I.,  king  of  England,  on  his  way  to  the  Holy  Land.  The 
trade  is  considerable ;  their  chief  commodities,  besides  wine,  are  oil,  cotton,  salt,  silk,  and 
turpentine. 

For  some  days  past  nothing  particular  has  transpired.  On  the  28th  we  found  we  had 
completely  weathered  the  island,  and  lost  sight  of  land. 


SIBTHOHP. 


325 


SIBTHORP.    LEAKE.    HUME.    SESTINI.  BROWNE. 

In  1818  and  1820  the  Rev.  Robert  Walpole,  M.A.,  edited  from  the  manuscript  journals  of  various  English 
travellers  a  series  of  papers  relating  to  the  nearer  East.  He  proposed  to  collect  information  "  of  an 
original  kind,  and  drawn  from  authentic  sources,"  of  more  importance,  and  in  greater  variety  "  than  we 
can  expect  to  find  in  the  work  of  any  individual."  From  his  two  volumes,  entitled  respectively  Memoirs 
relating  to  Eurojiean  and  Asiatic  Turkey,  4to,  London,  1818,  and  Travels  in  various  countries  in  the 
East,  4to,  London,  1820,  we  reprint  so  much  as  deals  with  Cyprus  of  the  observations  of  five  writers. 

A.  Dr  J.  Sibthorp,  the  editor  of  the  Flora  Grceca,  and  founder  of  a  professorship  of  Rural  Economy  at 
Oxford,  died  1796,  iet.  38.  He  visited  Cyprus  in  1787,  and  collected  notes  and  lists  concerning  the 
natural  history  of  the  island.  He  gave  the  Linnseau  and  Romaic  names  of  the  Birds,  Quadruiwds 
and  Fishes  which  came  under  his  notice,  to  which  we  have  added  the  modern  popular  names,  as 
supplied  to  us  by  a  Cypriot  sportsman.  Our  extracts  are  taken  from  pp.  77 — 83  and  25.'5 — 270  of 
Mr  Walpole's  earlier  volume,  and  i)p.  13 — 27  of  the  Travels  in  the  East. 

B.  Lieut.  Colonel  W.  M.  Leake,  a  well-known  student  of  Greek  topography  and  antiquities,  born  1777, 
died  18(50,  was  in  Cyprus  in  18(K),  crossing  from  Kyrenia  to  Nicosia  and  Laruaca,  and  back  again. 
His  account  of  his  brief  visit  is  extracted  from  Walpole,  Travels,  pp.  243 — 248. 

C.  Dr  Hume  was  in  Cyprus  in  July,  1801.  We  rei)rint  from  Walpole,  Travels,  pp.  246 — 248,  his  impressions 
of  his  visit,  and  from  the  Memoirs,  pp.  253,  2.54,  a  list  of  plants  collected  at  Larnaca  and  Limassol. 

D.  The  Abate  Domenico  Sestini  was  a  cousin  of  Giovanni  Mariti.  known  by  his  Travels  through  the 
Island  of  Cyprus,  Lucca,  1769,  who  inserted  in  his  anonymous  Viaggio  da  Gerusale)nme  per  le  coste 
delta  Soriu,  2  vols.  8vo,  Livorno,  1787,  vol.  ii.  pp.  233 — 23.'5,  a  list  of  plants  observed  by  Sestini  between 
Famagusta  and  Larnaca  in  January  and  February,  1782. 

E.  Mr  William  George  Browne,  of  Oriel  College,  Oxford,  an  Orientalist  of  repute,  born  in  London,  1768, 
and  murdered  between  Tabriz  and  Teheran  in  1813,  was  at  Laruaca  at  tlie  end  of  August,  1802. 
A  very  brief  note  is  copied  from  the  Tra  vels,  p.  140. 

A.  Miirc  li  II,  1787.  At  four  in  tho  aftt'rnoon  wo  sailed  from  the  port  of  Constantinople 
in  the  Bethlehem,  a  Venetian  iiicrcliaiit  ship,  hound  for  Cyprus;  the  weather  stormy;  the 
wind  north,  with  snow... . 

April  8.  Karly  in  the  morning  we  had  a  very  di.stant  view  of  Cyprus.  Our  sailors 
caught  a  small  species  of  lark,  the  Alauda  spinoletta  of  L.,  which  probably  lighted  upon  our 
vessel  in  its  pas.sage.  We  were  bccalnu-d  in  sight  of  Cyprus  the  whole  of  the  ne.xt  day.  We 
shot  the  Cliaradrius  .spinosus  flying  lu-ar  our  ship  ;  this  singular  bird  Linna-us  makes  menticm 
of,  as  an  inhabitant  of  Egypt:  Wheler  saw  it  in  Greece.  We  caught  also  two  species  of 
Motacilla,  the  sylvia  and  trochilus  of  ijinuiuus. 

April  8.  We  anchored  in  the  bay  of  Larnaka  in  Cyprus;  the  consul  being  absent,  we 
engaged  lodgings  at  the  house  of  Sr.  Natali,  an  Italian,  i)leasantly  situated  on  the  beach  at 
the  Salines. 

April  9.  I  walked  out  to  botanise,  along  the  P^astern  Coast,  and  returned  by  Livadia  : 
crops  of  corn  had  been  much  hurt  by  hail  aiul  a  .severe  winter;  the  orange  groves  or  gardens 
were  quite  destroyed. 

April  10,  11.  I  staid  at  home  that  my  painter  might  have  time  to  design  the  plants 
collected  in  my  walk  to  Livadia,  and  several  birds  that  were  shot  by  a  Chasseur  whom  we  had 
employed  as  a  guide.  Our  .situation  at  the  Salines  was  one  of  the  most  favourable  in  the 
island  for  the  botanist  and  ornithologist.  Several  little  pools  invited  a  number  of  Gralla}  to  its 
neighbourhood.   Near  Larnaka  was  one  of  considerable  extent,  and  the  salt  lake  was  scarcely 


326 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  mile  distant.  Cyprus,  situated  between  Asia  and  Africa,  partakes  of  the  production  of  both; 
sometimes  we  noticed  the  birds  and  plants  of  Syria  and  Caramania;  sometimes  those  of 
Egypt.    Many  of  the  Grall^e  we  saw  were  probably  birds  of  passage. 

April  12.  We  made  an  excursion  to  the  mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross.  We  passed  by 
the  aqueduct  of  Larnaca,  and  after  four  hours  ride  over  an  uneven  plain  enlivened  with 
varieties  of  the  Ranunculus  asiaticus,  now  in  flower,  we  dined  under  a  carob  tree.  Several 
little  rivvilets  crossed  the  road,  skirted  with  the  Oleander.  These  were  frequented  by  the 
beautiful  Merops  apiaster,  one  of  which  we  shot.  Numerous  Jack- daws  burrowed  in  the 
holes  of  the  free-stone  rock  near  the  rivulet ;  and  the  Roller,  which  after  short  flights  pitched 
frequently  before  us,  rivalled  the  Merops  in  the  splendour  of  its  colours.  After  dinner  we  lost 
our  way  in  the  mountains  covered  mth  the  Pinus  pinea ;  we  arrived  late  at  a  hamlet  belong- 
ing to  the  convent ;  and  about  one  hour  distant  from  it.  The  ascent  was  steep  and 
difficult;  and  the  sun  set  soon  after  our  arrival.  Disappointed  at  finding  the  convent  quite 
deserted,  and  no  habitation  being  near,  we  resolved  upon  attempting  an  entrance  by  force. 
The  different  instruments  we  had  brought  with  us  of  digging  were  employed :  but  without 
success.  At  length  a  Caloyer  arrived  with  the  key,  and  having  opened  the  door  of  the 
church,  we  discovei^ed  some  straw  mattresses ;  these  were  drawn  before  the  Altar,  and  we  lay 
down  to  repose. 

The  mountain,  a  bluish  grey  argillaceous  rock  thinly  covered  with  earth,  furnished  but 
few  plants ;  a  species  of  Astragalus,  which  I  do  not  find  mentioned  by  Linnaeus,  called  by  the 
Greeks  ayptoKVT^os,  grew  in  abundance.  I  saw  the  Valeriana  tuberosa,  which  is  certainly  the 
mountain-nardus  of  Dioscorides,  on  the  summit,  with  the  Ziziphora  capitata,  and  a  species  of 
Cucubalus  and  Thymus,  neither  of  which  I  find  described.  On  the  walls  of  the  convent 
I  observed  the  golden  Henbane  growing  plentifully. 

[Near  the  convent  of  the  Holy  Cross  I  observed  the  golden  Henbane  in  abundance  :  and 
when  we  had  descended,  a  peasant  brought  me  a  pumpkin  with  water;  it  was  corked  with 
a  bush  of  Poterium  spinosum,  which  served  both  as  a  coverlid  and  a  strainer,  and  prevented 
the  entrance  of  flies  and  other  insects.  It  preserves  in  most  of  the  Greek  islands  its  ancient 
name  Stoi^t?'.  The  stools  on  which  we  sat  were  made  of  the  Ferula  graeca ;  the  stems  cut  into 
slips  and  placed  crossways  were  nailed  together.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important  plants  of 
the  island  in  respect  to  its  economical  uses.  The  stalks  furnish  the  poorer  Cyprian  with 
a  great  part  of  his  household  furniture,  and  the  pith  is  used  instead  of  tinder,  for  conveying 
fire  from  one  place  to  another.  It  is  now  called  vapdr/Ka,  the  ancient  name  somewhat  cor- 
rupted.   Memoirs,  p.  284.] 

April  13.  At  eight  we  left  the  convent;  the  Pinus  pinea  was  less  frequent  as  we 
advanced  in  our  descent.  I  observed  a  new  species  of  Gladiolus,  G.  montanus,  and  Thymus 
tragoriganum,  frequent.  Arrived  at  the  bottom,  we  stopped  at  a  village  to  refresh  ourselves; 
we  then  passed  through  a  more  level  country  covered  with  different  species  of  Cistus,  the 
Onosma  orientalis  and  Lithospermum  tenuiflorum.  I  observed  among  the  scarcer  plants  the 
Brassica  vesicaria  and  the  Salvia  ceratophylloides.  Swarms  of  locusts  in  their  larva  state 
often  blackened  the  road  with  their  number,  and  threatened  destruction  to  the  crops  of  corn 
now  almost  ripe.  Near  the  aqueduct  we  observed  several  hawks  hunting  in  troops;  Falco 
tinnunculus  was  the  most  frequent  species  in  the  island,  called  by  the  Greeks  kvt^os.  We  shot 
two  other  species ;  one  with  a  blue  tail,  named  Mavromati,  and  another,  something  like 
a  buzzard,  called  ^oKkovl. 

April  17.  We  set  off  at  eight  in  the  morning  for  Famagusta.  [The  reapers  were  busy 
in  the  harvest,  and  the  tinkling  of  the  bell  fixed  to  their  sides  expressed  their  fears  of  the 


SIBTllOllP. 


327 


terrible  VLovifiij.  A  monk  of  Famagusta  has  tlie  reputation  of  preventing  the  fatal  effects  of 
the  venom  of  this  serpent  by  incantation ;  and  from  the  credulity  of  the  people  had  gained  a 
sort  of  universal  credit  through  the  island.  We  were  frequently  shewn  as  precious  stones 
compositions  fabricated  by  artful  Jews;  these  were  said  to  be  taken  out  of  the  head  of  the 
Koix^r;;  and  were  worn  as  amulets  to  protect  the  wearers  from  the  bite  of  venomous  animals. 
Memoirs,  p.  285.]  After  riding  four  hours  through  a  rising  plain  we  reached  Armidia,  a 
village  pleasantly  situated  about  half  a  mile  from  the  sea.  Near  the  roadside  I  observed  the 
Scabiosa  prolifera,  and  a  species  of  arum,  unnoticed  by  LinnEeus,  called  by  the  Greeks  aypioKo- 
AoKaffta,  and  a  rare  species  of  Linum  with  a  red  flower,  the  Linum  \nHCosum  of  Linnanis.  The 
low  hills  round  Armidia  were  covered  with  the  Cistus  incanus  now  in  flower.  On  the  beach 
I  gathered  the  Scorzonera  tingitana  and  a  new  species  of  Geranium.  We  shot  also  a  bird  of 
the  Gralla  kind,  the  Htematopus  ostralegus  of  L.  After  a  ride  of  four  hours  over  an  extensive 
plain,  we  reached  at  sunset  a  small  convent  in  the  outskirts  of  Famagu.sta. 

April  18.  Early  in  the  morning  we  walked  to  Famagusta,  a  melancholy  place  now  almost 
depopulated:  in  the  time  of  the  Venetians  the  fairest  city  in  the  island;  and  renowned  for 
the  brave  defence  they  made  in  it  against  the  infidels.  The  lines  of  the  fortification  which 
are  very  considerable  are  still  sufficient  to  show  the  extent  and  former  strength  of  this  place ; 
they  are  now  suffered  by  the  Turks  to  moulder  away  in  ruins.  Some  cannon,  with  the  arms 
of  Venice,  were  lying  dismounted  on  the  ramparts;  the  Lieutenant  of  the  fortress  pointed  to 
them  with  an  air  of  triumph.  In  the  enceinte  grew  among  the  rubbish  the  Aloe  vera,  the 
Iris  germanica  and  Horentina  in  great  aljundance.  Leaving  the  fortress  we  passed  through 
the  streets  now  deserted,  a  nielanclioly  picture  of  'I'urkish  desolation;  the  gateway  by  which 
we  returned  to  the  convent  was  paved  with  cannon  balls.  At  noon  after  a  ride  of  five  hours 
we  arrived  at  Upsera,  about  a  mile  from  Famagusta,  we  observed  some  small  lakes  to  our 
right  and  left:  these  were  frequented  by  different  species  of  Gralhe:  we  had  shot  the  Ardea 
alba,  which  flew  over  the  convent,  in  the  morning.  The  desolation  we  ha<l  observed  at  Fama- 
gusta extended  itself  along  the  country  we  now  traversed.  We  passed  by  the  mouldering 
ruins  of  several  Greek  villages,  and  slept  at  a  Greek  cottage  at  Upsera.  This  like  other 
villages  we  had  passed  seemed  by  the  desertion  of  its  inhabitants  to  be  hastening  to  ruin:  it 
was  pleasantly  situated  on  the  side  of  a  hill:  a  fertile  vale  stretched  beneath  it,  bounded  by 
the  approaching  mountains  of  Antiphoniti. 

April  19.  At  eight  in  the  morning  we  left  Upsera,  and  passing  through  the  vale  below, 
gradually  ascended  into  the  mountain  of  Antiphoniti.  At  noon  we  arrived  at  the  convent, 
most  romantically  situated,  having  a  view  of  the  sea  and  a  distant  sight  of  the  high  land  of 
Ciiramania.  I  was  come  here  on  the  authority  of  Pococke  to  see  the  Ligiuun  rhodium ;  this 
the  Greeks  call  Xylon  Fffendi.  The  llegoumenos  of  the  convent,  a  very  old  man,  offered 
himself  as  my  conductor,  and  leading  me  a  few  paces  below  the  convent  into  a  garden  now 
covered  with  rubbish,  pointed  out  a  tree  which  on  exainination  I  found  to  be  the  Liqnidand)ar 
styraciflua.  The  trunk  of  it  was  much  hacked,  and  diflerent  bits  had  been  carried  off  bj-  the 
curious  and  superstitious,  as  an  ornament  to  their  cabinets  and  churches.  This  was  probably 
the  same  tree  that  Pococke  had  seen.  To  ascertain  the  Lignum  rhodium  has  been  much 
wished  by  the  luituralists.  An  American  tree  growing  in  the  swamps  of  \'irginia  seems 
to  have  little  claim  to  be  considered  as  that  which  should  produce  it.  The  name  of  Xylon 
Effendi  and  the  tradition  of  the  convent  testify  the  reputation  in  which  this  tree  had  long 
been  held  in  the  island ;  it  was  probably  at  first  introduced  by  the  Venetians  during  their 
possession  of  it,  I  could  not  discover,  either  from  observation  or  enquiry,  that  it  was  to  be 
found  in  any  other  part  of  Cyprus;  nor  do  I  recollect  that  the  Styrax  liquidainbar  li:is  l)cen 


328 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


mentioned  by  any  botanist  as  an  oriental  tree.  Whether  the  Lignum  rhodium  of  the  shops 
is  the  wood  of  this  tree,  or  not,  I  am  doubtful ;  the  Aspalathus  primus  of  Dioscorides  I  think 
is  certainly  the  Lignum  rhodium  of  the  ancients ;  he  describes  it  as  a  thorny  shrub,  probably 
a  species  of  Spartium,  which  the  Cypriotes  still  call  Aspalathi ;  his  Aspalathus  secundus,  which 
also  grows  in  the  island,  is  certainly  the  Spartium  spinosum.  The  Pinus  pinea,  the  Cypress, 
the  Andrachne  are  the  principal  trees  that  grow  in  this  mountainous  track.  Li  the  crevices 
of  the  rocks  I  found  a  few  curious  plants.  Scutellaria  peregrina.  Ononis  ornithopodioides, 
Polygala  monsp.  and  a  species  of  Valeriana  (orbiculata)  with  an  undivided  leaf,  which  seems 
distinct  from  Val.  calcitrapa.  In  the  environs  of  the  cloister  we  shot  two  species  of  Loxia; 
one  which  I  have  called  L.  varia ;  the  other  L.  cinerea. 

April  20.  At  eleven  we  left  the  convent  of  Antiphoniti  and  descended  the  mountain  to 
the  sea-coast.  In  our  journey  I  observed  the  Papaver  somniferum  with  a  small  blue  flower 
growing  in  great  abundance;  the  plant  which  we  find  sometimes  in  waste  ground  and  in 
corn-fields  in  England  has  probably  escaped  there  from  the  garden.  We  now  coasted  along 
the  shore,  rocky,  and  much  indented.  I  here  observed  several  curious  plants,  Arenaria 
cerignensis,  Scabiosa  cerignensis,  Cheiranthus  littoreus,  Teucrium  creticum. 

Leaving  the  shore,  we  entered  into  a  more  difficult  tract  of  country  called  Bel  Paese; 
a  ridge  of  mountains  running  from  north  to  south,  terminated  in  some  rising  hills,  which, 
sloping  towards  the  sea,  were  richly  cultivated  with  corn.  Near  Cerignes,  where  we  arrived 
rather  late  in  the  evening,  I  discovered  a  beautiful  species  of  Salvia,  S.  cerignensis, 

April  21.  Having  employed  the  morning  in  drawing,  and  putting  our  plants  in  paper, 
we  rode  out  after  dinner  to  the  monastery  of  Lapasis,  a  fine  remain  of  an  old  Grothic  structure. 
In  the  court  below  was  a  sarcophagus,  but  of  bad  workmanship.  We  were  told  that  on  the 
summit  of  the  mountains  to  the  left  of  Lapasis  were  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  temple :  our 
guides  who  had  excited  our  curiosity  refused  to  satisfy  it,  by  risking  their  mules  on  the  steep 
road  which  led  to  them.  Captain  Emery  and  myself  attempted  on  foot  to  reach  the  summit 
of  this  distant  mountain.  The  sun  shone  with  uncommon  force ;  nor  did  the  least  breeze 
mitigate  the  fervour  of  its  rays.  After  a  very  hot  and  fruitless  walk,  we  came  back,  finding 
the  summit  too  distant  to  reach  it,  and  return  before  night.  We  joined  our  companions 
at  the  monastery  of  Lapasis,  situated  in  a  beautiful  recess,  surrounded  by  corn-fields  and 
vineyards,  and  shaded  by  trees,  whose  foliage  is  kept  green  by  several  purling  rills,  that 
watered  the  environs  of  this  romantic  spot.  I  collected  a  few  plants  in  this  excursion : 
the  Hedysarum  saxatile  grew  on  the  mountain;  and  the  Styrax  officinale  was  frequent  in 
the  hedges  near  the  monastery. 

April  22.  We  left  Cerignes  at  nine,  a  paltry  town  with  a  port  which  carries  on  a  small 
commerce  with  Caramania  :  we  passed  the  mountains  of  Bel  Paese  by  a  narrow  defile ;  on  the 
sides  of  which  grew  the  Moluccella  fruticosa ;  descending,  we  entered  the  plains  of  Messaria ; 
and  about  two  arrived  at  Nicosia.  On  the  mountains  we  observed  several  large  birds  which 
our  guides  told  us  were  Eagles,  aerot.  I  was  not  so  fortunate  as  to  procure  one  of  them  during 
my  stay  in  the  island,  but  from  their  flight  I  should  suppose  them  to  be  Vultures.  Near 
Nicosia  I  observed  the  Salvia  argentea.  In  the  evening  we  visited  a  small  convent  of 
Spanish  friars,  under  the  protection  of  France  and  Spain;  and  slept  at  the  house  of  the 
Danish  dragoman,  for  whom  we  had  brought  a  letter. 

April  23.  The  Governor  of  the  island,  being  informed  of  my  arrival,  sent  a  message  that 
he  wished  to  see  me ;  he  was  a  venerable  old  Turk  Avith  no  other  complaint  than  that  of  age, 
and  its  companion,  debility  and  loss  of  appetite.  He  received  me  with  great  politeness: 
our  Ambassador,  Sir  R.  Ainslie,  had  procured  me  letters  for  him.    Having  felt  his  pulse,  and 


SIBTHOHP. 


329 


prescribed  for  his  complaint,  he  offered  us  his  firmaji;  and  ordered  his  dragoman  to  prepare 
a  magnificent  dinner.  A  Gazelle,  a  species  of  Capra  called  by  the  (Greeks  dypivo^  was  brought 
to  me  for  my  painter  to  take  a  drawing  of.  I  was  assured  it  was  an  inhabitant  of  Mount 
Troas;  though  this  animal  had  been  sent  to  the  Governor  as  a  present  from  the  coast  of 
Syria.  There  was  nothing  in  the  palace  which  indicated  the  magnificence  and  dignity  of  the 
Governor  of  so  large  and  rich  an  island ;  but  unfortunately  for  Cypras,  it  is  the  appanage 
of  the  Grand  Vazir,  who  obliges  the  Governor  by  measures  the  most  oppressive  to  remit  an 
annual  revenue  much  exceeding  tlie  force  and  strength  of  its  inhaVjitants  under  the  present 
distressing  circumstances. 

The  poor  Greeks  pay  a  Kliaraj  of  forty  or  fifty  piastres,  and  annual  eniigration.s  of 
large  numbers  are  the  consequence  of  this  oppressive  despotism.  The  Greeks  liave,  at  fir.st 
perhaps  from  necessity,  been  induced  to  practise  some  low  tricks  of  lying  and  knavcrj^ ;  and 
from  frequent  repetition  these  may  at  length  liave  become  habitual  among  many  of  them. 
One  of  our  guides  had  secretly  made  an  agreement  with  a  Turk  that  two  of  our  horses  should 
carry  his  corn  to  Larnaka ;  tempted  to  this  dishonest  proceeding  with  hopes  of  gaining  a  few 
paras.  Had  I  mentioned  the  circumstance  to  the  Governor,  the  poor  fellow  would  have 
lost  his  head ;  I  hinted  it  only  to  the  dragoman,  who  immediately  sent  an  officer  to  inform 
him,  he  should  answer  for  his  conduct  in  the  most  exemplary  manner,  in  case  of  any  further 
complaint  from  us.  The  fellow  frightened  becajiie,  from  the  most  obstinate,  the  most  docile 
creature  in  the  world  on  our  journey  to  Mount  Troas. 

Our  dinner  was  served  after  tlie  Turkish  fashion  ;  a  great  variety  of  dishes  well  dressed, 
gave  us  a  favourable  idea  of  the  Turkish  cooking,  and  the  (Jovernor's  hospitality.  1  had 
counted  thirty-six,  when  the  dragoman  nmde  us  an  apology  for  the  badness  of  the  dinner; 
and  that  he  had  not  assistance  enough  to  prepare  it.  The  Governor  expressed  an  anxious 
wish  that  I  should  see  the  medicine  prepared,  which  I  had  prescribed  for  him,  expressing 
a  great  want  of  confidence  in  his  physician  at  Jjarnaca.  Upon  mj^  making  my  promise  to 
him,  and  wishing  that  it  might  relieve  him,  all  the  persons  in  waiting  exclaimed  In-sha-Allah 
(If  God  will,  'Eav  6  Kvptos  6(\ij<nj,  S.  James,  iv.  15).  It  was  late  when  we  left  Nicosia,  and 
after  eight  hours  we  arrived  at  our  lodgings  at  the  Salines. 

April  27.  We  set  out  on  an  excursion  to  Mount  Troas.  Leaving  the  Salines  of  Larnaka, 
we  passed  through  a  vale  in  which  were  some  ruins  at  a  place  called  Cetti;  being  alarmed 
at  the  appearance  of  a  thunder  storm  we  st()])ped  at  a  small  village,  Magado,  to  dine,  four 
hours  from  Jjarnaka.  In  our  way  to  Mouni,  1  ob.served  the  Jjinum  noditlorum,  and  shot 
a  beautiful  species  of  Fringilla  with  a  yellow  breast  and  a  l)lack  head,  called  by  the  Greeks 
<rKdf)6nki<;.  This  bird  sings  deliglitfiilly,  rivalling  the  nightingale  in  its  note;  we  observed  it 
frequently  in  the  evening  perched  on  the  top  of  some  bush  or  tree. 

April  28,  We  left  Mouni  eleven  hours  from  Ijarnaka,  and  after  four  hours'  ride  arrived 
at  Limesol.  On  the  road  we  passed  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Amathus;  I  observed  the  Scabiosa 
syriaca  growing  among  the  corn,  and  on  the  sea-sand  a  spiries  of  Anchusa.  Limesol  is  an 
inconsiderable  town,  frequented  only  on  account  of  its  corn,  and  the  neighbourhood  to  the 
vineyards  of  La  Gonnnanderia.  The  bay  is  deeper  thati  that  of  Larnaka,  and  ships  approach 
nearer  the  shore  to  take  in  their  lading.  Our  vice-consul,  a  (Jreek,  treated  us  handsomely; 
and  uncommon  for  a  Greek,  lodged  us  in  his  house  without  making  a  bill.  At  Nicosia,  the 
Danisli  dragonum  brought  in  a  most  shameful  charge  for  a  supper,  to  which  he  himself  had 
invited  us.  We  here  found  our  companion  Mr  Hawkins,  who  had  been  to  Soulea  and  the 
I'anagia  of  Cicci. 

April  29.  At  seven  we  left  Limesol;  having  travelled  two  hours  in  a  plain,  we  passed 
c.  42 


330 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  little  rivulet;  the  country  was  covered  with  Cistus  and  Mastic;  among  these  we  heard 
the  frequent  call  of  the  Francoline.  Having  crossed  the  rivulet,  we  entered  into  a  wild 
mountainous  country,  and  stopped  to  dine  at  a  Turkish  fountain,  five  hours  from  Limesol. 
After  dinner  we  soon  entered  into  a  more  cultivated  district :  the  sides  of  the  hills  were 
planted  with  vineyards;  little  brooks  watered  the  vales  below,  which  were  sown  with  corn, 
yet  green.  The  mountains  of  Troados  covered  with  the  Pinus  pinea  stretched  themselves  out, 
and  terminated  the  vale.  I  observed  the  Styrax  tree  frequent  in  the  hedges,  and  the  Anagyris 
foetida  in  the  outskirts  of  the  villages.  At  sunset  we  arrived  at  the  convent  of  the  Holy  Cross : 
this  is  regarded  as  the  second  monastery  in  the  island,  and  was  probably  more  flourishing 
under  the  pious  care  of  Maria  Theresa.  It  is  situated  in  a  Grreek  \'illage,  where  we  observed 
an  appearance  of  greater  affluence  than  in  most  of  those  we  had  yet  seen.  Mountains  are 
indeed  generally  the  last  retreats  of  liberty. 

April  30.  At  seven  we  set  off  from  the  convent  of  the  Holy  Cross  for  Troados.  Our 
road  led  us  through  a  steep  tract  of  country,  well  wooded.  The  Pinus  pinea,  the  Quercus  ilex, 
and  Arbutus  andrachne  covered  the  higher  part  of  the  mountain ;  in  the  vales  below  grew  the 
plane,  the  Cretan  Maple,  the  black  poplar,  the  white  willow,  and  the  alder.  After  two  hours 
of  very  difficult  road  we  arrived  at  the  convent  of  Troados ;  a  Greek  Papas,  whom  we  had 
taken  as  a  guide  to  conduct  us  to  the  snow  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  brought  us  to  this 
miserable  cloister.  As  we  were  now  told  it  was  impossible  to  reach  the  snow,  and  return,  we 
passed  our  day  with  much  disappointment  at  the  convent.  I  picked  up  but  few  plants : 
Smyrnium  perfoliatum,  Iinperatoria  ostruthium,  Alyssum  campestre,  Cheiranthus  cyprius; 
and  among  the  rocks.  Euphorbia  myrsinites,  and  Turritis  glabra.  We  discovered  the  jay  by 
hoarse  screams,  hopping  among  the  branches  of  the  Pinus  pinea ;  and  we  shot  the  Parus  ater, 
picking  the  buds  of  the  fruit  trees  below  the  convent;  and  the  Muscicapa  atricapilla  busily 
employed  in  catching  the  flies. 

May  1.  Having  taken  a  goatherd  for  our  guide,  at  seven  we  began  our  ascent  from  the 
convent.  After  two  hours'  climbing  with  our  mules  over  steep  and  dangerous  precipices,  we 
arrived  at  the  summit,  where  we  found  a  small  quantity  of  snow  lying  on  the  north-east  side : 
the  pine  tree  and  the  Cypress  grew  on  the  heights  with  the  Cretan  Berbery.  The  mountain, 
composed  of  griinstein,  with  large  pieces  of  hornblend,  and  but  slightly  covered  with  earth, 
disappointed  my  botanical  expectations.  A  species  of  Fumaria,  an  Arabis,  A.  purpurea, 
with  the  Crocus  vernus  growing  near  the  snow,  were  almost  all  the  plants  I  observed  on 
the  mountain.  We  now  descended  rapidly  over  rocks  of  serpentine  veined  with  amianth, 
and  in  three  hours  arrived  at  the  bottom.  The  trunks  of  the  old  pine  trees  were  covered 
with  the  Lichen  purpuraceus. 

We  now  entered  the  vale  of  Soulea,  the  most  beautiful  we  had  yet  seen  in  the  island ; 
well  watered  and  richly  cultivated.  Green  meadows  contrasted  with  the  corn  now  ripe, 
hamlets  shaded  with  mulberry-trees,  and  healthy  peasantry  busily  employed  with  their 
harvest,  and  the  care  of  their  silk-worms,  enlivened  the  scenery.  Having  travelled  two 
hours  in  this  delightful  vale,  I  stopped  at  a  Greek  village.  My  guide  conducted  me  to  the 
house  of  the  Papas ;  a  bed  was  prepared  for  me  in  the  vacant  part  of  a  chamber  where  silk- 
worms were  kept.  In  a  little  morass,  in  passing  through  the  vale,  I  had  picked  up  Lobelia 
setacea,  and  Pinguicula  crystallina.  My  draughtsman  stopping  to  sketch  these  plants  was 
the  cause  of  my  losing  my  companion,  who  slept  at  a  neighbouring  monastery. 

May  2.  We  left  the  village  at  six;  the  country  now  became  more  barren;  the  hills 
were  covered  with  the  Cistus  creticus,  from  which  they  collect  the  Ladanum.  ("  Ladanum  is 
extracted  from  a  species  of  rock-rose,  and  gathered  in  Greece,  in  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago, 


SIBTHORP. 


in  Crete  and  Cyprus.  Among  other  preservatives  from  the  plague  Ladanum  is  used;  an 
aromatic  substance,  which  heat  softens  and  renders  more  odoriferous ;  they  smell  to  it  from 
time  to  time,  and  especially  when  they  fear  any  dangerous  emanations."  Olivier.  Cistus 
ladan.  is  the  Kto-rou  tlSo<;  kfjSov.  Diosc.  1.  128.  See  Sprengel,  His.  R.H.  I.  177.)  Some  land 
was  sown  with  corn,  but  this  was  almost  devoured  by  the  locusts,  which  had  now  their  wings, 
and  flew  in  swarms  destroying  every  green  plant.  No  vegetable  escaped  their  ravages, 
except  some  prickly  cartilaginous  plants  of  the  thistle  tribe.  After  five  hours  we  arrived  at 
Peristeroani,  where  I  found  my  companions  waiting  for  me.  I  had  collected  some  gras.ses  in 
my  road,  Poa  aurea,  Cynosurus  durus,  and  Avena  cypria.  Leaving  Peristeroani,  we  travelled 
over  a  plain  for  five  hours,  and  at  sunset  arrived  at  the  convent  of  the  Archangel,  at  a  small 
distance  from  Nicosia.  Near  the  convent  I  observed  the  coriander  and  the  garden-cress 
growing  wild  among  the  corn. 

May  3.  At  seven  we  left  the  convent  of  the  Archangel,  and  after  a  ride  of  eight  hours 
through  an  undulated  plain  arrived  at  our  lodgings  at  the  Salines;  near  Hagios  Georgios  we 
observed  immense  beds  of  petrified  oysters,  Pectines  and  lialani.  Our  chasseur  shot  a  very 
rare  bird  of  the  Tetrao  kind,  T.  alchata,  called  by  the  Greeks  IlapSaXds.  (Found  also  in 
Syria,  and  called  by  the  natives  of  Aleppo,  qata :  see  a  plate  and  description  of  this  bird  in 
Russell's  Aleppo,  U.  194.)  This  is  a  bird  of  passage,  visiting  the  island  in  the  spring  and 
retiring  in  the  autumn.    We  shot  also  on  this  plain  the  stone  curlew,  Charadrius  oedicnemus. 

May  8.    At  six  in  the  evening  embarked  on  board  the  Providence,  a  small  vessel,  for 

Rhodes   May  11.    We  Jinchored  about  eight  in  the  morning  about  five  miles  to  the 

east  of  Bafo.  The  town  now  presents  a  melancholy  ruin;  few  of  the  houses  being  inhabited. 
In  walking  through  it,  we  entered  the  inclosure  of  a  modem  Greek  church,  where  we 
discovered  three  pillars  of  the  most  beautiful  Kgyjjtian  granite:  at  four  feet  from  the  ground 
they  measured  ton  feet  four  inches  in  circumference;  and  from  the  present  surface,  which 
evidently  had  been  much  raised,  fifteen  feet  in  height.  At  the  distance  of  about  forty  yards 
were  two  smaller  ])illars;  one  of  them  was  Hutcd.  This  was  i)roliably  the  site  of  an  am  iciit 
temple  of  V^enus:  near  it  stood  the  ruins  of  a  siuall  (Jothic  chai)el,  prol^ably  \'enetian.  From 
Bafo  we  passed  over  some  fields  to  a  beautiful  village  called  Iftinia,  where  the  GovertKir  of 
the  district  resided.  We  produced  our  firman,  and  his  dragf»man,  full  of  promises,  offered  his 
services.  The  bishop,  who  luid  been  informed  of  my  arrival,  wished  to  consult  me.  Like  the 
Governor  I  found  him  with  no  other  complaint  than  that  of  old  age,  and  a  weakened  vis  vitae. 
We  were  offered  pipes,  ;ui(l  entertaiiu'fl  with  coffee,  li(iueurs  and  jierfumes.  From  Iftinia  we 
walked  to  what  our  guide  called  the  Diamond  Hill :  tlu-si'  diamonds  we  found  to  be  nothing 
but  common  quartz  crystal.  Hence  we  descended  to  the  beach,  to  some  ruins  underground. 
We  found  there  several  buildings;  and  from  the  architecture  we  were  led  to  suppose  them 
catacombs,  or  repositories  for  the  dead.  They  occui)ied  a  very  considerable  tract  of  grouiul, 
and  offer  a  curious  and  interesting  field  of  research  to  the  anti(|uary.  On  remo\'ing  some 
stones  I  discovered  two  species  of  lizards;  the  Lacerta  chalcidcs,  and  Lacerta  turcica;  on  the 
sand  I  observed  the  Sea  Eryngo,  the  Sea  Samphire,  and  the  Prickly  Cichorium :  the  Silene 
fruticosa,  the  Cyclamen  cyprium,  and  the  Ruta  graveolens  grew  oji  the  rocks:  on  the  road 
from  Jiafo  to  Iftinia,  and  upon  rubbish  ground  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  the  Aloe  vera, 
the  Sempervivum  arboreum,  and  the  l*hysali.s  .soninifera :  the  Galium  cyprium  on  the  diamond 
rocks:  the  Crucianella  a>gyptiaca,  the  Teucrium  pseudo-chamedrys,  and  the  Teucrium 
pseu(lo-])()lium  on  the  jilain  bi-low.  It  was  late  when  1  returned  to  the  ship,  where  I  found 
a  'i'nrk,  to  whom  1  had  offcrt'd  a  suitable  reward,  waiting  for  nu",  with  a  specimen  of  the 
formidable  Kovffuj. 

42—2 


332 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


May  12.  We  went  on  shore,  and  after  waiting  three  hours  at  Iftinia  for  horses,  set  off 
at  eleven  on  an  excursion  to  Fontana  Amorosa.  Riding  three  hours  through  a  fine  cultivated 
corn  country  we  crossed  a  rivulet  and  dined  under  an  olive  tree ;  among  the  corn  I  had 
observed  the  Bupleurum  semicompositum  and  Ruta  linifolia.  After  dinner  our  road  led  us 
over  a  rough  steep  mountain  whose  sides  were  cultivated  with  corn ;  we  then  traversed  a 
stony  plain,  and  in  three  hours'  time  arrived  at  a  large  G-reek  village.  We  now  descended 
towards  the  beach,  having  a  view  of  the  distant  coast  of  Caramania.  The  Cistus  monspeliensis 
was  frequent  on  different  parts  of  the  road  :  the  leaves  of  this  species  are  used  by  the  Cypriots 
as  a  substitute  for  the  mulberry  leaf :  we  met  frequently  with  peasants  conveying  home  horse 
loads  of  this  plant  for  their  silk-worms.  After  riding  for  some  time  in  the  dark,  we  arrived  at 
Poli;  the  Agha  of  the  village,  a  venerable  man,  received  us  with  much  politeness,  and  having 
spread  before  us  a  frugal  repast  of  yaourt  and  ricemilk,  he  left  us  and  retired  to  his  harem. 

May  13.  At  six  we  set  out  for  Fontana  Amorosa,  which  our  guides  informed  us  was 
little  more  than  an  hour  distant  from  Poli.  We  descended  towards  the  coast,  and  having 
turned  a  considerable  mountain,  arrived  in  four  hours  at  a  small  spring:  this  we  were 
informed  was  the  famous  Fontana  Amorosa,  which  had  so  greatly  excited  our  curiosity. 
Ainong  the  stones  of  a  ruined  village  we  observed  the  Lacerta  stellio,  the  same  which 
Tournef ort  had  found  among  the  ruins  of  Delos ;  and  on  the  sides  of  the  mountain  I  gathered 
the  Oentaurea  behen,  and  the  Cynara  acaulis,  and  the  Thapsia  foeniculifolia;  and  under  the 
shade  of  some  trees  hanging  over  a  rivulet  the  Osmunda  cypria.  Our  guides,  who  had 
contrived  to  mislead  us,  after  eight  hours  brought  us  back  to  Poli;  they  now  refused  to  set 
forward  for  Bafo,  alleging  their  horses  were  tired.  The  Agha  of  Poli  was  absent  when  we 
came  back,  and  a  black  slave  supposing  us  hungry  brought  a  bundle  of  beanstalks,  and  threw 
them  down  before  us,  saying  there  was  something  to  eat.  As  we  had  promised  our  captain  to 
return  we  continued  our  journey  with  our  guides.  The  little  owl,  Strix  passerina,  hooted 
mournfully  among  the  rocks,  and  at  sunset  we  were  left  in  an  unknown  and  dangerous 
country.  We  arrived  at  a  Greek  village  about  an  hour  from  Poli  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening ; 
and  the  Papas  having  furnished  us  with  a  guide,  we  travelled  all  night,  and  reached  the 
shore  of  Bafo  at  daybreak. 

We  find  in  Cyprus  a  much  smaller  number  of  quadrupeds  than  we  should  expect  from 
the  size  of  the  island.  The  domestic  animals,  if  we  except  the  camel,  are  nearly  the  same  as 
those  of  Crete,  and  the  other  Greek  islands ;  and  its  wild  quadrupeds,  when  compared  with 
the  neighbouring  coast  of  Asia,  are  very  few.  It  possesses  neither  the  lynx,  nor  the  wolf, 
nor  the  jackal,  inhabitants  of  the  opposite  coast  of  Caramania ;  and  the  weasel  tribe  is  wholly 
wanting,  of  which  we  find  some  species  in  Crete.  The  wild  boar  inhabits  Cape  G-atto,  and 
the  Gazelle  the  higher  parts  of  Mount  Troados.  Hares  are  scarce,  and  seem  to  confine  them- 
selves to  the  mountainous  tracts  of  the  island.  The  hedgehog,  I  was  also  informed,  was  an 
inhabitant.  The  large  bat  was  mentioned,  but  I  only  found  the  common  species.  Asses, 
I  heard  on  good  authority,  were  found  in  a  wild  state  at  Carj^aso,  and  that  it  was  permitted 
to  any  person  to  hunt  them;  but  that  when  caught  they  were  of  little  value,  it  being  almost 
impossible,  from  their  natural  obstinacy,  to  domesticate  them. 

The  naturalist,  disappointed  in  finding  so  small  a  number  of  quadrupeds,  is  surprised 
on  observing  the  great  variety  of  birds  which  migrate  to  Cyprus  at  different  seasons  of  the 
year.  The  birds  of  the  thrush  tribe,  inhabitants  of  the  northern  climates,  visit  it  only  during 
the  depth  of  winter.  At  the  first  appearance  of  spring  they  retire  to  the  higher  mountains 
of  Caramania,  where,  the  snow  preserving  a  constant  humidity,  they  find  food  and  a  proper 
habitation.    Great  numbers  of  GralhB  pass  over  in  the  sj^ring  from  Egypt  and  Syria ;  these 


SIBTHORP. 


333 


retreat  further  in  proportion  as  the  salt  pools  near  Larnica  are  evaporated  by  the  sun.  The 
Francolin  and  red  partridge  reside  throughout  the  year;  the  Pardalos  and  the  quail  visit  the 
island  in  the  spring,  and  retire  in  the  autumn.  Immense  flights  of  ortolans  appear  about  the 
time  of  the  vintage;  these  are  taken  in  great  quantities,  preserved  iji  vinegar,  and  exported 
as  an  object  of  commerce.  The  swallow,  the  martin,  the  swift,  the  melba,  the  pratincola, 
which  frequent  in  numbers  the  pools  in  Larnica,  visit  also  the  island  in  spring  and  leave  it 
in  the  autumn.  Those  large  birds  which  frequent  the  higher  regions  of  Troados,  called  by 
the  inhabitants  atroi,  I  should  suppose  from  their  flight  to  be  a  species  of  vulture.  The  Falco 
tinnunculus  breeds  here,  but  the  difficulty  of  procuring  the  birds  of  this  tribe  prevented  me 
fi'om  ascertaining  the  number  of  species  with  more  precision.  The  raven,  the  hooded  crow, 
the  jackdaw,  the  magpie,  are  common.  The  jay  is  found  but  rarely  in  the  pinewoods  of 
Troados.  The  little  owl,  though  a  nocturnal  bird,  flies  frequently  by  day  among  the  rocks. 
The  great  horned  owl,  which  I  did  not  see,  is  found  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  i.sland. 
The  roller,  the  beebird,  and  the  oriole  are  not  uncommon ;  and  we  often  heard  the  hoopoe 
and  the  cuckoo.  1  observed  the  rock-pigeon  on  the  clifl's  in  the  western  extremity  of  the 
island :  the  wood-pigeon  and  the  turtle-dove  in  the  groves  of  Bel-paese.  The  Calandra  and 
the  Crested-lark  are  the  most  common  species  of  the  lark  tribe,  and  these  inhabit  the  island 
probably  tliroughout  the  year.  The  two  species  of  Laniiis  coiiHiie  themselves  to  the  pine- 
woods,  with  tlie  bhick  titmouse.  Different  species  of  the  Motacilla  are  confimnded  under  the 
general  iiiiine  of  Beccaffca.  Of  the  Fringilla  tribe,  the  hou.se-sparrow  is  the  most  numerous; 
and  tlie  beautiful  Scarthalis,  perha|)s  the  Fringilla  Haveola  of  LiiuiaMis,  rivals  the  nigiitiugale 
in  the  charms  of  its  song,  and  is  sometimes  eonfouiidcd  with  it  under  the  geni-ral  name  of 
drjfioi'i.  Among  tlie  domestic  birds,  1  observed  a  few  turkeys  in  the  convent  of  the  Archangel; 
geese  and  ducks  are  kept,  but  not  in  great  numbers:  fowls  and  i)igeons  are  tiie  principal 
domestic  birds.  During  my  stay  in  the  island  I  used  everj-  possible  means  to  procure  its 
l)inls,  and  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  greater  part  of  them.  Of  the  rarer  specimens  of  these 
my  draughtsman  has  taken  drawings.  I  have  been  also  fortunate  in  procuring  most  of  the 
Greek  names:  but  it  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  ( "yprus  has  hitherto  wanted  an  ornithologist, 
wlio  l)eing  stationary  here  might  ol)serve  with  more  exactne.ss  the  migration  of  the  different 
birds  of  the  Levant. 

On  observing  the  list  of  anq)liil)iii  we  iirc  sui'prist'd  ;it  tinding  the  Testudo  caretta, 
mentioned  by  LinnaMis  as  an  inhabitant  of  the  West  India  islands,  and  no  iKjtice  of  the 
Testudo  a(iuatilis  common  through  (Jreece  and  Asia  Minor.  The  genus  Coluber  and  Lacerta 
are  both  rich  in  the  inimber  of  their  species;  of  these  fortunately  for  the  island,  the  Kor<^^  is 
the  only  venomous  species.  The  black  snake,  whose  colour  is  indeed  suspicious,  is  perfectly 
harmless,  and  1  was  informed  by  the  physician  of  Larnica,  that  among  the  country  people  it 
is  even  an  object  of  affection :  that  they  suffer  it  to  twist  and  twine  itself  in  the  hair  round 
the  heads  of  their  cliildren,  as  a  remedy  for  the  Tinea  capitis.  I  searched  in  vain  for  the 
Lacerta  aurea,  said  by  Linuiuus  to  be  the  inhaljitiuit  of  Cyprus;  l)ut  I  iim  perfectly  convinced 
from  a  veiy  attentive  inquiry  after  the  tribe,  that  it  is  not  to  be  found  iu  the  island:  an 
inaccuracy  in  the  information  of  the  collectors  must  probiibly  have  led  Liuna-us  into  this 
mistake.  The  Testudo  caretta  is  not  only  an  inhabitant  of  the  Cyprian  sea,  but  is  the  most 
common  species  in  the  Mediterranean,  ami  tiic  Lacerta  aurea  is  not  an  inhabitant  of  Cyprus, 
but  of  the  south  of  France,  (iermany,  and  Italy.  Of  the  six  species  of  Coluber  which  we  Hnd 
in  the  ishnul,  1  can  scarcely  refer  any  of  them  to  tlie  Linmean  species. 

The  classical  ichthyologist  receives  a  particular  pleasure  from  comparing  the  modern 
Greek  names  of  the  Cyprian  flshes  with  those  of  Oppian,  Aristotle  and  other  writers.  The 
Scarus,  which  the  Swedish  naturalist  affirms  to  be  pisrif!  hod'u;  obscunts,  is  known  to  every 


334 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Cyprian  boy.  Belon,  guided  by  the  Cretan  fishermen,  found  it  on  the  rocky  shores  of  Crete. 
These  fishermen  are  much  better  commentators  on  the  Greek  ichthyologists  than  their  learned 
editors,  who,  by  their  unfortunate  conjectures,  more  frequently  confuse  than  clear  a  doubtful 
text.  The  striking  agreement  of  the  modern  Grreek  names  with  those  of  ancient  Greece  is 
nowhere  so  evident  as  in  Cyprus.  Here  we  still  find  the  words  /nop/xvpos,  <nrapo<;,  a-Kupo<;,  o-apyos, 
vaX-n-q,  fi€\dvovpo<:,  irepKa,  op<^os,  and  others,  precisely  the  ancient  names  of  Oppian  and  Aristotle. 
They  are  very  properly  retained  by  Linnaeus  for  trivial  names.  The  shores  of  Cyprus  receive 
a  great  number  of  Mediterranean  fishes ;  some  of  these  confine  themselves  to  its  rocks,  and 
seldom  emigrate  into  more  northern  latitudes.  In  river  fish  it  is,  as  we  should  expect  to  find 
it,  deficient :  the  rivulets,  few  in  number  and  inconsiderable  in  their  size,  generally  dried  up 
in  summer,  do  not  lead  us  to  expect  a  large  catalogue  of  river  fish,  and  upon  repeated  enquiries 
I  found  that  the  eel  was  their  only  inhabitant.  My  list  of  Grecian  fishes  was  already  very 
considerable  when  I  arrived  at  Cyprus ;  the  market  of  Constantinople  had  furnished  me  with 
those  of  the  Thracian  Bosphorus  and  the  sea  of  Marmora.  I  had  still  however  hopes  of 
discovering  some  other  species  in  the  more  southern  latitude  of  the  Mediterranean.  Cyprus 
did  not  deceive  my  expectation :  I  added  several  species  of  Labrus  and  Sparus  to  my 
collection;  among  these  the  Labrus  cretensis,  which,  from  its  more  vivid  colours,  and  the 
superior  elegance  of  its  figure,  carries  olf  the  palm  of  beauty  from  the  L.  iulis,  cited  by 
Linnaeus  as  Europaeorum  facile  'pulcherrimus. 

The  greater  number  of  the  Grecian  islands  have  been  examined  by  a  botanist  of  the 
distinguished  merit  of  Tournefort.  Cyprus,  from  its  situation  and  its  size,  gives  us  reason  to 
expect  a  peculiarity  as  well  as  a  variety  in  its  vegetables ;  and  it  is  with  surprise  that  we  find 
an  island  so  interesting  in  its  natural  productions  has  been  little  examined.  Hasselquist 
visited  it  on  his  return  from  Egypt,  at  a  season  of  the  year  when  its  annual  plants,  which 
form  the  greater  number  of  its  vegetables,  were  burnt  up  by  the  summer  sun ;  and  Pococke, 
a  better  antiquary  than  botanist,  has  given  us  only  a  scanty  account  of  some  of  them.  A 
view  of  its  Flora,  and  comparison  of  the  modern  and  popular  uses  of  the  plants  with  those  of 
ancient  Greece,  gave  me  hopes  in  an  island  so  near  to  Caramania,  the  native  country  of 
Dioscorides,  of  ascertaining  several  of  the  more  obscure  plants  of  this  author.  My  expectations 
have  in  some  measure  succeeded ;  the  modern  names,  though  greatly  corrupted,  still  retain 
sufficient  resemblance  to  those  of  ancient  Greece  to  enable  us  to  determine  many  plants  with 
certainty;  and  the  superstitious  and  popular  uses  of  many  still  remain  the  same.  My 
enquiries  were  frequent  among  the  Greek  peasants  and  the  different  priests  whom  we  met. 
From  the  physician  of  Larnica  I  collected  some  information  relative  to  their  medical  uses. 

I  crossed  the  island  in  different  directions.  Cyprus,  though  possessing  several  of  the 
Egyptian  and  Syrian  plants,  yet  from  the  scarcity  of  water,  the  great  heat  of  the  sun,  and  the 
thin  surface  which  covers  the  upper  regions  of  the  mountains,  can  scarcely  be  considered  as 
rich  in  plants;  and  when  compared  with  Crete  must  appear  even  poor:  the  sides  of  whose 
mountains,  those  for  instance  of  Ida  and  Sphakia,  are  watered  with  streams  supplied  from  the 
perpetual  snows  that  crown  their  summits.  Notwithstanding  the  character  of  woody  given 
to  it  by  Strabo,  when  measured  by  a  northern  eye,  accustomed  to  the  extensive  woods  of  oak 
and  beech  that  we  find  in  some  parts  of  England,  or  the  sombre  pine-forests  of  Switzerland, 
Cyprus  appears  to  have  little  claim  to  the  appellation  of  woody.  The  higher  regions  of  Troados 
are  covered  with  the  Pinus  pinea ;  this  mixed  with  the  Ilex,  and  some  trees  scattered  here 
and  there  in  the  valley  below  of  the  Quercus  aegilops,  are  the  only  trees  that  can  be  regarded 
as  proper  for  timber.  The  carob,  the  olive,  the  andrachne,  the  terebinthus,  the  lentisc,  the 
kermes  oak,  the  storax,  the  cypress,  and  oriental  plane,  furnish  not  only  fuel  in  abundance 
for  the  inhabitants,  but  sufficient  to  supply,  in  some  degree,  those  of  Egypt. 


SIBTHORP. 


335 


Birds,  Quadrupeds,  and  Fishes 

b  ound  HI  Cyprus. 

(From  Dr  Sibthorp's  MSS.) 

IT  iV>./T*i 

Corvus  corax 

KOVpaKO^ 

(KopaKos) 

C.  comix 

Kopacrivo<: 

((copa^ivos) 

C.  monedula 

KoXoiO^ 

(KoXeids) 

C.  pica 

Kar^oKopoiva 

(KaT^tKOuraXa) 

vj,  gidiiciarius 

Coracias  garrula 

ypaKuAo?,  KapaKa^a 

(KapaKa^a) 

Oriolus  galbula 

</>Xo>p(o; 

(<f>\ii>pK6<;) 

Cuculus  canorus 

KOKKV^ 

(fuivpoT^iKka) 

Merops  apiaster 

fXfpOij/ 

(I'CpOUn-TTOS,  fltkl 

Upupa  epops 

[iovfiovt^iov 

(ttouttov^ios) 

ACCIPITRES 

Vulfcur 

dcTOS 

(ciTOs) 

Falco  tijinuiiculus 

(yi'TTU?) 

F.  int'Iaiiop.s 

fJ-afipOfXtLTl 

(/jLavponftdra) 

F.  iorax 

itptiKi 

(ytpaKi) 

F. 

{<f>a\Kori) 

F. 

(^dvos) 

Strix  passerina 

KOKo^dia 

(  KOVKKOV<f)laO<:) 

Anas  anscr  domostici 

as                X'/*'"  VH-*f'"- 

(X^ya  ^p.€pi]) 

A.  boschas  doin. 

TraTTii^i  T/fxtpa 

(irawipa  T]fX€prj) 

A.       „  sylv. 

TT.  aypia 

(apicoiroirtpa) 

A.  circia 

(TapiTtWa 

(aapatWi) 

A.  cypria 

■rraTr€p(){pupa 

{ TTaTTipo  tpapov) 

Pelicanns  carbo 

(yolyinbus  auritus 

liUruH  ridibiuidus 

Xapos 

(yAapos) 

I  J.  canus 

id. 

L.  marinus 

id. 

Procellaria  piittiims 

ftiitm 

Jjarus  miiiutus 

/xapos 

Sterna  iiiinuta 

^(tXtSoi'i  TiJ?  6a\a(T(n]<; 

(irtpo^t^iSoi'ov) 

GlL\LL.K 

Ardoa  purpura  scons 

OtpKOTTOvKl 

(OtpKOTTOvWlv) 

A.  nycticorax 
A.  alba 
A.  major 
A.  minuta 
Scolojiax  anjuata 


336 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


S.  cyprius 
S.  totanus 
S.  gallinago 
Tringa  varia 
T.  cinclus 
T.  littorea 
Charadrius  spinosus 
C.  ^dicnemus 
C.  himantopus 
C.  hiaticula 
Hffimatopus  ostralegus 
Fulica  chloropus 
Eallus  crex 

Meleagris  gallopavo 
Phasianus  gallus 
Tetrao  rufus 
T.  francolinus 
T.  alchata 
T.  coturnix 


Columba  aenas  dom. 
C.  rupestris 
C.  palumbus 
C.  turtur 
C.  risoria 
Alauda  cristata 
A.  calandra 
A.  spinoletta 
Turdus  inusicus 
T.  merula 
Emberiza  miliaria 

E.  hortulana 
Fringilla  domestica 

F.  carduelis 
F.  petronia 
F.  linaria 

Muscicapa  atracapilla 
M.  grisola 
Fringilla  flaveola 
Motacilla  luscinia 
M.  ficedula 
M.  oenanthe 
M.  alba 
M.  flava 
M.  trocliilus 


TpoXovpiBa  T'jjs  6aXd(Tcrrj^ 

/SeKKar^ovvi 
7rXovjU.i8t 


tariT^apt 

rpoXovpi^a  T17S  y^s 


G-ALLIN^ 

TrepSiKa 
aTTayavapL 
7rapSa\os 
oprvyL 

Passekes 

Trcpi(7T€j0i  rj/xepa 
IT.  aypia 
(fiaacra 
TpvyowL 

Kakav8pa 

K0T^V(f)6<; 

ajXTTiXoTrovXi 
(TTpovOo<; 


Ka\a(f)Ovpr] 

(TKapOaX.i<; 

drjSovi. 

crvKO<f>ayi 


(TpovWovpiBa) 

(vcpaXXtSi) 

(TTiKarcroi'iv) 

(TrX-OVfLlSlv) 


(ytavi'iTO'apos) 
(rpouXXovpiSa  n^s  ^ijpas) 


(yaXo?) 

(7r€T£tl/0s) 
(TTCpSlT^tv) 

(avTOT^ii'apa) 
(XapraKOvvTOvpiv) 


(Tre^ouvia  rjfiepa) 
(Tre^ovvta  apKO) 

(rpiovi) 

(cTKOpraXos) 


(r^tKXa) 

(d/XTTcXoTroJXiv) 
(crrpov^os) 


(aBoviv) 
(crv/co^ayos) 


SIBTHORP. 


337 


M.  atracapilla 
Parus  ater 
Hirundo  urbica 
H.  rustica 
H.  apus 
H.  melba 
H.  pratincola 
Caprimulgus  europaeus 

Vespertilio  murinus 
Canis  familiaris 
C.  vulpes 
Felis  catus 
Lepus  timidiis 
Erinaceus  europaeus 
Sus  aper  sylv, 
Mus  rattus 
M.  inusculus 
Capra  ga/.ella 
Equus  caballus 
E.  asinus 
E.  mulus 

Caniolus  (b'omedarius 
Bos  taurus 
Ovis  aries 
Capra  hi  reus 
Sus  aper  dom. 

Testudo  caretta 

Rana  teinporaria 

R.  bnfo 

R.  rubeta 

Lacerta  cordylus 

L.  stellio 

L.  mauritanica 

L.  turcica 

L.  agiHs 

L.  chameleon 

L.  clialcides 

Coluber 
» 

» 


{irfrpo\iX.lB<i)vov) 


alyvBo/BvadcTTpa 

Mammalia 

VVKTtlJlBa 

dXojTrow 
yaTTOS 

<rKavT^6)^oipo<; 

dypio^oipos 

TrovTiKO<; 

TTOVTIKO^  fXlKpOi 

ayptivo 

yaif  Sapos 
fjiovXdpi 
»ta/itA.\os 
/3ov8i 

Tpttyo9,  yi.  aiya,  F. 
\oif)o<;  rjjxtpoi 

Amphibia  Reptilia 

\t\ovvr]  7-179  6a\d<Ttn]^ 
y8oTpa;(0s 


(vvKfpiSa) 

(aXovTrov) 
(kottos) 

(\aw<;) 

(>caTO'o;(Otpos) 

(ttovtiko?) 

(vvtf)iTaa) 

(aypivov) 

(aTTTrapo?) 

(yaSapos) 

(fiovka) 

(rpaouXo^j  a'yia  xar^iKa) 
(Xorpos) 


(^oOpaKO^) 


KOVpKUtTa^ 

/it^apovs 
\iX((rTpovKa 

)(a.fiatX(uiv 


Amphibia  Serpentes 

KOV(f>r) 

Orjpiofiavpo 

o)(tv?ipa 

SpojTris 

Staaorpia 

vtpo(l)i8i 


(jtOVpACOVTas) 

(\(\(VTpovya) 


(kov<^j;) 

(6(pKor  fxavpov) 
(JxtVTpa) 

(SpUJTTl?) 

(/?(o-a(TTpa) 
(y(po<t>iBiv) 


43 


338 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Pisces 


Chondropterygii 


Raia  torpedo 
R.  batis 

R. oxyrhynchus 
Squalus  centrina 
S.  squatina 
S.  catulus 
S.  mustelus 
Acipenser  sturio 


/jLapyorripa 
/Sart's 

yovpovvLoijjapo 

)(^e\api 

<jKvKo\papo 

yaTTo\papo 

jxovpovva 


(XOipoij/apo 


(crKvXAoi//apo) 

(KaTToxj/apo) 

(^jxovpovva) 


Lopliius  piscatorius 
Sygnathus  hippocampus 


Mursena  anguilla 


Branchiostegi 

^aTpa^oij/apo 
akoyo  Trj<;  Oakdcrarj^ 

Apodes 


(^l^ujOpaKO^apov) 
(amrapoypapov) 


(dxeA.li/) 


B.  February  11,  1800.  We  land  this  forenoon  at  Tzerina,  called  by  the  Italians  Cerina, 
and  by  the  Turks  Grherne.  It  is  the  ancient  Ceryneia,  and  is  now  a  small  town  with  a  Vene- 
tian fortification,  and  bad  port  on  the  north  eastern  coast  of  Cyprus.  It  is  reckoned  by  the 
Greek  sailors  eighty  miles  from  Kelenderi,  probably  less  than  sixty  English.  The  town  is 
situated  amidst  plantations  of  oranges,  lemons,  olives,  dates  and  other  fruit  trees,  and  all  the 
uncultivated  parts  of  the  plains  around  are  covered  with  bay,  myrtle  and  mastic.  On  the 
west  side  of  the  town  are  extensive  quarries,  among  which  some  catacombs  are  the  only 
remains  of  the  ancient  Ceryneia.  The  harbour,  bad  and  small  as  it  is,  must,  upon  a  coast  very 
deficient  in  maritime  shelter,  have  always  ensured  to  the  position  a  certain  degree  of  impor- 
tance. The  formation  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  north  side  of  Cyprus  is  very  singular :  it 
consists  of  a  high  rugged  ridge  of  steep  rocks,  running  in  a  straight  line  from  east  to  west, 
and  descending  abruptly  to  the  south  into  the  great  plain  of  Lefkosia,  and  to  the  north 
to  a  narrow  plain  bordering  the  coast.  Upon  several  of  the  rocky  summits  of  the  ridge  are 
castles  which  seem  almost  inaccessible.  The  slope  and  maritime  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks, 
on  the  north,  possess  the  finest  soil  and  climate,  with  a  plentiful  supply  of  water,  and  this  is 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  best  cultivated  districts  I  have  seen  in  Turkey. 

February  12.  Finding  it  impossible  to  procure  horses  in  time  to  enable  us  to  reach  the 
gates  of  Lefkosia  before  sunset,  when  they  are  shut,  we  are  under  the  necessity  of  remaining 
at  Tzerina,  to-day.  I  visit  a  large  ruined  monastery,  in  a  delightful  situation,  not  far  to  the 
eastward  of  Tzerina,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  sea.  It  contains  the  remains  of  a  handsome 
Grothic  chapel  and  hall,  and  bears  a  great  resemblance  to  the  ruins  of  an  English  abbey. 

February  13.  Tzerina  to  Lefkosia,  six  hours.  At  the  back  of  Tzerina  the  road  passes 
through  a  natural  opening  in  the  great  wall  I  have  already  described,  and  descends  into  the 
extensive  plain  of  Lefkosia.  This  is  in  some  places  rocky  and  barren,  and  is  little  cultivated 
even  where  the  soil  is  good.  Like  most  of  the  plains  of  Grreece,  it  is  marshy  in  the  winter  and 
spring,  and  unhealthy  in  the  summer.  On  the  west  and  south  are  the  mountains  which 
occupy  all  that  part  of  the  island,  and  the  slopes  of  which  produce  the  wines  exported  in  so 
large  a  quantity  from  Cyprus  to  all  the  neighbouring  coasts.  In  the  centre  of  the  plain 
is  Lefkosia  (Aev/cwo-ta),  called  Nicosia  by  the  Italians,  the  capital  of  the  island  and  of  the 
province  of  Itshili,  of  which  Cyprus  is  considered  a  part,  though  the  government  is  now 


SIBTHORP.    LEAKE.  HUME. 


339 


always  administered,  like  the  other  Greek  islands,  by  a  deputy  of  the  Qapudan  Pasha.  The 
ramparts  of  the  Venetian  fortifications  of  Lefkosia  exist  in  tolerable  preservation;  but  the 
ditch  is  filled  up,  and  there  is  no  appearance  of  there  having  been  a  covert  way.  There  are 
thirteen  bastions,  the  ramparts  are  lofty  and  solid,  with  orillons  and  retired  flanks.  There  is 
a  large  church  converted  into  a  mosque,  and  still  bearing,  like  the  great  mosque  at  Constan- 
tinople, the  Greek  name  S.  Sophia ;  it  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  Justinian,  but  this  may  be 
doubted,  as  Procopius,  in  his  work  on  the  edifices  of  that  emperor,  makes  no  mention  of  it. 
The  flat  roofs,  trellised  windows,  and  light  balconies  of  the  better  order  of  houses,  situated  as 
they  are  in  the  midst  of  gardens  of  oranges  and  lemons,  give  together  with  the  fortifications, 
a  respectable  and  picturesque  appearance  to  Lefkosia  at  a  little  distance,  but,  upon  entering 
it,  the  narrow  dirty  streets,  and  miserable  habitations  of  the  lower  classes,  make  a  very 
different  impression  upon  the  traveller ;  and  the  sickly  countenances  of  the  inhabitants 
sufficiently  show  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate.  At  Lefkosia  we  are  very  hospitably 
entertained  by  an  Armenian  merchant,  of  the  name  of  Sarkes,  who  is  an  English  baratli,  and 
under  that  protection  has  amassed  a  considerable  property,  and  lives  in  splendour ;  he  and 
his  relations  seem  to  occupy  all  the  principal  offices  of  the  island  held  hy  the  Christians,  such 
as  interpreter  and  banker  to  the  Mutesellim,  or  deputy  of  the  Qapudan  Pasha,  collector  of  the 
contributions  of  the  Christians,  head  of  the  Christian  community  &c. 

February  14.  From  iicfkosia  to  Ijarnaka,  eight  hours.  The  first  half  of  the  distance 
was  a  continuation  of  the  same  plain  as  before,  the  remainder  over  ragged  hills  of  soft  lime- 
stone, among  which  we  cross  some  long  ridges  of  selenite.  At  Larnaka  we  found  Sir  Sidney 
Smith  with  his  small  squadron  :  he  had  just  signed  a  treaty  for  the  evacuation  f)f  Egj'pt  by 
the  French. 

February  15.  We  pass  the  day  on  board  the  Tigre,  whore  we  find  (ieneral  Junot,  after- 
wards Duke  of  Abrantes,  and  Madame  Junot  and  (Jeneral  l)ui)uy  ;  the  latter,  next  to  Kleber, 
the  Senior  General  of  the  Army  of  Egypt.  They  were  taken  l)y  the  Theseus,  Captain  Styles, 
in  attempting  to  escape  from  Alexandria. 

The  town  of  Larnaka  stands  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and  has  a  quarter 
on  the  seaside,  called  'AAikc?  by  the  (ireeks,  and  Marina  by  the  Italians.  Li  the  intermediate 
space  are  many  foundations  of  ancient  walls,  and  other  remains,  among  the  gardens  and 
inclosure.s.  The  stones  are  removed  for  building  materials  almost  as  quickly  as  they  are 
discovered:  but  the  great  extent  of  these  vestiges,  and  the  numerous  antitiuities  which 
at  different  times  have  been  found  here,  seem  to  leave  little  doubt  that  Citium  stood  on  this 
spot,  the  most  ancient  and  important  city  upon  the  coast. 

March  2.  After  having  remaijied  several  days  at  Ijarnaka  ajid  Lefkosia,  we  arrived 
to-day  at  Tzerina,  on  our  return  to  Constantinople.  The  purity  of  the  air  on  the  north  coast  of 
Cyprus  is  very  sensibly  perceived,  after  leaving  the  interior  plains  and  the  unhealthy  situation 
of  Larnaka.  The  Turkish  troops  are  already  arriving  in  large  bodies,  on  their  way  home,  in 
the  faith  that  the  war  of  Egypt  is  concluded. 


C.  We  landed  at  the  seaport  or  Marina  of  Larnaca,  called  by  some  authors  Salines  from 
the  saltpans  in  its  neighbourhood.  It  stands  at  the  bottom  of  the  bay:  it  is  a  small  place, 
but  contains  a  mosciue,  a  church,  baths,  coffee-houses  and  well-filled  shops.  In  these  we 
observed  plain  and  striped  cottons;  mixed  stuffs  of  cotton  and  silk,  silk  purses,  tobacco  pipes, 
hardware,  books  in  modern  Greek.  Some  of  the  streets  are  rendered  cool  and  pleasant  in 
summer  by  a  canopy  of  vines.    Larnaca  is  situated  about  a  mile  to  the  east  of  the  Marina, 

43—2 


340 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


and  is  a  fine  village,  but  owes  all  its  beauty  to  the  delightful  gardens  in  the  neighbourhood, 
the  walks  of  which  are  overhung  with  the  jasmine,  the  evergreen  rose,  and  particularly  by  the 
Nerium  Oleander,  or  rose-bay.  This  grows  here  with  great  luxuriance,  and  is  remarkable  for 
the  cluster  of  pale  crimson  flowers,  and  forms  the  chief  ornament  of  the  gai'dens.  In  the  fields 
adjoining  the  town,  we  observed  the  caper-bush  in  flower,  as  well  as  the  Lycopersicon  or  love- 
apple. 

From  the  account  we  had  received  of  the  unhealthiness  of  Cyprus  we  were  under  con- 
siderable apprehensions  on  our  arrival,  and  were  cautious  at  first ;  but  such  is  the  effect 
of  habit,  that  in  a  short  time  we  walked  about  in  the  middle  of  the  day ;  among  the  natives 
not  a  creature  was  stirring  abroad  at  that  time,  but  in  the  morning  and  the  cool  of  the 
evening  there  is  a  considerable  bustle  among  them.  Except  the  oppression  produced  by 
excessive  heat,  I  remember  no  unpleasant  effect  from  the  air  of  the  island ;  in  summer,  how- 
ever, strangers  are  apt  to  be  affected  by  a  coup  de  soleil,  often  the  forerunner  of  fever  or 
death.  The  fevers  of  Cyprus  are  in  general  so  rapid  in  their  course,  that  there  is  little  time 
for  remission ;  but  in  one  case  I  saw  almost  an  intermission,  the  patient  walked  about  and 
said  he  was  in  perfect  health ;  but  from  the  appearance  of  his  eyes  and  hurried  manner,  it  was 
too  evident  this  was  not  the  case.  Those  men  who  died  of  the  fever  on  board  of  the  Ceres  had 
slept  all  night  on  shore.  The  sick  belonging  to  the  Thisbe  were  landed  at  Limasol,  and  kept 
in  a  tent  during  the  ship's  stay  there;  and  though  the  surgeon's  conduct  in  this  instance 
appears  to  have  been  rash,  I  did  not  hear  that  any  bad  consequences  followed  it. 

There  seemed  to  be  no  want  of  schools  at  Larnaca.  In  the  courts  of  private  houses 
I  have  seen  the  elder  boys  teaching  the  younger  to  read;  and  not  from  manuscript,  but 
printed  books,  of  these  they  have  a  considerable  number,  but  most  of  those  I  examined 
related  to  religious  subjects :  they  have  also  translations  from  the  European  languages. 

The  church  of  S.  Lazarus  at  the  Marina  is  a  large  heavy  building ;  instead  of  a  steeple, 
it  has  merely  a  circular  rising,  or  rude  dome,  on  its  roof ;  the  use  of  bells  being  prohibited  to 
the  Greeks  by  the  Turks.  The  church  is  spacious  and  large  inside,  is  ornamented  with  much 
carving  and  gilding,  and  has  some  paintings  ill-executed.  A  part  of  the  building  being  more 
elevated  than  the  rest,  and  separated  from  it  by  wooden  lattices,  is  appropriated  to  the 
women ;  but  it  has  no  kind  of  ornament.  From  the  area,  or  ground  floor,  which  at  the  time  of 
our  visit  was  kept  remarkably  clean,  a  flight  of  steps  leads  to  the  relics  and  pictures,  which 
are  all  placed  in  that  part  of  the  church  opposite  to  the  female  lattices.  Our  guide  took  care 
to  point  out  the  most  valuable  relic,  the  great  toe  of  S.  George,  who  at  one  time  was  held  in 
great  reverence  on  the  opposite  coast  of  Syria.  The  grand  object,  however,  of  our  guide's 
veneration  was  the  tomb  of  S.  Lazarus.  It  is  in  a  vault  under  ground,  and  said  by  the 
Cypriotes  to  be  possessed  of  sovereign  virtue,  being  able,  in  their  opinion,  to  restore  even  the 
dying  to  perfect  health,  if  they  be  laid  upon  the  tomb.  In  passing  to  this  our  friend  cast  an 
approving  glance  upon  a  picture  of  a  huge  saint,  with  a  dog's  head,  which  had  the  name 
Xpi(TTO(j>6po<;  written  above  it.  The  representation  resembled  extremely  the  common  figures  of 
Anubis.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  this  church  is  the  burying  ground  for  Protestants;  and 
here  I  took  notice  of  the  tombs  of  several  Englishmen,  who  had  all  died  in  the  summer,  when 
the  heat  is  excessive. 

The  Mahometan  burying  ground  in  this  part  of  the  island  is  full  of  grave-stones,  but 
inscriptions  are  not  common.  When  the  body  is  deposited  in  the  grave,  an  arch  is  built  over 
it  with  lath  and  plaster,  and  then  covered  with  earth :  we  saw  the  grave  open  in  places  where 
this  had  given  way. 

In  our  observations  on  the  domestic  habits  of  the  Cypriotes,  we  found  them  hospitable 


HUME. 


341 


and  obliging :  in  whatever  house  wo  entered  we  were  received  with  kindness.  Tlie  inhalii- 
taiits  in  general  are  well  clothed,  the  shops  are  well  filled,  and  the  women  of  the  middle 
classes  have  rich  dresses,  'i'here  seemed  to  be  no  want  of  provi.sions ;  they  have  sheep  and 
fowls  in  great  number ;  the  gardens  abound  with  vegetables  and  the  vines  hang  almost  every- 
where in  the  villages  with  luxuriant  clusters.  The  de.sserts  on  their  tables  consisted  of  the 
finest  fruits,  musk  and  water  melons,  apricots  &c.  The  musk-melons  we  seldom  tasted,  on 
account  of  their  supposed  tendency  to  produce  disease,  but  the  water  melons  afforded  an 
agreeable  bevei-age,  peculiarly  grateful  in  a  hot  climate. 

During  the  month  of  July,  1801,  we  were  twice  at  Limasol :  this  place  is  situated  in  the 
southern  part  of  Cyprus,  in  N.  lat.  34°.  39',  E.  Ion.  33°.  30'.  It  stands  at  the  e.xtremity  of  an 
open  bay,  and  is  a  long  straggling  town  intermixed  with  gardens,  inclosed  for  the  most  part 
by  stone  walls.  It  is  much  cooler  in  summer  than  Ijarnaca.  I  observed  in  the  fields  near  the 
town  the  wild  poppy  in  flower,  a  branchy  species  of  hypericum,  with  small  yellow  blossoms, 
a  species  of  orobanche  with  violet  coloured  flowers,  and  the  convolvulus.  The  gardens 
seemed  to  be  equally  productive  with  tho.se  of  Larnaca. 

We  went  to  Limasol  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  wood  and  water;  the  latter  was 
obtained  from  a  well  by  means  of  a  Persian  wheel  of  rude  construction,  turned  round  by  an 
ass.  The  well  was  in  a  sequestered  situation,  to  the  west  of  the  town,  overshadowed  l)y 
a  variety  of  trees,  among  which  were  the  i*alma  Christi,  or  Castor-oil  shrub,  and  the 
Morus  alba. 

The  plain  of  Limasol  is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  fertile  districts  in  the  island,  and  where 
the  ground  is  not  cultivated  there  are  clusters  of  the  olive  and  locust  tree,  and  the  evergreen 
Cypress.  No  tract  of  country  perhaps  affords  a  finer  variety  of  thorns  and  thistles;  and  there, 
as  well  as  at  Larnaca,  the  caper  bush  grows  luxuriantly.  Some  small  fields  near  the  town 
were  covered  with  toV)acco  and  cotton  plants,  and  in  this  plain  the  sugar-cane  is  said  to  have 
at  one  time  abounded  :  I  found  the  olive  on  the  banks  of  a  river,  the  bed  of  which  was  now 
dry,  and  on  the  borders  of  other  streams  a  num])er  of  trees  were  in  bloom,  such  as  the 
Mimosa,  the  Oleander,  the  Pomegranate,  and  the  Jasmine.  The  fruit  of  the  locust-tree  is  very 
astringent  when  green,  but  as  soon  as  it  ripens  it  becomes  sweet  and  pleasant,  and  in  the 
winter  season  constitutes  the  ordinary  food  of  the  sheep  and  goats.  In  the  hedges  that 
beautiful  shrub  the  Palma  Christi  is  quite  common,  and  its  ripe  fruit  is  sometimes  u.sed  by  the 
natives  medicinally,  but  I  do  not  know  that  they  have  ever  extracted  the  oil  as  an  article  of 
commerce.  The  vine  is  seen  growing  in  almost  every  courtyard,  and  its  fruit  is  uf  exquisite 
flavour;  but  the  richness  of  the  red  grape  brought  to  Limasol  in  little  hampers  from  the 
interior  is  perhaps  unequalled. 


Plants  collected  in  Cyprus  by  Dr  Hume. 
At  Limasol  in  July,  1801. 


Olea  (mropiva 
Paparer  rhn'os 
Moms  alba 


Rhainnus  paliurus 
Bobinia  spinosa 
Hypericum  repens 


Gossypium  hirsutum 
„  Iterbaceum 


rubra 


Poterium  spinosum 
JuniperuH 

Sem pervir7im  sediforme 

Puiiira  granatum 

Ononis 

Orobanche 

Nicotiana  p^mlla 

Onosma  orientalis 

Jasm ilium  g rami ijlo rum 


342 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


At  Larnaca  atid  Limasol  in  June  and  July,  1801. 


Convolvulus 

Carthamus  creticus 

„  repens 

Salsola  lanijlora 

Lepidium  latifolium 

Malva  sylvestris 

Hibiscus 

„  cypriana 

Chenopodium  album 

Mercurialis  tomentosa 

Ueliotropium  europaeum 

Eryngium  pusillum 

Amaranthus 

Fumaria  spicata 

Veronica  anagallis 

Anthemis  tinctoria 

Lv thrum  hyssom folium  (near  the  aqueduct) 

Plumbaqo  eurovaea 

Hypericum  nummularia 

Cyprus  fusca 

Statice  tartarica 

Rosa  sempervivens 

Adianthum 

jEnothera 

Antirrhinum  spurium 

„  hirta 

Nerium  oleayider 

Erigerum  viscosum 

Calendula  arvensis 

Galium  rubioides 

Solanum 

Echium  creticum 

„  nigrum 

Sideritis  incana 

„  lycopersicon 

Momordica  elaterium 

Polycarpon  tetraphyllum 

Reseda  luteola 

Chelidonium  glaucum 

Mentha 

Pteronia 

Myrtus  communis 

Lavendula 

Narcissus  tazetta 

Baccharis  dioscoridis 

Rosmarinus 

Ruta  chalepensis 

Capparis  spinosa 

Cistus  crispus 

Euphorbia 

„  creticus 

Hyoscyamus 

Ceratonia  siliqua 

Chrysanthemum  coronarium 

Ricinus  communis 

Panicum  glaucum 

Thymbra  spicata 

Inula  pulicaria 

Plantago  maritima 

D.    Plants  observed  by  the  Abate  Domenico  Sestini  between  Famagusta  and  Larnaca  in 
Cyprus  from  January  28  to  February  22,  1782. 

Ixia  unijiora,  in  flower  near  the  beach. 
Hyoscyamus  aureus  and  niger. 

Atropa  mandragora,  in  flower  and  abundant.  /aavSpayoCpi. 
Physalis  somnifera,  abundant  in  the  Fort  of  Famagusta. 
Lycium  europseum,  abundant  in  hedges. 

Cordia  myxa.    Birdlime  is  extracted  from  the  fruit,  and  is  sold  here  and  there.  nv^Ca. 

Rhamnus  paliurus,  abundant  in  hedges.  iraXXovpa. 

Tamarix  gallica. 

Scilla  maritima. 

Asphodelus  ramosus,  in  flower. 

Leontice  leontopetalum,  in  flower  in  fields  about  Larnaca. 


HUME.   SESTINI.  BROTOE. 


343 


Hyacinthus  botroides. 

Lawsonia  spinosa,  cultivated  in  gardens.  Henna. 
Melia  azederach.  \ov\ovSia. 
Opuntia.    Ficus  indica. 

Cistus  salvifolius  and  creticus,  from  the  latter  is  gathered  Ladanum. 
Anemone  pratensis,  in  flower. 
Hedysarum  tragacantha. 
Poterium  spinosum. 

Ricinus  communis.    Oil  is  occasionally  extracted  from  the  fruit. 
Momordica  elaterium. 

Pistacia  lentiscus.    Oil  is  extracted  as  in  Sicily,  o-xolvos. 
Populus  alba. 
Junipenos  sabina. 
Atriplex  halimus. 

Ceratonia  siliqua,  abundant  in  the  island,  especially  about  Mari.    A  considerable  trade  is 

done  in  the  pods  of  this  tree  called  in  Italian  Carube  or  Carubbe.  Ttparvid. 
Phoenix  dactylifera. 

E.  (End  of  August,  1802.)  I  embarked  in  a  small  boat  with  several  passengers  for 
Lameka  in  Cyprus,  which  in  Turkish  is  called  Tusla  from  the  adjacent  salt  works.  ...  On 
the  morning  of  the  seventh  day  from  our  departure  we  landed  at  Lameka.  The  heat  of  this 
part  of  Cyprus  is  very  intense ;  and  the  north-east  wind,  which  is  said  to  be  the  most  hot  and 
oppressive,  blew  at  the  time  of  my  arrival.  Calcslies,  in  other  places  used  as  a  luxury,  are 
here  almost  necessary;  for  though  the  town  be  but  at  a  small  distance  from  the  sea,  yet 
exposure  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  in  passing  thither  is  seldom  hazarded  with  impunity.  Agues 
and  complaints  of  the  eyes  are  common,  and  none  of  the  natives  have  the  appearance  of 
robust  health. 

The  bread  made  in  private  houses  in  Cyprus  is  unequalled,  except  perhaps  by  that  which 
is  prepared  for  the  table  of  the  Sultan  at  Constantinople.  It  is  composed  of  what  is  called 
fiore  di  farina.  The  flour  is  divided  into  three  parts  to  obtain  the  kind  which  is  proper  for 
manipulation.  The  first  separated  is  the  coarse  and  husky  part :  the  next,  the  white 
impalpable  powder:  after  whic;h  operation  remains  the  Jiorr  di  farina,  which  is  lu-ither  very 
finely  pulverized,  nor  remarkably  white,  and  is  by  far  the  smallest  quantity  of  the  whole  mass. 
This  is  found  to  contain  the  purest  part  of  the  wheat,  and  to  make  the  finest  bread. 


344 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


CYPRIANOS. 

Cyprianos,  an  Archimandrite  of  the  Church  of  Cj^rus,  printed  in  1788  at  Venice,  in  small  4to,  pp.  ix, 
406,  his  History  of  Cyprus,  which  he  dedicates  to  the  Archbishop  Chrysanthos.  We  translate  from 
pp.  300 — 332.  The  book  has  been  often  quoted,  but  never  translated.  The  edition  printed  at  Larnaca, 
1880 — 82,  is  in  the  worst  sense  a  rifaciinento,  impertinent  and  worthless.  Another  appeared  at  Nicosia 
in  1901. 

It  were  much  to  be  wished  that  the  gratitude  of  his  countrymen  had  preserved  to  us  some  account 
of  the  author.  He  was  born  at  Koilanion,  in  the  District  of  Limassol.  Sakellarios  says  he  studied  at 
Padua,  and  wrote  his  work  at  Venice.  The  history  begins  with  the  days  of  Kittim,  great-grandson  of 
Noah,  and  ends  in  1788.  Down  to  the  Ottoman  conquest  he  is  uncritical  and  out  of  date,  but  it  is  his  great 
merit  iirst  to  have  attempted  a  general  history  of  Cyprus  in  the  language  spoken  by  two-thirds  of  its  in- 
habitants :  and  for  the  careful  details  he  gives  of  the  re-organisation  of  the  island  by  its  Turkish  conquerors 
every  student  should  be  gi'ateful. 

The  piastre  of  1788  was  worth  about  Is.  10|d. ;  p.  5  made  a  Venetian  gold  sequin  of  9s.  5\d. 

In  the  Qanun-Nameh,  or  statistical  code  of  the  Empire,  originally  compiled  by  order  of  Sultan 
Suleiman  I.  (1520 — 1566),  the  Province  of  Cyprus  is  entered  as  furnishing  "  1667  swords,  of  which  40  are 
ziamets,  and  the  rest  timars.  The  hegs,  zaims,  timariots  and  jebelis  amount  to  4500  men.  Cyprus, 
9  ziamets,  38  timars.  Alayah,  0  ziamets,  152  timars.  Tarsus,  13  ziamets,  418  timars.  Sis,  2  ziamets, 
52  timars.  Icheili,  16  ziamets,  602  timars....  There  are  here  a  Defterdar  of  the  Treasury  and  of  the 
feuds,  a  Kiaya  and  Emin  of  the  Defter  and  CJiawushes,  an  Alay  Bey,  and  a  Yenicheri-bashi.  The  Sanjaqs 
are  IcheiU,  Tarsus,  Alayah,  Sis  or  Khas.  The  following  have  a  Salianeh  or  annual  allowance  from  the 
Treasury,  Kyrenia,  Paphos,  Famagusta  and  Nicosia.  It  is  a  large  island,  and  contains  30,000  Moslem 
warriors,  and  150,000  infidels."  (See  the  Traveller's  narrative — Seyyahat-Nameh  of  Evliya  Efendi, 
1611 — 1680,  translated  by  J.  von  Hammer,  4to,  London,  1834,  pp.  93  and  104.)  Sir  P.  Eycaut,  in  Knolles' 
Turkish  History,  6th  ed.  1687,  gives  the  figures  rather  differently,  and  adds  "the  government  of  Qibris 
hath  a  revenue  of  500,650  aspers." 

A  zaim  for  every  5000  aspers  of  rent,  a  timariot  for  every  3000,  received  from  the  Grand  Signor,  was 
required  to  bring  into  the  field  one  horseman  or  jebeli.  The  rent  of  a  zaim  was  always  under  100,000 
aspers :  above  that  sum  the  fief  would  be  that  of  a  sanjaq-bey.  The  rent  of  a  timariot  was  always  under 
20,000;  above  that  sum  tlie  fief  would  be  that  of  a  zaijn.  The  sipahi  received  their  pay  (12  to  100  aspers 
a  day)  direct  from  the  Treasury.  The  yenicheri  likewise  received  from  the  Treasury  1  to  12  aspers  a  day, 
with  rations  and  imiform.    Three  aspers  or  aqches  made  a  para  or  medin,  40  paras  a  piastre. 

The  tugh  or  tail  of  a  Pasha  is  "  a  staff  trimmed  with  the  tail  of  a  horse,  with  a  golden  ball  upon  the 
top." 

The  AFFAIRS  OF  THE  ISLAND  AFTEE  ITS  CAPTUEE  BY  THE  TURKS :  ITS  POLITICAL  AND 
MILITAEY  ORGANISATION.  THINGS  OLD  AND  NEW  SELECTED  FROM  ITS  HISTORY  UP 
TO  1788. 

After  the  unhappy  surrender  of  Ammochostos  on  August  6,  1571 — I  ought  rather  to 
call  it  the  general  captivity  and  enslavement  of  such  of  the  wretched  Cypriots  as  survived — 
Mustafa  Pasha,  the  General  Commanding  in  Chief  of  the  conquering  army,  received,  before 
sailing  for  Constantinople,  from  Saltan  Selim  II.,  commands  to  organise  and  arrange  with  all 
speed  such  matters  as  the  safety  of  the  island  required,  and  then  to  sail  for  the  capital.  At 
Ammochostos  he  set  up  as  governor  a  certain  Bey  of  Rhodes,  Forca  Framburaro,  a  Spaniard 
and  renegade,  and,  as  the  common  tradition  of  the  island  asserts,  a  Pasha  of  two  tails :  at 
Paphos  another  Pasha  of  two  tails ;  and  at  Nicosia,  as  being  the  former  royal  residence  and 


CYPHIANOS. 


345 


seat  of  government,  Muzaftar,  a  Pasha  of  three  tails,  and  of  higher  rank  than  the  others.  To 
him  was  entrusted  the  general  government  of  the  island. 

Mustafa  now  returned  to  Levkosia,  and  ordered  that  a  census  should  at  once  be  taken 
of  the  inhabitants  (in  ^Furkish  ri'aya  or  left)  remaining  in  Cyprus.  In  making  this  census  of 
the  villages  and  their  inhabitants,  he  not  only  used  the  books  and  accounts  of  the  Latin 
sovereigns,  to  discover  how  much  revenue  the  island  yielded  to  the  royal  treasury,  but 
examined  certain  unhappy  Cypriots,  once  chiefs  among  their  fellows,  who  after  the  sack  of 
Nicosia  came  down  from  the  mountains,  and  surrendered  as  ri'aya,  to  wit — Scipio  Caraifa, 
Peter  Paul  Syncleticos,  Tuzio  Constanzo,  Livio  Podocataro,  Giovanni  Muscorno,  Orsatto 
Lusignan  or  Lazania,  Giannetto  and  Ettore  de  Nores,  and  others  who  had  been  captured  and 
freed  on  payment  and  on  condition  of  remaining  ri'aya.  To  these,  the  story  goes,  he  left 
their  property,  and  even  enrolled  some  in  the  army,  though  it  is  douVjtful  indeed  if  he  would 
have  taken  Greeks  as  nipahi,  for  we  know  the  hatred  the  Turks  bear  to  other  races,  and 
their  distrust  of  Christians,  especially  such  as  they  have  conquered  in  war.  Nevertheless  the 
Parici  and  Perpiriarii,  who  were  slaves  of  the  chiefs  and  ujiper  classes,  who  could  not  own 
land,  and  whose  very  selves  and  children  were  their  masters'  property,  never  ceased  to  help 
the  Turks,  for  they  hoped  under  their  yoke  to  find  freedom  and  rest.  They  made  known  to 
the  commission  of  enquiry  and  to  the  Pasha  the  revenues,  estates,  villages,  and  even  in  detail 
the  families  in  each  village  and  their  houses.  And  the  Levkarites,  who  were  among  the  first 
to  submit,  paid  this  homage  of  their  own  accord,  and  received,  it  is  said,  certain  exemptions 
therefor. 

When  the  encpiiry  was  complete  there  was  found  a  taxable  population,  from  fourteen 
years  old  to  fifty,  Greeks,  Armenians,  Maronites,  Copts  and  other  races,  of  about  85,000,  not 
reckoning  women,  children  and  old  men.  Before  the  capture  there  was  a  total  population, 
as  we  learn  from  tlie  historian  Coroiielli,  of  197,000  souls,  so  that  we  may  accept  the  statement 
that  after  the  Turkish  occupation  18,000  taxable  nuiles  were  entered  in  the  registers.  Leave 
then  was  given  to  these  people  at  a  very  small  ransom  to  hold  land,  and  to  cultivate  it  as  their 
own,  and  without  further  charge  to  hand  it  down  to  their  cliildren,  being  Ijound  only  to  pay 
the  so-called  third  of  the  produce,  which  varied  according  to  the  locality,  and  might  bi-  a  fifth 
or  seventh  or  eighth  (jr  tenth.  The  inhabitants  were  further  divided  into  three  classes,  as  the 
order  stands  now,  and  (as  many  believe)  has  stood  from  of  old.  Men  of  the  first  class  paid 
each  a  yearly  poll-tax  or  kliaraj  oi  eleven  piastres.  Those  of  the  second  and  less  prosperous 
class  paid  five  and  a  half:  the  poorest  or  third  class  three  piastres  only.  Hut  Fra  N'incenzo 
Coronelli,  the  official  geographer  of  Venice,  writing  of  the  island  after  the  Turkish  conquest, 
says  that  the  Cypi-iot  rayah  was  made  to  pay  six  piastres  for  the  privilege  of  following  his 
religion.  And  Fra  Angelo  Calepio,  a  native  of  Levkosia,  who  was  taken  captive  in  tlie  siege 
of  that  city,  and  wrote  an  account  of  the  two  sieges,  says  much  the  same.  It  appears  that 
over  eight  hundred  villages  were  entered  on  the  list,  probably  as  thinly  inhabited  then  as  we 
have  known  tiiom. 

And  as  at  that  time  there  was  great  dearth  in  the  island,  because  the  land  was  left 
unsown  on  account  of  the  war,  ami  especially  the  Mesaorian  pWm,  which  had  been  wasted  by 
the  enemy's  foraj^,  Mustafa  Pasha,  by  command  of  the  Sultan,  disbanded  his  numerous 
regiments,  and  sent  the  men  to  their  homes;  those  only  remained  who  were  rewarded  for 
their  bravery  with  pensions,  and  others  who  wished  to  .settle  in  Cyprus :  and,  as  Calepio  says, 
and  as  he  heard  from  others  while  a  slave  in  Constantinople,  about  20,000  Turks  remained  as 
settlers :  perhaps  he  means  that,  seeing  the  island  so  scantily  inhabited,  the  Pasha  left  so 
many  men  as  a  colony  rather  than  a  garrison. 


346 


EXCBRPTA  CYPRIA. 


While  this  enumeration  of  the  villages  and  their  inhabitants  was  in  progress,  he  arranged 
the  military  system  necessary  for  the  defence  of  the  island.  There  were  detailed  for  the 
whole  of  Cyprus  1000  yenicheri,  with  their  commandant  the  yenicheri-agha,  and  another 
officer  under  him,  the  qol-hiaya,  the  fourth  in  rank  of  the  four  aghas  of  Levkosia,  and 
28  chorbaji  of  the  same  corps,  of  whom  14  were  styled  yayahashi,  that  is  to  say  captains 
respectively  of  horse  and  foot.  He  enrolled  also  2666  sipahi  under  42  zaim ;  32  of  these  were 
posted  to  the  garrison  of  Levkosia,  and  10  to  those  of  Ammochostos  and  Paphos.  To  the 
command  of  these  zaim  and  sipahi  were  appointed  three  superior  officers  called  Alay  Bey, 
the  chief  of  these  being  stationed  at  Levkosia,  and  the  other  two,  who  were  subordinate  to 
him,  at  Ammochostos  and  Paphos.  These  are  the  two  so-called  ojaqs  of  the  sipahi  and 
yenicheri,  that  is  to  say  the  two  corps  of  cavalry  and  infantry,  to  whose  guardianship  was 
committed  the  safety  of  the  whole  island. 

To  each  corps  was  assigned  its  necessary  pay.  To  the  yenicheri  each  year  12,000 
piastres,  collected  from  24  muqata'a,  fiefs  specially  dedicated  to  this  service,  to  wit,  the 
Customs  of  Larnax,  Lemesos,  Paphos,  Ammochostos  and  Kyrenia :  the  two  Salines  of  Larnax 
and  Lemesos :  and  sixteen  villages,  Ashia,  Levconico,  Enagrai,  Kiades,  Elia,  Koilanion, 
Palaikythron,  Kazaphani,  Bitzada,  Apalestra,  Peristerona,  Pege,  Levka,  Lemesos,  Eski  Shehr 
or  Palaia  Chora,  Achera,  Lapithos,  and  other  besides.  The  land  of  these  villages  pays  tithe 
on  all  its  pi'oduce,  and  their  inhabitants  pay  each  one  piastre  yearly  for  the  tax  called  spenza. 
To  the  same  corps  is  assigned  the  iktisabliq,  that  is  to  say  one  of  the  chorbaji  is  appointed  to 
examine  from  time  to  time  the  sale  price  of  comestibles :  the  same  officer  seals  all  fabrics  of 
cotton,  linen  and  wool :  he  is  assisted  by  two  yenicheri  called  yasaqji,  and  these  too  take 
some  small  duty  on  all  loads  which  enter  and  leave  Levkosia.  Other  2000  piastres  are  assigned 
towards  the  yearly  cost  of  this  corps,  and  these  are  levied  from  the  rents  of  the  water  of 
Episcopi,  Colossion  and  Levka,  and  from  certain  imperial  spenzai,  payable  here  and  there  by 
the  inhabitants  of  particular  villages.  The  auditor  of  this  revenue,  appointed  solely  for  this 
duty,  is  the  defterdar  efendi,  the  first  in  rank  of  the  four  aghas  of  Levkosia.  This  officer  had 
formerly  a  defterdar-kiaya,  and  seven  villages  for  his  personal  pay,  Peristerona  near  Morphou, 
Petia,  Amiantus,  Galata,  Kalliana,  Peristerona  near  Paphos,  and  Anogyra,  from  which  he  still 
receives  a  fifth  of  the  produce,  an  eighth  of  the  barley,  and  a  spenza  fixed  at  six  piastres  for 
each  inhabitant.  The  aghas  of  Levkosia,  or  the  richest  of  them,  farm  out  the  twenty-four 
fiefs  (muqata'a)  and,  after  the  system  called  tadakhul,  or  anticipative  encashment  of  three  or 
even  five  years'  dues,  they  clear  four  times  as  much,  so  that  the  12,000  piastres  mount  up  to 
47,000  piastres  a  year. 

But  of  the  cavalry  corps,  each  division — sipahi  and  timar — was  paid  from  the  tithes  of 
all  the  villages  not  assigned  to  the  yenicheri,  and  from  the  annual  spenza  paid  by  their 
inhabitants.  Besides  these  were  two  minor  commands  or  sanjaqs,  of  Paphos  and  Carpasion, 
with  an  income  of  10,000  piastres,  perhaps  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Pashas  of  those  districts. 
The  sanjaq  of  Paphos  was  paid  out  of  the  tithes,  spenza  and  garden  tax  of  24  villages  in  the 
two  sub-districts  or  qaziliqs  of  Paphos  and  Abdim.  That  of  Carpasion,  in  the  same  way, 
from  seven  villages  of  the  qaziliqs  of  Ammochostos  and  Carpasion.  But  after  a  time,  when 
these  two  pashaliqs  were  suppressed,  and  there  remained  only  one  I^sha  at  Nicosia  as 
Grovernor-General  of  the  island,  the  income  from  Ammochostos  and  Carpasion  was  dedicated 
to  a  mosque  at  Constantinople,  under  which  it  was  farmed  by  notables  of  that  city.  And  in 
the  same  way  the  so-called  chiftliqs  (farms)  of  Morphou,  Polis  tes  Chrysochou,  and  Kouklia, 
with  their  dependent  villages,  fourteen  belonging  to  Kouklia,  seven  to  Polis :  Morphou 
counting  only  its  own  inhabitants.    The  labourers  of  these  chiftliqs  pay  only  two  Turkish 


CYPRIANOS. 


347 


florins  a  piece  in  imperial  taxes.  Tlie  Pasha  of  Levkosia  used  to  take  the  revenue  of  the 
sanjaq  of  Paphos,  as  well  as  the  pay  of  the  defterdar-kiaya,  the  two  making  up  9000  piastres, 
which  were  collected  from  the  muqata'a  of  the  two  villages  of  Zodias,  and  partly  from  other 
villages,  for  the  office  of  defterdar-kiaya  had  been  suppressed  long  since  as  superfluous. 

It  appears  moreover  that  the  Turks  were  not  satisfied  with  the  old  division  of  the  island, 
as  it  stood  under  the  Tjusignan  kings,  into  twelve  districts,  but  redi\'ided  it  into  seventeen 
qaziliqs,  Levkosia,  with  Oriiii,  Kythraia,  Mesaoria,  Ammochostos,  Carpasion :  Paphos,  with 
Chrysophou,  Kouklia,  Avdimi :  Larnax,  with  Lemesos,  Episcopi,  Koilanion :  and  Kyrenia, 
with  Morphou,  Pentagia  and  Levka.  These  comprised,  as  we  have  said  before,  850  villages. 
Yet  in  this  18th  century  only  550  remain,  and  these  much  less  thickly  peopled  than  the 
older  ones.  This,  there  is  little  doubt,  was  the  oldest  arrangement,  older  than  the  Christian 
kings,  when  the  island  had  tenfold  as  many  inhaliitaiits  as  now.  In  each  of  five  larger 
villages  or  towns  on  the  seashore  was  installed  an  officer  called  a  dulehan  or  zahit.  They 
were  named  by  the  Governor  or  Pasha  for  the  time  being,  and  were  dependent  on  htm. 
These  were  stationed  at  Larnax,  Lemesos,  Paphos,  Kyrenia  and  Ammochostos,  and  paid  yearly 
to  the  Governor  5000  piastres.  For  the  defence  of  the  coast  from  the  incursions  of  corsairs  or 
hostile  vessels  there  were  eleven  serdars  from  the  above  named  corps,  sent  with  the  privity 
of  the  Governor,  as  well  as  others  called  dindnrs,  chosen  to  direct  the  defence  of  the  fortresses 
of  Ammochostos,  Lemesos,  Larnax,  Paphos  and  Kyrenia.  Thus  you  have,  kind  reader,  a  .sort 
of  sketch,  although  not  a  very  clear  one,  of  the  organisation  of  this  unhappy  island  from  the 
Turki.sh  conquest  up  to  the  present  day. 

I  am  bound  to  say  something  too  about  the  religious  organisation  of  the  Turks  in  the 
island,  at  least  as  it  exists  at  present.  A  molla  is  sent  from  Constantinople  for  perhaps  a 
year  or  more  as  guardian  and  defender  of  the  faith,  and  as  judge  in  commercial  disputes, 
differences,  de])t,  damage  and  insult,  in  contracts  of  marriage  and  titles  to  houses  and  lands, 
with  power  to  decide  and  to  punish  with  ff)rty  stripes  save  one.  Under  his  juri.sdiction  lie  the 
five  qaziliqs  of  Levkosia  and  Orini,  Kythraia,  Morphou,  Pentagia  and  Carpasion,  from  wliose 
inhabitants  he  receives  a  monthly  salary.  To  the  other  qaziliqs  are  sent  qnzis  of  the  class 
of  readers  of  the  Qoran,  natives  or  strangers,  who  judge  in  the  disputes  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  villages  in  their  qaziliq,  and  receive  from  tliem  a  small  monthly  salary,  for  their  own 
maintenance,  and  in  repayment  of  the  sum  claimed  either  by  the  molla  at  Levkosia,  or  by  the 
perscms  at  Constantinople  who  have  the  right  of  farming  out  these  offices.  The  whole  monthly 
sum  paid  by  them  exceeds  2000  piastres,  some  paying  less  than  100,  some  more,  according  as 
their  qaziliqs  are  thickly  or  sparsely  peopled.  What  the  molla  receives  and  pays  I  do  not 
know  exactly,  but  I  imagine  that  his  yearly  income  exceeds  15,000  piastres,  clear  of  all 
outgoings. 

As  we  have  already  said,  after  the  capture  of  Ammochostos,  and  up  to  the  new  harvest 
of  the  following  year  1572,  there  prevailed  great  and  distressing  dearth  and  famine,  the  result 
of  ihv  war;  although  Mustafa  Pasha,  and  others  who  were  put  in  authority  under  him,  tried 
to  encourage  the  peasants  to  sow,  yet  the  result  was  small,  because  they  had  not  sufficient 
seed.  The  very  few  Cypriots  of  the  ruling  clas.ses  who  were  left  after  the  war  gained  their 
freedom  somehow  or  other,  but,  like  other  citizens  of  Levkosia,  were  stripped  of  all  their 
goods,  and  having  no  other  way  of  gaining  a  livelihood  and  the  means  of  paying  the  poll-tax, 
became  labourers  and  muleteers,  hawking  wine  and  the  like  from  place  to  place,  and  selling 
it  to  get  a  living:  a  humble  employment,  and  very  different  froiu  their  old  stately  condition. 
The  inhabitants  of  Ammochostos  remained  in  their  houses,  and  appeared  at  the  time  to  be  the 
owners,  yet  afterwards  the  Turks  dispossessed  many  of  them,  oti  the  pretext  that  they  were 

44—2 


348 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


tenants  only,  not  owners ;  and  thus  they  bore  all  the  unimaginable  ills  which  these  new  and 
bad  neighbours  could  inflict  upon  them. 

Mustafa  Pasha,  with  twenty-one  galleys,  returned  as  a  conqueror  to  Constantinople, 
expecting  to  be  received  with  great  honour  and  ceremony :  but  as  he  arrived  just  at  the  time 
of  that  marvellous  naval  victory  of  the  Venetians  over  the  Turkish  fleet,  and  the  destruction 
of  about  30,000  Turks — which  took  place  on  October  6  in  the  gulf  of  Arta,  near  Zacynthos — 
the  people  of  Constantinople  were  too  terrified  to  go  out  as  usual  to  meet  him :  they  gave  him 
no  public  reception,  fired  no  cannon,  and  very  few  persons  went  to  congratulate  him.  The 
whole  population  of  the  capital  was  deeply  grieved  at  the  destruction  of  their  Armada,  for 
one  had  lost  a  son,  another  a  father,  brother,  husband  or  kinsman ;  and  all  agreed  in  ascribing 
to  Mustafa  the  stirring  up  the  war  against  Venice.  We  saw,  in  one  narrative  of  the  war, 
how  the  Vazir,  Mehmed  Pasha,  dissuaded  Sultan  Selim  from  such  an  enterprise,  wishing  to 
preserve  the  peace  with  the  Venetians,  while  Mustafa  Pasha  first  moved  the  Sultan  to  the 
acquisition  of  Cyprus,  with  a  view  of  gaining  his  sovereign's  favour,  and  of  representing  the 
Vazir,  who  was  also  the  Sultan's  son-in-law,  as  an  enemy  and  conspirator.  The  aversion 
shown  to  him  by  the  inhabitants  of  Constantinople  disturbed  him  greatly,  and  between 
disgust  and  fear  he  saw  at  every  moment  death  imminent. 

Just  then,  that  is  soon  after  the  return  of  Mustafa,  certain  Greeks  of  Ammochostos 
arrived  at  Constantinople  as  envoys  to  the  Vazir  Mehmed  Pasha,  begging  him  to  ratify  the 
conditions  made  by  the  said  Mustafa.  He  ratified  them,  allowing  them  to  live  as  Greek 
Christians,  on  condition  that  no  Christian  of  the  Latin  Church  should  be  found  among  them : 
for  to  the  Latins  he  would  grant  neither  church  nor  house,  and  those  who  remained  in  Cyprus 
were  obliged  to  frequent  the  Greek  churches,  and  forbidden  to  hold  property  in  the  island. 
He  permitted  the  Greeks  to  keep  their  own  Cathedral  Church,  and  the  chapel  of  S.  Symeon, 
inside  Famagusta,  and  they  might  redeem  at  will  the  monasteries  annexed  by  certain  Turks. 
They  might  buy  houses,  fields  and  other  property,  enjoy  them  without  interference,  and 
bequeath  them  as  they  would.  The  Greeks  too  were  to  have  in  Cyprus  preference  and 
precedence  over  every  other  nation.  They  were  further  allowed  to  have  such  houses  in 
Ammochostos  as  the  Turks  had  not  occupied :  if  a  Turk  wished  to  sell  a  house  the  Greeks 
should  have  the  right  of  preemption,  but  if  the  Turks  were  v;nwilling  to  sell,  they  might 
remain  their  tenants.  S.  Nicolas,  the  Cathedral  Church  of  the  Latins  in  Ammochostos,  became 
a  mosque,  and  the  other  churches  were  used  as  stables  for  horses,  stores  for  merchandise,  or 
receptacles  of  rubbish.  The  Greeks,  who  to  a  certain  extent  preferred  to  be  subject  to  the 
Ottoman,  rather  than  to  a  Latin,  power,  were  even  glad  in  all  their  wretchedness,  because  so 
far  as  concerned  their  rites  and  customs,  they  escaped  the  tyranny  of  the  Latins.  For  the 
Patriarch  of  Constantinople,  and  the  rest  of  the  Greek  clergy,  looked  on  the  Greek  bishops 
of  Cyprus  and  their  flocks  as  Latins,  and  would  not  receive  them  into  communion  with  the 
Church  accordingly.  Particularly  when  the  Cypriots  went  to  Jerusalem,  the  Patriarch  there 
and  his  clergy  rejected  them  as  excommunicate  and  of  Latin  tendencies,  because  they  were 
subject  to  the  Latin  bishops.  And  even  more  energetically  did  they  repel  the  Greek  bishops 
of  Cyprus,  because  they  were  chosen  by  the  royal  council  and  confirmed  by  the  Latin  bishops. 
For  this  reason  the  Greek  population  generally  nourished  in  their  breasts  an  implacable  hatred 
against  the  Latins,  and  were  impatient  for  the  moment  of  their  deliverance. 

The  bishops,  both  Greek  and  Latin,  the  abbots  and  higher  clergy,  had  been  in  great 
part  slaughtered,  some  had  died,  others  were  enslaved.  The  Latin  Archbishop  alone  escaped, 
for  he  happened  to  be  at  Venice  before  the  war  began,  and  remained  there.  The  monasteries 
were  stripped  and  secularised :  the  monks  changed  their  habit  and  fled  whither  they  could, 


CYPRIAXOS. 


349 


some  hiding  themselves  in  the  mountains.  The  older  men  and  leading  Greeks  went  in  a  body- 
to  the  Vazir  Mehmed  Pasha,  and  begged  him  to  divide  the  bishoprics  of  Cyprus  among  monks 
who  were  in  priest's  orders,  and  to  suffer  them  to  receive  consecration  from  the  Patriarch  of 
Constantinople.  The  question  was  still  pending  when  a  Syrian  monk  of  Arab  birth,  who 
happened  to  be  at  Constantinople,  heard  what  the  Cypriots  wanted  and  ran  to  the  \^azir,  and 
with  a  gift  of  three  thousand  Venetian  sequins  prevailed  upon  Mehmed  Pasha  to  grant  him 
the  Archbishopric  of  Cyprus.  The  Patriarch  was  compelled  to  consecrate  him,  and  he  came 
to  Cyprus  with  two  Janissaries  given  him  by  the  Porte,  and  with  urgent  commands  to 
Muzaffar  Pasha,  Governor  of  Levkosia,  to  instal  hi  m  in  tlie  Archbishopric.  The  monster 
began  to  rule  the  few  Greeks  who  remained  cliieHy  in  the  villages  with  great  tyranny,  trying 
to  exact  the  3000  sequins,  and  to  make  as  much  again,  and  inasmuch  as  he  was  a  savage 
tyrant,  a  perfect  stranger  to  the  Cypri(jts,  ignorant  of  their  language,  and  even  of  the  Greek 
alphabet,  the  Greeks  were  furious,  and  agreed  to  choose  in  his  room  another  abbot.  Him 
they  despatched  to  Constantinople  to  try  to  oust  the  Arab,  and  procure  his  own  appointment 
to  the  see.  At  that  moment  there  chanced  to  be  in  Constantinople  a  monk  of  a  good  Cypriot 
family  residing  at  Acre  (or  by  name  d'Acrc — cf.  Lusignan,  p.  82  a),  wlio  was  a  great  friend 
of  the  Patriarch,  and  was  anxious  to  get  the  post.  The  abbot  heard  of  this,  and,  without 
presenting  liimself  to  the  Patriarch,  hurried  off  at  once  to  Adrianople,  where  the  whole  of  the 
Porte  was,  and  after  borrowing  a  great  many  sequins  in  his  cliaracter  of  an  envoy  from 
Cyprus — for  those  he  brought  with  him  were  by  no  means  enough — did  his  utmost,  and 
obtained  from  Mehmed  Pasha  the  Archbishopric.  Hut  (Timothy)  the  monk  from  Acre 
exercised  thnnigh  the  Patriarch  such  iuHuence  that  he  forced  the  alibot  to  resign  in  his 
favour,  and  to  accept  in  lieu  of  the  Archbishopric  the  bishopric  of  Paplios.  At  the  same 
time  the  abbot  of  the  monastery  of  Koutzoventi,  who  had  been  ran.somed  from  .slavery,  was 
in  Constantinople,  and  obtained  the  bishopric  of  Lemesos ;  while  a  Cretan  monk,  chaplain  of 
S.  Symeon  in  Aniinochostos,  was  ap])()inted  to  tliat  see.  This  is  the  new  order  of  di.stricts 
and  sees  after  the  conquest  of  lo72,  described  in  a  confused  fashion  by  Calepio. 

In  February  of  the  same  year  1572,  after  the  terrible  defeat  of  the  Turkish  Armada,  a 
few  Turkish  vessels  appeared  off  Ammochostos.  The  Turks  in  the  town  saw  them  from  afar, 
and  fearing  they  might  be  the  vanguard  of  the  Christian  fleet,  came  to  terms  with  the 
Christian  inhabitants  for  the  preservation  of  their  lives.  Many  of  them  put  on  caps  and 
clothes  such  as  the  Christians  wore  :  many  fled  to  Levkosia,  because  the  walls  of  Ammochostos 
were  still  in  ruin-s,  and  determined  to  surrender  without  a  struggle.  The  Pashas  of  the 
capital  and  Ammochostos  sent  three  chawushes  to  the  Sultan,  to  whom  they  set  forth  the 
peril  which  be.set  the  island.  The  alarm  spread  through  Constantinople;  they  said  that  the 
garrison  of  Cyprus  consisted  only  of  2000  ijcnirJuri  and  800  horsemen.  Five  hundred 
yenicheri  were  despatched  at  once  over  land,  and  by  sea  four  galleys,  with  five  small  ve.ssels 
to  collect  horses  and  men  from  Caramania.  A  similar  force  was  sent  to  garrison  Rhodes, 
with  a  Bey  and  four  armed  galleys.  For  Sultan  Selim  was  greatly  afraid  (if  losing  thei^e  two 
islands  and  the  adjoining  coasts.  But  the  alarm  was  soon  dispelli'd,  and  thereafter  the  Turks 
in  Cyprus  remained  at  rest. 

At  last,  after  the  great  calamity  which  had  reduced  the  island  to  misery,  somehow  or 
other  the  poverty-stricken  inhabitants  began  little  by  little  to  address  themselves  again 
to  the  culture  of  the  soil,  to  some  small  commerce  with  strangers,  and  to  tho.se  few  arts  which 
still  survived  in  the  towns.  At  the  very  beginning  the  dues  and  outgoings  did  not  pre.ss  so 
very  hardly  on  the  rayali,  because  the  Porte  knew  how  the  country  had  been  impoverished 
by  the  war:  and  the  Pashas  sent  to  govern  it  were  to  sonu'  ('xtcnt  controlled  by  the  Porte, 


350 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


lest  their  harshness  should  drive  the  rayah  to  leave  the  island,  or  at  least  to  revolt,  for  which 
his  degraded  condition  would  be  an  excuse.  So  that  after  fifteen  or  twenty  years  the 
Christians  redeemed  nearly  all  the  monasteries  from  those  who  had  seized  them,  and  much 
of  the  church  lands  as  well.  Churchmen  of  position  left  money  for  masses  for  the  repose  of 
their  souls,  or  bestowed  it  by  way  of  gifts. 

Yet  there  were  still  a  few  who  contrived  somehow  to  escape  from  the  island,  not  enduring 
a  new  and  barbarous  yoke :  these  were  scattered  abroad  over  Crete  and  the  Morea  and  Corfu 
and  Venice ;  for  the  two  islands  were  then  under  Venetian  rule.  But  hardly  fifty  years  had 
passed  when  the  taxes  imposed  on  the  rayah  were  increased,  and  the  Pashas  one  after  another 
in  their  insatiable  avarice  trampled  down  the  people,  and  the  aghas  who  had  already  come 
from  Constantinople  to  make  money,  and  others  who  followed  them,  were  a  burden  on  the 
inhabitants.  The  island  was  sufFering  from  repeated  droughts,  and  the  ravages  of  locusts, 
the  peasants  began  to  emigrate,  and  the  country  was  gradually  becoming  a  desert.  Often 
enough  the  rayahs  laid  their  griefs  before  the  Porte,  declaring  that  it  was  impossible  for  the 
island  to  bear  the  cost  of  a  Pasha  and  his  train :  and  especially  through  a  great  dearth  in  1640, 
and  in  the  following  year  a  terrible  plague,  the  island  was  wasted  and  ruined.  The  Porte 
gave  heed  at  last  to  the  manifest  sufferings  of  the  people,  and  sent  a  muvela  or  examiner, 
who  sought  out  and  wrote  down  name  by  name  every  rayah  in  Cyprus,  and  found  (they 
say)  hardly  25,000,  including  old  men  and  children  of  twelve  and  fourteen.  From  that  date 
the  Porte  removed  the  two  Pashas  of  Paphos  and  Ammochostos,  and  left  only  the  Pasha  of 
three  tails  at  Levkosia,  though  his  train  was  somewhat  curtailed  of  followers  and  servants. 
The  taxes  too  were  somewhat  lightened,  but  the  kharaj  remained  as  before :  and  the  Porte 
published  a  firman,  that  Cypriots  wherever  they  might  be  were  to  return  to  their  country, 
where  they  would  only  have  to  pay  the  second  year  eight  or  ten  piastres  each  as  taxes. 

After  the  Porte  had  shown  thus  much  interest  in  the  island,  Cypriots  scattered  here 
and  there  heard  of  it,  and  those  who  were  free  from  family  burdens  returned  to  their 
country,  hoping  they  would  find  the  exactions  lightened,  according  to  the  imperial  commands. 
Furthermore,  about  the  same  time  fortune-hvmters  from  Constantinople  were  debarred  from 
taking  the  aghaliqs  on  coming  to  Cyprus,  and  the  Turkish  zaims  and  sipahi  who  were  left 
in  the  island  began  to  hold  the  four  local  aghaliqs,  the  Porte  being  really  desirous  to  relieve 
the  country  of  some  of  its  many  burdens.  For  many  of  the  Turks  settled  in  Cyprus  were 
sufficiently  rich  and  influential.  They  farmed  their  offices  however  from  Constantinople, 
not  from  the  Pasha  for  the  time  being.  Nevertheless  hardly  twenty  years  passed,  and  the 
rayahs  were  rather  fewer  than  more  in  number ;  because  the  commands  of  the  Porte  were 
again  neglected,  and  the  insatiate  Pashas  exacted  taxes  as  before,  or  even  threefold  more 
greedily.  Drought,  the  incessant  ravages  of  locusts,  and  the  failure  of  commerce  by  reason 
of  the  wars  waged  by  the  Sultan  with  the  Venetians  in  Crete  and  the  Morea,  and  other 
troubles  innumerable,  reduced  the  Cypriots  to  such  straits  that  many  fled  to  the  Syrian 
coast  with  their  families. 

We  are  led,  although  with  no  great  certainty,  to  conclude  that  on  account  of  the  desolate 
state  of  the  island  in  the  year  after  the  conquest  of  Crete,  or  even  before  this,  the  Porte 
reduced  Cyprus  from  a  pashaliq  and  placed  it  under  the  supervision  of  the  Qapudan  Pasha, 
by  whom  there  was  appointed  from  time  to  time  as  its  chief  a  petty  governor  or  muselUm, 
with  a  fixed  salary  of  12,000  pieces  of  Seville,  or  about  15,000  piastres,  which  impost  was 
called  nuzul.  For  the  collection  of  the  hharaj  there  was  sent  from  Constantinople  a  special 
collector,  and  it  is  said  that  he  distributed  among  the  rayahs  15,000  notices  of  assessment. 
Another  tax,  called  ma'ishet,  was  claimed  and  paid  every  year  to  the  Qapudan  Pasha.  This 


CYPRIANOS. 


351 


being  the  state  of  affairs,  the  local  aghas,  who  had  grown  in  importance  through  their  wealth, 
their  dignity,  and  protection  at  the  capital,  set  to  work  and  obtained  from  the  Qapudan 
Pasha  the  administration  of  these  revenues :  and  whether  under  orders  from  Constantinople 
they  farmed  them,  or  collected  them  as  agents,  it  was  they  who  appeared  then  to  be  the 
masters  and  rulers  of  the  island.  It  is  easy  to  uTiderstand  this  from  a  narrative  of  the  revolt 
of  the  famous  Mehmed  Agha  Boyaji-Oghlu,  which  appears  to  have  happened  about  1680. 
This  narrative  I  get  directly  from  that  worthy  gentleman  Monsieur  Benoit  Astier,  Consul  of 
France,  who  has,  up  to  this  present  year  1788,  presided  in  a  highly  becoming  manner  over 
the  honourable  guild  of  French  merchants  in  Cyprus,  and  has  always  in  his  dealings  both  with 
governors  and  governed  shown  kindly  feeling  and  given  useful  help:  in  whose  honour  I  .set 
down  his  statement  in  his  own  words. 

A  NARRATIVE  OF  AN  OLD  REBELLION  IN  CyPRU.S,  WHICH  MONSIEUR  ASTIER,  CONSUL  OF 

France,  set  down  on  Dece.mber  20,  1764. 

I  learnt  something  from  popular  tradition,  and  I  also  obtained  excellent  information 
from  the  lips  of  an  aged  Turk  of  97,  and  from  a  Greek  almost  as  old,  who  had  both  been 
eyewitnes.ses  of  a  rebellion  which  occurred  in  this  i.sland  abcmt  eighty  years  ago,  and  lasted 
seven  whole  years.  Cyprus  was  then,  like  Rhodes  and  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago,  under 
the  rule  of  the  Qapudan  Paxha.  The  yearly  kharuj  due  to  the  Porte  was  collected  bj'  a 
kharaji;  the  maHshet  was  collected  on  behalf  of  the  Qapudan  Pasha;  and  the  nuzul  was 
assigned  for  the  maintenance  of  the  governor  sent  by  that  officer.  It  was  fi.xed  at  12,000 
pieces  of  Seville  (Spanish  dollars)  then  worth  fifty  paras  each. 

The  aghas  of  Levkosia  who  farmed  these  imposts,  sometimes  one  sometimes  another 
of  them,  fell  to  rivalry  and  quarrelling;  then  they  took  up  arms  and  attacked  one  another, 
until  Mehnied  Boyaji-Oghhi  g(jt  the  nuistery  over  them  all,  was  proclaimed  leader,  and  stood 
out  as  a  rebel  for  seven  years.  He  paid  every  year  to  the  kharaji  sent  by  the  Porte  the 
appointed  kharaj,  which  these  collectors  had  hitherto  to  beg  for,  and  u.'sed  to  keep  for 
their  own  ends.  He  appointed  in  all  the  qaziliqn  men  devoted  to  himself,  who  were  the 
administrators.  The  i'orte  learning  that  this  Boyaji-Oghlu  had  thrown  off  all  pretence 
of  subjection,  sent  to  Cyprus  Cliolaq  Mehmed  Pasha  with  a  force  to  restore  order.  They 
received  him  at  Levkosia,  but  after  a  few  months'  space,  when  he  tried  to  assert  his  authority 
over  tlie  said  Jioyaji-Oglihi,  the  reljel  compelled  him  to  leave  Levkosia,  and  to  retire  to  the 
cliiftliq  of  Qubat-Oglilu,  where  he  lived  as  a  neat-herd,  every  care  being  taken  to  prevent 
news  of  his  present  condition  reaching  the  ministry.  Yet  not  long  after  news  did  reach  them, 
and  forthwith  Chifut-Oghlu  Ahmed  Pasha  was  ordered  to  cross  from  Caramania  to  Cyprus, 
with  an  armed  force  to  release  Chohui  Mehmed  Pasha,  and  to  wipe  out  the  rebel  chief. 

Ahmed  Pasha  crossed  accordingly,  landed  at  Acanthou,  and  marched  straight  to 
Kythraiii,  to  seize  at  once  on  the  mills,  so  that  no  corn  might  be  ground,  and  he  could 
stop  the  supplies  of  Levkosia,  the  rebel's  stronghold.  There  he  stayed  for  two  months,  and 
Cholaq  Mehmed  came  to  meet  him.  During  this  time  he  sent  troops  up  to  the  gate  of  the 
capital,  where  th(>y  engaged  and  skirmished  with  those  of  the  enemy;  not  with  any  idea 
of  disabling  thereby  the  rebel  host,  but  to  prevent  the  ingress  and  egress  of  any  kind  of 
supplies  or  merchaiuJise. 

The  city  then  fouiul  itself  without  bread,  and  tlu'  Paslia,  knowing  that  he  had  help 
at  hand,  though  no  one  dared  to  declare  himself  on  account  of  the  rebel,  proposed  to 
Boyaji-Oghlu  to  allow  him  to  withdraw,  sending  him  a  passport  as  a  safe-conduct.  The 
rebel,  seeing  that  the  Pasha  had  the  stronger  party  within  th(>  city,  left  it  by  night  with  one 


352 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


company  of  trusty  guards,  and  marched  first  to  Levkara,  and  then  to  Levka,  where  the  Kiaya 
of  the  Pasha  surprised  him,  killed  28  of  his  men,  and  took  32  others  prisoners.  From  Levka 
he  went  to  Kykkos,  and  so  far  strengthened  himself  that  he  was  able  to  repel  the  Kiaya, 
who  had  followed  him  up.  From  Kykkos  he  went  to  Paphos,  and  thence  to  Kyrenia,  where 
he  caught  one  of  the  Pasha's  famous  spies,  and  hanged  him  on  a  tree  opposite  the  fort. 
Pursued  on  all  sides  by  the  Pasha's  troops  he  made  for  Ammochostos  in  all  secrecy,  hoping 
to  fortify  himself  there,  but  before  he  arrived  they  had  shut  the  gates,  and  the  Pasha's  force 
routed  the  few  soldiers  left  to  him.  He  fled  with  six  men  only  to  Pyla,  then  to  Larnaca, 
intending  to  go  to  Lemesos,  but  he  was  caught  in  the  qaziliq  of  Koilanion  and  carried  to 
Levkosia,  where  the  Pasha  hanged  him  by  night,  and  on  the  morrow  he  was  exposed  with  his 
followers,  who  were  hung  up  alive,  on  hooks  through  their  chins.  And  thus,  after  a  lapse  of 
seven  years,  ended  this  rebellion.  All  his  followers,  and  several  rebel  leaders  were  caught 
and  put  to  death.  Many  strange  stories  are  told  of  them,  especially  in  connection  with 
beautiful  women,  and  a  certain  Frankish  family  S.  A.  which  spent  large  sums  for  the  honour 
of  receiving  this  Boyaji-Oghlu,  and  to  keep  out  of  his  way  one  of  the  ladies  of  the  house, 
whom  he  tried  by  every  kind  of  influence  to  subject  to  his  lust. 

Now  that  this  rebel  and  his  followers  were  destroyed,  the  Porte  appears  from  this  date 
to  have  constituted  the  island  a  government  under  the  Vazir,  taking  away  the  administration 
thereof  from  the  Qapitdan  Pasha,  and  a  governor  or  muhassil  was  now  sent  by  the  Vazir  for 
the  time  being.  He  was  allowed  the  fullest  executive  and  administrative  authority,  and  was 
entrusted  not  only  with  the  government  of  the  inhabitants,  but  with  the  usual  boghcha,  or 
demand-forms  of  imperial  taxes,  and  with  the  qaftans  of  the  four  local  aghaliqs.  He  was 
therefore  governor,  and  collector  of  the  imperial  taxes,  of  the  nuzul  and  ma'ishet,  and 
administrator  of  the  four  aghaliqs.  So  that  upon  one  and  the  same  person  devolved  the  civil 
government,  the  military  command,  and  the  collection  of  all  the  imposts,  whereas  formerly 
one  man  administered  the  government,  another  exacted  the  hharaj,  and  other  officers  were 
appointed  from  Constantinople  to  the  military  commands.  And  this  is  the  new  order  which 
still  obtains  in  Cyprus.  Although  we  have  not  any  certain  evidence  of  the  time  when,  and 
the  reason  why,  the  island  became  the  Khass,  or  special  appanage  of  the  Vazir,  it  will  not  be 
out  of  place  to  mention  that  in  1702,  by  reason  of  the  revolution  which  dethroned  Mustafa  II. 
and  put  Ahmed  III.  in  his  place,  the  then  Vazir,  a  prudent  and  experienced  statesman,  put 
down  the  rebellion,  and  received  Cyprus  as  a  gift  from  the  new  Sultan,  as  we  learn  from 
certain  Italian  sources:  after  which  it  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Vazirs.  Towards  the 
end  of  the  century,  in  1692,  a  great  plague  desolated  the  island,  sparing,  we  learn,  hardly 
a  third  of  its  inhabitants. 

About  1712  the  wretched  Cypriots  had  scarcely  begun  to  enjoy  a  little  rest  after  the 
plague,  and  other  unceasing  troubles  which  harassed  the  island  and  still  harass  it,  when 
a  new  tumult  and  turmoil  broke  forth.  Certain  rascals  from  the  Turkish  fleet  (Levendler  or 
Qalionjiler),  about  twenty  in  number,  landed  at  Levka,  entered  Levkosia  armed,  and  lodged 
together  in  a  khan  or  inn.  There,  in  conversation  with  others  of  their  kind,  they  disclosed 
that  news  had  reached  the  Porte  of  the  inhuman  tyranny  exercised  indiscriminately  by  the 
then  muhassil,  and  of  the  intolerable  burden  of  taxes  which  he  exacted  from  the  rayah ;  and 
after  waiting  confirmation  the  Porte  had  sent  them  with  firmans  to  depose  him  from  his  office, 
and  further  to  sentence  him,  and  the  aghas  who  abetted  him,  to  death :  and  they  went  on  to 
brag  that  they  had  instructions  to  put  things  on  a  better  footing  to  the  rest  and  relief  of  all. 
These  and  the  like  stories  they  spread  about  among  the  lower  classes,  so  as  to  gain  these 
to  their  side.    When  night  came  they  broke  into  the  houses  of  the  aghas  first,  caught  them 


CYPRIANOS. 


353 


and  bound  them  on  the  spot,  and  hurried  them  off  as  prisoners  to  their  khan,  threatening 
that  they  would  slaughter  them  as  the  chief  causes  of  the  evils;  their  aim  being  in  securing 
the  aghas  to  draw  into  their  net  many  others,  and  finally  to  proceed  to  capture  the  muhassil 
himself.  But  their  villainous  craft  was  soon  exposed,  for  some  who  pretended  to  be  their 
friends,  staggered  by  their  extraordinary  daring  or  perhaps  won  over  by  the  aghas  who 
were  in  custody,  outwitted  these  knavish  sailors,  and  learned  that  their  whole  story  was  false, 
and  that  they  had  no  other  aim  but  to  snatch  large  sums  of  money,  and  to  be  off.  When 
the  aghas  learned  the  game  they  made  every  kind  of  promise  that  if  they  would  release  them, 
and  let  them  go  quietly  to  their  houses  before  their  capture  was  known  in  the  city,  they 
bound  themselves  by  oath  to  pay  them  all  the  money  they  wanted.  Their  promises  deceived 
the  rascals,  and  they  were  released,  and  in  concert  with  the  muhasxil  laid  their  plans  for 
the  arrest  and  destruction  of  these  high-handed  impostors.  Accordingly  on  the  morrow  the 
muhassil  and  aghas  sent  to  invite  the  chief  of  the  sailors  to  come  and  take  the  sunLs  promised 
by  the  aghas ;  adding  that  he  would  be  received  with  fitting  respect,  and  that  the  muhassil 
would  arrange  with  him  in  what  way  he  and  his  friends  might  mediate  with  the  Porte,  and 
secure  the  forgiviMiess  of  the  local  officials,  as  though  it  was  hoped  that  their  intercession 
and  testimony  would  convince  the  Porte  that  the  island  was  quite  well  governed.  The 
wretches  were  deceived,  and  sent  th(!ir  leader  with  two  others  of  the  band  to  the  Serai. 
The  Governor  straightway  put  them  under  arrest,  and  sent  to  the  others  to  come  and  assist 
at  their  couiuil.  These  remained  in  the  khan,  and  the  delay  in  their  companions'  return 
exciting  their  suspicions,  they  began  to  fly,  but  they  were  at  once  caught  by  the  Janissaries, 
and  paid  the  penalty  of  their  wicked  daring.  Some  of  them  the  courts  sentenced  to  Ije 
hanged,  some  the  Governor  impaled,  and  those  who  were  already  in  his  hands  he  strangled, 
and  thus  himself,  the  aghas,  many  other  notables,  and  the  city  generally  were  delivered  from 
the  wiles  of  this  band  of  iiiiscreaiits. 

Many  years  passed  after  the  conquest,  and  the  first-appointed  bishops  of  Cyprus — 
concerning  whom  we  have  but  dim  and  vague  infornuition — and  their  succes.sors  up  to  1660, 
do  not  appear  to  have  mixed  themselves  in  the  civil  affairs  of  the  rayahs,  that  is  to  say,  in 
the  matter  of  their  taxes,  kharaj,  and  other  imperial  iiuposts;  probably  because  the  Porte 
had  no  such  great  need  of  recognising  them  as  the  real  leaders  and  representatives  of  the 
rayah  in  matters  of  finance,  because  the  collection  of  taxes  was  separated  from  the  general 
government  of  the  island,  which  last  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Pasha  or  (iovernor.  It  is  however 
quite  clear  that  the  local  bishops  were  recognised  by  the  Porte,  because  they  could  not  assume 
jurisdiction  over  their  flocks  and  churches  without  an  imperial  berat,  as  we  saw  above,  and 
as  chiefs  of  the  Christian  coninnmity  they  had  some  simple  public  duties.  Accordingly  they 
never  failed  to  meet  the  imperial  oHicers  on  their  arrival  from  Constantinople,  with  the  clergy 
and  people,  to  offer  the  usual  bakhshish  or  gifts,  whether  customary  or  prescribed,  to  these 
Pashas,  Governors  or  Mollas,  and  occasionally  to  pay  tlu>in  visits  of  ceremony:  and  all  this 
to  make  their  interference  in  the  affairs  of  the  rayahs  acceptable  and  effective. 

But  somewhat  later,  when  plague  and  dearth  had  thinned  the  population,  and  many  had 
emigrated  to  escape  their  debts,  and  the  island  was  growing  deserted,  the  Porte,  wishing  to 
curb  in  some  degree  the  rapacity  of  the  authorities,  to  save  the  rayah  from  perishing  under 
their  exactions  and  tyranny,  and  to  inspire  some  little  hope  into  the  poor  creatures  still  left, 
probably  thought  it  politic  to  recognise  the  Archbishop  of  Cyprus  for  the  time  being,  with  his 
three  suffragans,  as  guardians,  in  a  way,  and  representatives  of  the  rayah;  so  that  the  rayah 
might  gain  courage  from  the  hope  that  the  bishops  would  be  heard  when  they  appealed  to  the 
Porte  on  his  behalf,  jnul  those  still  in  the  island  would  remain,  and  those  who  had  ffed  would 


354 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


return  to  their  birthplace :  while  the  rapacious  officials,  conscious  of  the  influence  the  prelates 
exercised  with  the  Porte,  would  be  afraid  to  vex  the  people  as  heretofore.  A  proof  of  some 
such  intention  on  the  part  of  the  Porte  is  that  it  receives  very  graciously  their  arz  or  petition 
about  taxes,  and  all  complaints  they  may  make,  if  so  be  they  be  sent  to  it  direct  under  their 
seals,  the  Archbishop's  name  being  written  in  Turkish  with  red  ink,  (his  seal  alone  is  found 
imprinted  in  the  imperial  qayd  or  register  in  red  ink,  while  all  the  seals  which  accompany  it, 
including  those  of  the  Patriarchs,  are  impressed  in  black  ink)  and  those  of  his  three  suffragans 
in  black.  So  that  we  may  conclude  that  the  Ottoman  Porte  was  certainly  assured  after  the 
conquest,  the  fact  being  of  course  confirmed  by  the  Patriarch,  that  the  Archbishop  of  Cyprus 
enjoyed  ab  antiquo  the  privilege,  given  him  by  the  sovereigns  on  account  of  the  loyalty  and 
devotion  of  himself  and  his  flock,  and  which  he  has  preserved  without  a  break  up  to  the 
present  day,  to  sign  and  seal  with  red  ink :  and  this  same  vermilion  seal  is  recognised  by 
the  Porte  and  by  all  its  subjects.  And  I  do  not  believe  that  any  other  red  seal  will  be  found 
in  the  registers. 

Thus  encouraged  the  Archbishops  of  Cyprus  often  appeared  boldly  in  person  before  the 
Grrand  Vazir,  stating  their  complaints  and  asking  for  a  diminution  of  the  taxes  paid  by  the 
rayah,  and  begging  for  help  and  support  in  other  necessities.  Journeys  of  this  kind  on 
behalf  of  the  commonwealth  were  made  to  Constantinople  by  Nicephoros,  the  two  James, 
Germanos,  Silvestros,  by  Philotheos  twice,  by  Paisios  and  his  suffragans,  and  only  a  few  years 
ago,  in  1783,  by  the  present  worthy  Archbishop  Chrysanthos,  with  Panaretos,  Bishop  of 
Paphos,  Meletios  of  Cition,  and  Sophronios  of  Kyrenia.  And  they  were  often  listened  to,  and 
obtained  assistance.  But  often  too  through  the  malevolence  of  the  Cypriots,  they  suffered 
imprisonment  and  banishment  in  the  cause  of  their  country  and  their  flocks. 

The  late  Silvestros,  about  the  year  1730,  in  accordance  with  the  general  desire  of  the 
people,  set  forth  to  the  capital  to  complain  to  the  Vazir  of  the  insufferable  burdens  of  the 
island,  but  things  took  an  adverse  turn,  and  the  Porte  banished  him  and  Joannikios,  Bishop 
of  Cition,  to  Avret-Odasi.  Joakim,  of  Paphos,  and  Nicephoros,  of  Kyrenia,  were,  I  know 
not  how,  released,  and  returned  to  Cyprus,  where  Joakim  assumed  the  see  of  Cition,  and 
Nicephoros  the  Archbishopric,  probably  as  a  vicegerent  only.  But  after  some  months  the 
exiles  were  allowed  to  return :  they  resumed  their  sees,  and  the  cloud  was  dispersed  which 
was  supposed  to  have  disturbed  the  harmony  between  these  good  prelates  at  Constantinople. 
Silvestros  was  succeeded  by  that  accomplished  teacher  Philotheos,  of  the  village  of  Galata, 
who  had  lived  for  some  years  at  Constantinople  and  numbered  among  his  pupils  the  sons  of 
many  distinguished  families.  His  great  patron  was  Critias,  to  whose  children  he  had  been 
private  tutor.  A  man  whose  practice  was  not  behind  his  learning,  an  ardent  supporter  of 
education,  who  adorned  the  Archbishopric  with  schools  for  Greek  and  music,  and  for  training 
teachers :  a  friend  to  the  poor,  no  miser,  of  noble  character,  an  ornament  to  the  name  and 
dignity  of  an  Archbishop.  He  raised  the  church  in  dignity,  and  the  priesthood  in  education, 
to  a  degree  to  which  none  of  his  predecessors  had  attained.  His  first  care  was  to  relieve  his 
country  from  the  intolerable  burden  of  taxation,  and  to  curb  the  insatiable  rapacity  of  its 
governors.  So  he  set  forth  for  Constantinople  and  worked  upon  the  Vazir,  and  persuaded 
him  to  have  pity  on  the  rayah,  and  to  reduce  the  assessment  of  kharaj  by  a  considerable 
sum.  But  alas !  he  was  slandered  to  the  Vazir  by  certain  of  his  enemies,  ill-conditioned 
Turks,  and  others  who  were  Christians  only  in  name — among  these  jealous  creatures  were 
Kyusse  Mehmed  Agha,  Alay  Bey  of  Paphos,  a  certain  evil  minded  priest  of  Paphos,  a  Marcellos, 
a  Modites,  a  man  of  Choirokoitia  and  others — and  sent  in  chains  to  Cyprus,  where  he  was 
imprisoned  and  accused  of  exacting  from  the  rayah  without  authority  three  and  five  piastres 


CYPRIANOS. 


355 


a  head :  but  upon  enquiry  he  was  acquitted  of  these  slanderous  charges.  Yet  he  was  thrust 
from  his  see,  and  a  certain  drunken  youth  Neophytus  was  elected  by  the  said  Cypriots,  and 
the  Patriarch  being  compelled  to  consecrate  him,  the  monster  was  proclaimed  Archbishop. 
The  creature  came  to  Cyprus,  and  was  rejected  and  shunned  by  the  Christians  as  an  intruder, 
and  no  Cypriot;  while  their  own  Primate  was  in  chains  and  prison  on  their  behalf.  In  no 
long  while,  from  vexation  or  rather  from  drink,  he  spat  out  his  soul,  and  their  champion 
Philotheos  was  freed,  and  set  as  a  candle  in  its  candlestick  in  his  place.  But  persecution  and 
fear  had  brought  on  an  epilepsy,  and  the  holy  man,  trembling  in  hand  and  foot  and  every 
limb,  until  the  end  of  his  life  could  not  move  without  the  support  of  two  attendants. 

Still  in  this  wretched  state  this  good  Pastor  never  lost  heart,  and  in  his  zeal  for  the 
common  welfare  he  crossed  to  Beirut,  and  sent  thence  to  the  capital  Joakim,  Bishop  of  Paphos, 
Macarios,  of  Cition,  and  Nicephoros,  of  Kyrenia,  with  other  well-disposed  natives:  there  his 
friends  gave  such  counsel  and  aid  to  the  prelates  and  their  companions  that  they  persuaded 
the  Vazir  so  far  to  lower  his  demands  that  he  engaged  that  from  the  year  1754  the  island 
should  pay  yearly  on  10,0f)f)  warrants  of  assessment  of  2H-  piastres,  for  the  ina'ifhet,  nnznl 
and  kharaj,  with  this  condition  however,  which  was  accepted  by  both  sides,  that  whether 
thereafter  the  number  of  rayahs  should  increase  or  decrease  the  aforesaid  number  of  warrants 
should  be  without  fail  issued  and  paid,  viz.  10,060  at  21'  piastres  each.  To  this  agreement 
the  island  was  bound  definitely  (mahdud)  under  an  imperial  rescript  (khatti  humaynn) 
signed  by  the  Sultan's  own  hand.  But  the  four  bishops  of  Cyprus  received  also  from  the 
Vazir  a  firman  recognising  them  as  the  qoja-haxhls  or  guardians  and  representatives  of  the 
rayahs,  with  the  perpetual  right  of  presenting  directly  to  the  Porte  petitions  and  complaints 
on  their  behalf. 

About  1741  again  an  earth(|uake,  and  so  violent  that  the  minaret  of  the  Mosque,  forini-rly 
the  church  of  S.  Sophia,  fell  and  wrought  no  small  daTiiage.  In  174(3  Bekir  Pasha  came  to 
Cyprus,  and  at  his  own  cost  brought  in  the  water  which  now  supplies  the  town  of  Larnaca ; 
we  have  already  said  enough  about  this  in  our  account  of  Cition. 

About  1755  the  efforts  of  Archhishoj)  i'hilotheos  obtained  an  order  from  the  Vazir,  fixing 
the  kharaj  of  the  monasteries  and  monks  of  Cyprus  at  4000  piastres,  which  the  bishoi)s 
for  the  time  being  undertook  to  pay  to  the  muhanifil,  collecting  this  in  due  proportion  from 
the  monks  living  in  the  monasteries,  from  whom  the  ;/m/(a.w(7  should  have  no  right  to  denumd 
a  para  more. 

In  1756  a  great  roar  and  rumbling  of  earthquake  in  the  night  and  morning  of  January  27, 
which  greatly  alarmed  the  inhabitants. 

In  1757  great  dearth  in  the  island  by  reason  of  the  drought  and  the  locusts,  so  that  the 
people  were  cooking  wild  colocasia,  a  noxious  root,  and  eating  them,  with  other  wiUl  herbs. 
A  great  number  fled  from  the  island  to  Syria  and  Asia  Minor,  This  dearth  lasted  nearly  into 
the  year  1758. 

In  1759  the  excellent  Philotheos  died,  and  the  Primacy  devolved  upon  his  Archimandrite 
Paisios.  He,  poor  man,  had  scarcely  begun  to  rest  from  the  toils  of  office  when  there  followed 
the  plague  of  1700,  of  such  severity  that  it  swept  off  a  third  jjart  of  the  population,  Turks  and 
Christians,  and  left  whole  villages  desolate.  Ka.ssini  Agha  was  tlu'u  (iovernor,  and  the 
bishops  and  eldens,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  Governor,  determined  to  announce  to  the 
Porte  this  great  destruction,  and  to  beg  for  mercy  and  forbearance  for  the  remaining  rayahs, 
if  only  in  the  matter  of  the  exorbitant  rishvct  or  douceur,  which  the  N'azir  exacted,  over  and 
above  the  usual  payment,  for  his  /<a/3/8aSiov,  or  investiture. 

There  were  sent  accordingly  Macarios,  Bishop  of  Cition,  and  Hphraini,  a  schoolmaster 

45—2 


356 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


from  Athens,  afterwards  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  with  testimony  from  the  Grovernor,  the  local 
aghas,  and  the  Molla,  of  the  great  destruction  wrought  by  the  plague — but  even  before  this 
Ephraim  had  been  by  common  consent  despatched  to  the  monastery  of  Mount  Athos,  whence 
he  brought  over  to  Cyprus  the  holy  skull  of  S.  Michael  Synadas,  which  had  the  special  virtue 
of  dispersing  the  locusts  which  destroy  crops  and  every  green  herb,  and  which  have  been 
from  time  immemorial  a  yearly  scourge  to  the  island.  But  certain  Cypriots,  enemies  of 
Paisios,  intrigued  against  him  for  their  own  ends,  and  frustrated  the  good  he  hoped  to  achieve 
for  his  country,  so  that  not  only  was  their  suit  rejected,  but  the  Porte  listened  to  the  slanders 
against  Paisios,  and  banished  him.  He  heard  of  the  intrigue,  and  fled  to  Beirut.  A  certain 
Cypriot  deacon,  one  Cyprianos  (afterwards  Patriarch  of  Alexandria)  was  then  living  in 
Constantinople  as  tutor  in  families  of  consequence ;  he  was  induced  by  the  enemies  of  Paisios, 
and  by  the  Patriarch,  acting  under  compulsion  from  the  Porte,  to  accept  in  an  underhand 
way  the  episcopal  habit  (to  Ka/SdBtov)  and  to  pose  as  Archbishop  of  Cyprus  by  request  of  the 
Porte.  He  came  to  Cyprus  loaded  with  debts  and  engagements,  and  by  putting  pressure  on 
the  monasteries  and  churches,  and  even  on  many  of  the  surviving  inhabitants,  to  meet  these 
debts  contracted  in  Turkey,  obtained  considerable  assistance.  This  was  bad,  but  yet  another 
worse  evil  befell  the  country,  for  there  was  sent  as  an  exile  the  famous  Ajem  Ali  Agha,  who 
was  strongly  supported  by  one  of  the  Sultanas,  and  by  her  influence  was  invested  with  the 
Governorship,  as  a  salve  for  his  banishment,  and  proved  an  incomparable  Sardanapalus  and 
worshipper  of  Dionysus. 

Meanwhile  the  debts  with  which  the  see  was  loaded  were  heavy  and  intolerable,  and 
Cyprianos,  the  nominee  of  the  Porte,  felt  that  he  was  unfit  for  the  office,  and  was  coldly 
received  by  the  clergy  and  people.  He  grew  vexed,  and  of  his  own  motion  handed  over 
his  debts  and  his  throne  to  its  rightful  owner  Paisios,  and  went  back,  as  a  deacon,  to 
Constantinople.  At  the  prayer  of  the  people  Paisios  returned  from  Beirut,  but  failed  to 
appease  the  rapacity  of  Ajem  and  his  train,  so  that  the  debt  of  the  see  mounted  up  to  over 
200  purses — the  purse  among  the  Turks  represents  500  piastres — but  all  these  troubles  will  be 
thought  but  a  trifle  compared  to  the  horrors  which  befell  the  island  a  little  later. 

It  was,  I  say,  further  permitted  by  Heaven  that  this  unhappy  island  should  suffer 
another  unexpected  blow,  and  encounter  the  most  terrible  danger;  while  the  rumour  of  such 
great  and  complicated  troubles  terrified  the  inhabitants  indiscriminately  from  the  least  to  the 
greatest,  as  in  the  days  of  the  conquest.  Death  had  been  rife,  emigration  frequent,  men  were 
driven  from  their  homes  by  the  exactions,  and  the  harvest  was  small.  All  these  causes  had 
reduced  the  number  of  the  rayahs  liable  to  the  payment  of  the  twenty-one  and  a  half  piastres 
to  hardly  7500,  without  counting  1500  cripples,  blind  people,  old  people,  paupers  and  children 
of  eleven  years  and  under.  The  10,066  warrants  were  exacted  inexorably,  while  the  extra 
payments  extorted  by  the  muhassils  on  behalf  of  the  Vazir  increased  year  by  year.  The 
inevitable  expenses  of  the  Palace  and  the  administration  were  covered  by  the  extortion  from 
the  richer  families  of  forty  or  fifty  piastres :  the  middle  classes  were  squeezed  to  give  thirty, 
and  children,  old  and  sick  persons,  ten,  fifteen  and  even  twenty.  The  harvests  were  scanty, 
commerce  insignificant,  distress  evident  everywhere.  Twice  and  thrice  the  bishops  renewed 
their  complaints  to  the  Porte.  But,  alas,  they  were  not  heard  !  The  Porte  was  troubled  with 
wars  and  rumour  of  wars,  and  could  lend  no  ear  to  the  wails  of  the  Cypriots,  or  of  many 
others  of  its  subject  states  which  were  equally  loud  in  lamentation. 

At  last  in  1764  came  that  rock  of  offence,  that  cause  of  all  our  ills,  the  Muhassil  Chil 
Osman  Agha,  over  head  and  ears  in  debt,  by  reason  of  the  huge  sums  either  exacted  from 
him,  or  offered  by  him  to  the  Porte,  to  obtain  the  (lovernorship  of  Cyprus.  The  wretch  hoped 


CYPRIANOS. 


to  regain  what  he  had  paid,  and  fantastic  wealth  besides.  But  his  evil  fate  exposed  him  to 
the  wrath  and  indignation  of  the  people,  so  that  he  was  assassinated  with  eighteen  of  his 
choqadars.  The  fact  that  the  imperial  tribute  was  ready  for  despatch  to  Constantinople,  the 
pillage  and  robbery  committed  by  the  mob,  and  the  assassination  itself,  brought  the  whole 
population,  great  and  small,  Turks  and  Christians,  into  imminent  danger  of  the  Sultan's 
wrath,  had  it  not  been  that  God  was  pleased  to  inspire  feelings  of  pity  into  the  heart  of  the 
sovereign. 

When  Chil  Osman  had  read  the  firman  conferring  on  him  the  post  of  Governor,  he 
allowed  a  few  days  to  pass  after  the  ceremonial  visits,  and  then,  through  the  Dragoman,  Haji 
Joseph,  proposed  to  the  Archbishop  and  the  rest,  that,  as  his  office  was  burdened  with  a  debt 
of  many  purses,  he  had  calculated  that  unless  he  received  from  every  rayah  whose  name 
was  entered  on  the  demand  warrants  forty-seven  piastres,  he  should  not  be  able  to  meet  his 
engagements.  The  prelates  were  astounded,  and  replied  that  as  they  had  fared  with  his 
predecessors,  so  they  hoped  to  fare  with  him,  but  to  collect  such  a  sum  from  the  rayahs, 
thinned  as  their  numbers  were  by  death  and  emigraticm,  was  altogether  impossible — they 
talked  to  him  and  implored  him,  but  he  remained  intiexilile,  and  Ijegan  to  threaten  them  that 
he  would  harry  the  monasteries  and  exact  contributions  from  them,  and  inflict  fines  upon  the 
bishops  for  their  obstinacy.  They  were  confused,  and  finding  that  their  entreaties  had  no 
success  they  sent  messengers  secretly  to  Constantinople  with  petiti(;ns  to  the  I*orte,  imploring 
mercy,  and  setting  forth  the  implacable  rapacity  of  the  muhasHil.  The  messengers,  though 
after  some  delay,  obtained  through  the  Silihlar  Agha  speech  of  the  Vazir,  and  carried  away 
a  strongly  worded  firman,  commanding  the  said  Chil  Osman  not  to  exact  more  than  the  sum 
fixed  by  the  imperial  rescript,  or  he  would  be  punished.  Meanwhile,  the  mes.sengers  were 
long  in  returning,  and  the  Governor  never  ceased  to  press  for  jjromises  and  signatures  about 
the  matter  in  hand,  and  for  the  circulation  of  such  among  the  rayahs.  I'aisios  then  took 
counsel  with  his  suffragans,  and  they  arranged  to  escape  by  night.  'J'hey  started,  but,  becau.se 
the  Bishop  of  Cition  did  not  keep  the  .secret,  they  were  caught  the  next  !n(jrning  at  Liopetri, 
at  a  spot  called  the  River,  by  the  Governor's  men,  and  carried  back  to  Nicosia,  where  Chil 
Osman  ordered  them  to  be  guarded  night  and  day  in  the  Archbishop's  house,  fearing  lest 
they  should  again  escape,  and  accuse  him  to  the  Porte  as  a  robber. 

At  last  about  the  middle  of  October  there  appeared  a  Vazir  Choqadar  bearing  the 
aforesaid  imperial  order.  The  Governor  was  sick  with  vexation,  still  October  2">  was 
appointed  for  the  reading  of  the  document:  not  however  publicly  in  full  Divan,  but  in  an 
apartment  of  the  palace,  in  the  presence  of  the  Ulema,  the  aghas,  the  bishops,  and  a  few 
Creeks  and  Turks,  on  the  day  when  an  ancient  custom  collects  peoi)le  from  all  parts  of  the 
island  to  the  fair  of  S.  Deuietrios,  held  outside  Nicosia.  Here  the  villagers  buy  and  sell  what 
they  want  for  their  fields,  and  for  their  winter  use,  they  make  terms  with  their  creditors,  and 
transact  various  bu.siness.  The  persons  above  mentioned  assembled  accordingly  to  hear  the 
order,  which  was  read,  when  the  (xovernor  began  in  a  reproachful  tone  to  ask  the  Archbishop 
what  haiiii  he  had  done  the  rayah,  that  the  Archbishop  should  accuse  him  to  the  Porte. 
Paisios  rej)]ied,  "God  forbid,  we  came  with  tears  to  implore  mercy  on  the  poor  rayah,  but 
we  never  accused  you."  He  had  hardly  s|)oken  these  words,  when  the  floor  on  the  side  on 
which  we  Greeks  stood,  for  I  was  among  them,  suddenly  and  utterly  collapsed,  and  we  were 
hurled  into  a  black  gulf,  bishops  and  attendants,  Greeks  and  Turks,  with  other  victims,  and 
the  beams  of  the  roof  heaped  on  top  of  us.  With  no  small  damage  and  risk  of  our  lives  we 
freed  ourselves,  and  were  dragged  out  covered  with  dust  and  dirt,  scarred  all  over,  a  .sorry 
sight!    We  were  carried  to  our  hou.ses,  one  with  an  injured  back,  another  with  a  broken  leg: 


358 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


some  had  internal  injuries,  some  were  so  terrified  that  they  thought  death  imminent.  The 
meeting  was  broken  up,  those  present  fled  in  alarm,  and  the  people  outside,  hearing  what 
had  happened  and  the  tumult  within,  believing  it  to  have  been  a  trap  prepared  beforehand 
to  kill  the  bishops,  rushed  madly  to  the  palace,  carrying  bludgeons  and  arms.  They  found 
the  doors  shut,  they  set  them  on  fire,  the  palace  was  wrapped  in  flame,  and  the  mob  pouring 
in  slew  the  wretched  Chil  Osman,  with  eighteen  of  his  followers.  They  sacked  and  robbed 
the  palace  of  all  they  could  find,  whether  it  belonged  to  government,  to  the  murdered 
Governor  or  his  train — a  terrible  tragedy.  The  news  spread  and  all  were  dumb  as  corpses, 
Ulema,  aghas  and  rayahs,  all  crouching  in  mute  terror,  expecting  only  that  the  sword  of 
authority  would  fall  on  all  alike,  and  that  inexorable  vengeance,  and  savage  requital  would 
be  exacted  for  the  blood  thus  savagely  shed. 

Three  or  four  hours  passed  before  there  was  any  lull  in  the  shouting  in  the  streets,  in 
the  rush  and  roar  of  men  running  to  the  sack  of  the  burning  palace.  The  bazars  were  shut, 
and  all  the  respectable  people  shut  up  in  their  houses,  suffering  paroxysms  of  terror.  They 
believed  that  the  city  was  wholly  given  over  to  revolt,  murder  and  pillage,  and  the  Turkish 
magnates,  though  sadly  distressed,  took  prudent  measures  to  disperse  the  mob,  lest  the 
rioting  should  increase,  and  be  directed  against  the  houses  of  the  wealthy  and  prominent 
citizens.  The  Molla,  by  the  dellal  or  crier,  straightway  commanded  the  villagers,  Turks  and 
Christians,  in  the  name  of  the  Sultan,  to  disperse  and  depart  each  to  his  village.  They 
obeyed  and  left  Nicosia  forthwith.  Orders  were  given  for  the  burial  of  the  musellim  and 
the  other  victims :  the  fire  in  the  palace  was  extinguished,  and  guards  were  set  to  watch  the 
city  within  and  without,  and  carefully  to  search  everyone  who  entered  the  gates  for  concealed 
arms. 

When  night  came  the  Ulema  and  aghas  met  in  the  Molla's  house  to  consult  about 
appointing  a  temporary  administrator,  and  to  contrive  the  most  prudent  method,  and  most 
specious  pretexts,  with  which  to  announce  the  daring  action  of  the  mob  to  the  government. 
How  should  they  devise  any  reasonable  justification  and  excuse,  so  that  the  Porte  should  not 
think  that  the  island  generally  had  risen  in  revolt  ?  The  murder  of  the  sovereign's 
representative,  the  pillage  of  the  treasury  and  robbery  of  the  imperial  funds,  the  burning  of 
the  Serai,  or  official  palace, — here  were  three  indefensible  crimes,  which  would  require  tact 
and  wisdom,  and  common  feeling  and  action  of  both  Turks  and  Greeks,  to  make  them  appear 
natural  results  of  the  tyrannical  harshness  of  the  murdered  musellim,  which  had  been  such 
as  ine^dtably  to  drive  the  people  to  the  fury  and  daring  which  they  had  displayed.  So  they 
debated,  and  found  some  specious  excuses,  representing  the  Governor  as  a  tyrant,  and 
something  like  a  traitor,  and  so  concocted  their  report  to  the  Vazir.  I  omit  the  details  as 
unimportant.  Meanwhile  the  Turks  in  their  mosques,  the  Christians  in  their  churches 
offered  unceasing  prayers  and  supplications,  that  God  would  be  pleased  to  inspire  the 
Sultan's  heart  with  pity,  and  that  the  lives  of  the  Cypriots  might  be  spared.  At  last  the 
news  reached  the  Vazir,  and  he  too  softened  down  the  affair  as  well  as  he  could  to  Sultan 
Mustafa  III.,  and  after  no  long  delay  Hafuz  efendi  came  as  muhassil,  to  complete  the  term 
of  the  deceased  Chil  Osman,  and  later  a  muvela  and  qapiji-bashi  to  ascertain  if  what  the 
magnates  had  written  was  true,  to  examine  minutely  into  the  causes  of  the  slaughter,  to 
exact  the  repayment  of  the  sums  stolen  from  the  palace,  and  blood-money  for  the  rnuselUm 
and  his  followers. 

The  commissioners  made  their  enquiry,  and  the  kindly  souls  were  won  by  gifts  to 
declare  the  deceased  the  cause  of  the  outbreak,  and  to  justify  the  offenders.  The  relations 
of  the  murdered  men  presented  themselves,  and  each  received  the  price  of  blood.  The 


CVPUIAXOS. 


leading  men  among  the  rayahs  promised  to  be  responsible  for  the  imperial  taxes  to  the  last 
para,  the  parts  of  the  Serai  which  had  been  burnt  were  restored,  and  excomnmnications  were 
hurled  by  the  Greek  clergy  against  those  who  had  stolen  things  from  the  palace,  if  they  did 
not  restore  them  to  their  bishop,  or  parish  priest,  or  to  their  church,  or  to  certain  mosques 
specially  named,  which  they  miglit  do  without  fear :  but  very  few  people  appeared,  and  very 
few  things,  and  those  of  little  value,  were  surrendered.  The  Molla  and  his  party  threatened 
the  robbers  with  the  vengeance  of  Mohammad,  but  all  in  vain.  But  the  thieves  who  had 
taken  the  treasure  guarded  it  well :  the  Christians  devoted  their  souls  to  the  fellowship  of 
Judas,  the  Turks  to  the  wrath  of  their  Prophet :  they  would  provide  first  for  their  bodies, 
and  then  take  thought  for  their  souls,  though  hereafter  they  should  suffer  the  vengeance  of 
eternal  fire. 

We  succeeded,  thank  God,  in  satisfying  the  muvela  and  the  qapiji,  and  the  Molla,  who 
was  our  advocate :  we  escorted  them  out  of  the  city,  and  despatched  them  to  sing  our  praises 
to  the  Porte.  Hafuz  efendi  remained,  and  now  let  us  see  what  he  did,  whom  I  call  the 
second  cause  of  the  real  rebellion.  In  honest  truth  we  cannot  accuse  him  of  l;eing  a  bad 
man :  their  circumstances  very  often  expose  men  in  authority  to  popular  dislike.  He  had 
to  pay  for  his  investiture  and  other  things  in  Constantinople.  Arriving  in  Cyprus  he  found 
things  topsy-turvy.  The  expenses  incurred  on  behalf  of  the  muvela  and  qapiji,  payment  for 
the  property  of  the  murdered  men,  the  rebuilding  of  the  palace,  restitution  of  the  stolen 
treasure,  and  innumerable  other  payments  mounted  up  it  was  said  to  a  thousand  purses  of 
aspers.  The  whole  community,  Turks  and  rayahs,  gave  leave  and  authority  to  Hafuz  efendi 
as  Governor  to  meet  all  the  claims,  and  arrange  nuitters  as  he  tliought  best.  The  accounts 
were  completed  and  examined,  and  the  aghas  and  bishops  decreed  that  the  sum  total  should 
be  divided  between  the  Greeks  and  Turks.  The  former  were  to  pay  two  shares,  and  the 
Turkish  villagers  one.  In  short,  the  Cliristians  liad  to  pay  fourteen  piastres  a  head,  the  Turks 
seven.  Clerks  and  collectors  were  appointed,  and  the  Christians  began  to  pay.  The  Alay  Bey, 
Mustafa  Qubat-oghlu,  who  was  charged  with  the  collection  of  the  Turkish  (piota,  sent  out 
men  to  the  vilhiges  to  get  the  cash.  Whispers  were  rife  that  Hafuz  efendi  had  in  his  greed 
made  large  additions  to  the  sum  of  expenditure.  The  Turks  began  to  be  uneasy  and  to 
grumble  that  the  aghas  were  in  league  with  the  miihaxsil  to  Heece  them!  "They  were 
Turks,  and  they  wouldn't  paj',"  and  in  short  raised  such  an  opi)osition  that  in  the  Me.saoria 
they  drove  away  the  collectors,  and  put  them  in  fear  for  their  lives.  These  strong  measures 
alarmed  some  of  the  leading  country  Turks :  they  began  to  plot,  and,  to  make  a  long  storj- 
short,  on  Holy  Tuesday  of  176o,  three  hundred  Turks  of  the  Mesaoria  and  Anmiocho.stos 
assembled  at  Kythraia,  and  seized  the  water-mills  which  ground  Hour  for  Nicosia,  so  as  to 
cut  off  the  supply  from  the  capital,  and  to  put  the  aghas  and  (iovernor  into  such  a  strait 
that  they  would  desist  from  demanding  the  seven  piastres.  This  daring  act  greatly  alarmed 
the  city-folk;  they  determined  to  meet  the  assailants  with  force,  and  sipaJii  and  ypuichiri 
advanced  fully  anued  to  the  outskirts  of  Kythraia.  Finally  matters  were  arranged  between 
them,  on  the  understanding  that  the  Turks  should  not  be  troubled  to  pay  their  .share,  and  so 
each  i)arty  departed  to  their  homes.  Here  the  innsrUim  and  aghas  were  clearly  wrong,  in 
not  determining  to  put  down  by  force  this  petty  rising,  and  in  not  taking  such  order  as  to 
check  the  insurgents,  and  prevent  them  from  attempting,  as  they  did  later,  a  far  greater  and 
more  desperate  outbreak. 

It  was  necessary  however  to  collect  the  taxes,  because  those  who  had  h-nt  money 
demanded  the  repayment  of  their  loans,  and  Hafuz  was  eager  to  send  money  to  the  Porte  to 
show  that  the  island  and  liiinselF  were  loyal  and  ready:  hence  arose  great  talk  and  uneasiness 


360 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


among  the  people.  The  suspicion  rooted  in  the  minds  of  the  insurgents  that  the  Grovernor 
and  aghas  were  certainly  working  for  their  destruction  made  such  a  painful  impression  that 
the  leaders  of  the  revolt  conspired  to  get  into  their  hands  one  of  the  fortresses :  possibly  the 
fools  thought  that  the  clemency  shown  by  the  sovereign  towards  their  first  offences  mere 
weakness  or  indifference.  Accordingly  on  July  27,  the  day  of  the  fair  at  the  monastery  of 
S.  Panteleemon,  at  Myrtou  in  the  district  of  Kyrenia,  to  which  crowds  flocked  from  all  parts 
of  Cyprus  for  worship  and  business,  many  of  the  ringleaders  attended,  and  found  there  a 
certain  Khalil,  disdar  or  commandant  of  the  strong  castle  of  Kyrenia,  a  vain  silly  creature, 
whom  they  easily  led  astray,  and  made  their  leader,  promising  to  secure  his  appointment  as 
musellim  of  the  island,  because  he  would  work  for  the  relief  of  Turks  and  rayahs  alike, 
and  gain  great  credit  both  with  the  people  and  the  Porte.  They  swore  obedience  to  him  on 
the  spot,  and  the  vain  fool,  eager  for  some  kind  of  fame,  set  out  for  the  fortress,  and  was 
soon  followed  by  a  crowd  of  rebel  Turks.  He  made  one  his  Maya,  another  colonel  of  a 
regiment,  and  so  on;  distributing  posts  to  those  he  thought  capable,  or  who  commended 
themselves  to  him,  so  as  to  set  up  a  kind  of  government.  He  sent  orders  and  threats  to  the 
villages,  that  if  any  one,  Turk  or  Glreek,  refused  to  obey  him  he  would  burn  and  destroy 
their  houses,  their  property,  and  themselves :  and  in  many  villages  these  threats  were  really 
carried  out.  He  demanded  a  subsidy  from  the  villagers,  and  bade  them  take  heed  that  no 
one  complied  with  the  orders  of  the  citizens  about  the  fourteen  and  the  seven  piastres.  They 
were  not  to  pay  a  para :  the  disobedient  were  warned  they  would  lose  their  heads.  It  is  said 
that  he  collected  a  force  of  about  5000  armed  men.  He  sent  notices  to  Nicosia  to  demand 
the  four  aghas,  who  were  the  cause  of  all  the  trouble,  and  the  four  bishops,  that  he  might 
obtain  reports  and  petitions  to  be  forwarded  to  the  Porte  begging  that  the  Grovernorship 
should  be  conferred  on  himself,  and  much  else  that  I  must  pass  by. 

The  daring  of  this  Khalil  disturbed  the  musellim  and  the  citizens  of  Nicosia :  but  it  was 
now  too  late  to  check  an  insurrection  which  had  spread  so  far.  The  traitor  and  rebel  was  in 
a  strong  fortress :  the  Turks  outside  the  city,  either  through  force  or  choice  were  nearly 
all  on  his  side,  the  inhabitants  of  Nicosia  began  to  suffer  from  hunger,  the  villagers  were 
growing  lawless,  and  the  bishops,  seeing  no  longer  any  way  to  escape  the  vengeance  of  the 
Porte,  began  to  devise  ways  of  leaving  the  island.  The  Archbishop  Paisios,  probably  by  the 
Grovernor's  advice,  left  the  city  secretly,  and  after  wandering  in  disguise  over  half  the  island, 
hiding  in  place  after  place  from  the  rebels,  escaped  at  last  from  the  coast  of  Paphos  on 
August  18,  with  Chrysanthos,  Bishop  of  Paphos,  and  another  Chrysanthos,  Bishop  of  Kyrenia, 
and  got  to  Asia  Minor,  and  thence  to  Constantinople.  Khalil  advanced  as  far  as  the  village 
of  Dicomo  with  cannons  and  a  large  force,  and  threatened  to  destroy  Levkosia  if  the  aghas 
were  not  surrendered  to  him.  The  cowardly  citizens  took  fright,  closed  the  gates  and  sat 
huddled  up  in  the  citadel :  again  some  kind  of  agreement  was  made,  and  the  rebel  retired  to 
Kyrenia.  But  when  he  found  the  citizens  were  trifling  with  him,  in  January  he  marched  to 
Levkosia,  posted  himself  with  his  forces  and  artillery  on  the  heights  of  Hagia  Paraskeva,  and 
began  to  throw  shots  into  the  city,  whose  guns  replied.  He  invested  the  town,  so  that  no 
one  could  enter  or  leave  it.  We  suffered  pretty  sharply  from  hunger;  flour  failed,  we  ate 
broad  beans  and  haricot  beans,  pulse  and  vegetables  for  nearly  fifty  days.  What  little  flour 
we  could  get  we  had  ground  in  hand-mills. 

It  was  some  time  since  the  Porte  had  received  news  of  the  revolt,  but  either  the  govern- 
ment was  dissembling,  or  believed  that  the  natives  could  put  it  down.  When  however  their 
information  was  confirmed  by  the  bishops,  a  certain  Ibrahim  Bey,  with  two  caravels,  was 
ordered  to  start  at  once  for  Cyprus.    To  rid  himself  of  the  bishops  the  Vazir  appointed 


CYPRIANOS. 


361 


Suleiman  efendi,  an  old  and  discreet  man,  to  enquire  into  the  doings  of  Hafuz  efendi,  and  to 
take  over  the  duties  of  imihansil,  with  other  orders  which  we  shall  see  presently.  He  then 
instructed  the  bishops  to  embark  on  the  vessel  by  which  Suleiman  efendi  was  sending  his 
household  and  effects  to  Cyprus,  while  the  new  Governor  travelled  by  land.  Ibrahim  liey 
landed  at  Lemessos,  found  the  revolt  growing  more  serious,  and  by  playing  the  fox  managed 
to  smooth  things  down.  The  bishops  reached  Larnax  in  February,  1766,  learned  that  Khalil 
had  invested  the  capital  and  was  bombarding  it,  and  remained  on  board  until  Ibrahim  Bey 
had  deceived  him,  by  writing  that  he  brought  Khalil's  appointment  as  Governor :  the  rebel 
then  raised  the  siege  of  Levkcsia  and  withdrew  to  Kyrenia.  The  bishops  sent  him  bakhshish 
from  Lamaca,  with  assurances  that  they  had  praised  his  conduct  to  the  Porte,  in  that  he  had 
prevented  Hafuz  from  exacting  money  unlawfully,  and  that  Suleiman  efendi  was  coming  to 
enquire  into  the  whole  matter.  He  was  fool  enough  to  believe  them,  and  sent  his  khanjar 
as  a  token  of  their  pej-sonal  safety,  to  show,  in  fact,  that  they  might  safely  return  to  Nicosia. 
A  few  days  later  Suleiman  efendi  arrived  at  Kyrenia.  He  told  Klialil  that  he  was  come  to 
enquire  why,  and  with  whose  leave,  Hafuz  demanded  so  much  from  the  Turks  and  rayahs : 
he  made  the  rebel  a  present  of  a  furred  coat,  addressed  him  as  his  dear  son,  and  hinted  that 
he  brought  his  commission  as  (jiovernor.  Having  done  so  much  to  mislead  the  insurgents,  he 
continued  his  journey  and  arrived  in  Nicosia  the  week  before  Quinquagesiina. 

There,  after  conferring  with  Ibrahim  Hey  and  the  natives,  he  decided  that  it  would  bo 
difficult  to  put  down  the  rising,  and  wrote  at  once  to  the  Porte.  Orders  were  sent  then  to 
Kior  Ahmed,  a  Pasha  of  two  tails,  to  Kior  Kcloghlu  of  Carainania,  and  to  the  Alaj^  Mey  of 
Attalia,  Ja'fer  Bey,  to  transport  to  Cyprus  a  sufficient  force  to  reduce  the  rebel  Klialil  and 
his  follcjwing.  Before  the  news  of  their  coming  reached  Khalil  or  the  people  generally  Hafuz 
efendi's  term  had  come  to  an  end,  and  Suleiman  efendi  was  proclaimed  (Jovernor.  The  rebel, 
seeing  now  he  had  been  deceived  by  his  "  dear  father,"  marched  against  him  and  on  June  1 
again  encamped  at  Mandia,  full  of  wrath,  and  determined  utterly  to  destroy  the  capital,  and 
slaughter  its  ijihabitants,  his  "father"  and  all,  in  revenge  for  the  trick.  Suleiman  began  to 
tremble  before  his  son  Klialil,  ordered  the  gates  to  be  shut,  and  a  watch  of  Turks  and  (Jreeks 
to  be  set  round  the  citadel.  Then,  affecting  to  believe  that  the  bishops  were  the  cause  of  the 
trouble  which  was  endangering  his  life,  he  ordered  them  to  sleep  in  the  Serai,  and  to  remain 
there  until  they  saw  what  would  happen,  and  the  order  was  obeyed.  Khalil  tired  into  the 
city  day  and  night,  and  the  citizens  replied,  but  no  sally  was  made. 

Ten  or  twelve  days  at  the  most  elapsed  before  the  Pasha  and  his  companions  arrived, 
with  a  force  of  two  thousand  men.  Khalil  immediately  raised  the  siege,  and  returned  to  his 
castle,  where  he  fortified  himself  and  a  large  following.  Tiie  Pasha  reached  Nicosia,  and 
marched  on  to  Kyrenia  with  Kior  Keloghlu  and  the  Bey  of  Attalia.  Ja'fer  Bey  and  Ibrahim 
Bey  came  by  sea,  and  surrounded  the  castle  with  their  galleys.  Hemmed  in  on  every  side  the 
silly  rebel  held  out  for  forty  days  with  his  handful  of  adherents;  pressed  at  last  by  famine, 
they  were  obliged  to  surrender.  Khalil's  head  was  cut  off,  and  sent  to  Constantinople.  The 
exploit  won  for  Ahmed  Pasha  his  third  tail.  Emir  Ahmed,  Khalil's  Kiaya,  who  was  the  first 
to  stir  up  trouble,  was  impaled.  Other  two  hundred  or  more  of  tlu'  insurgents  were  hanged 
or  impaled,  and  the  country  was  relieved  of  the  presence  of  a  herd  of  miscreants. 

Khalil  and  his  crew  were  exterminated  about  the  beginning  of  September,  and  by  order 
of  the  Porte  Ahmed  Pasha  and  the  others  left  the  island,  which  was  glad  to  be  rid  of  the 
Caramanians,  a  set  of  savages,  thieves  and  murderers.  1  have  mentioned  that  the  island 
debt  exceeded  1000  purses,  while  the  wretched  inhabitants  who  were  trying  to  pay  it  hardly 
amounted  to  10,000  Greeks  and  oOOO  or  6000  Turks.    In  1767  about  the  beginning  of 


362 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


November  the  Archbishop  Paisios  fell  ill.  Anxieties  and  discomforts  told  upon  him,  he 
grew  worse  and  lay  bed-ridden ;  but  advised  to  get  a  change  of  air  he  was  carried  down  half 
paralysed  to  Scala,  where  in  the  house  of  a  family  called  Calemera,  near  the  sea,  he  gave  up 
the  ghost  on  January  1,  1768,  and  was  buried  with  due  honours  in  the  church  of  S.  Lazarus, 
near  the  door.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  frank  presence,  dignified,  Avith  a  full  beard,  quick- 
witted, of  good  intelligence  and  memory,  fond  of  work,  a  fair  Greek  scholar,  an  excellent 
penman — his  handwriting  found  many  imitators — and  expressed  himself  neatly  in  the  vulgar 
tongue.  He  was  trained  by  Philotheos,  and  left  manuscript  copies  of  many  books  :  worldly- 
wise,  inquisitive,  in  money  matters  exact  almost  to  miserliness :  eloquent,  discursive,  and  of  a 
commanding  manner.  He  had  been  nearly  forty  years  connected  with  the  see,  five  years 
under  Silvestros,  seventeen  as  archdeacon  and  archimandrite  under  Philotheos,  and  seven  as 
archbishop.  He  was  persecuted,  banished,  and  restored.  He  was  a  native  of  Koil  anion, 
where  the  church  of  the  Only-begotten  Son  was  raised  at  his  cost.  As  his  fellow-villager 
I  remained  with  him  from  the  time  he  became  archimandrite  to  the  end  of  his  life. 

This  excellent  prelate  departed  to  his  Lord  in  the  fifty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  and  by  the 
common  voice  of  the  bishops  and  clergy  Chrysanthos,  Bishop  of  Paphos,  was  promoted  to  the 
Archbishopric,  which  he  still  adorns.  The  Pasha  and  his  Caramanians  had  indeed  left  the 
country  free  from  disorder,  but  it  groaned  and  grumbled  under  an  insupportable  load  of 
debt :  its  harvest  had  been  poor,  and  provisions  were  scarce.  In  1768  followed,  as  was 
expected,  dearth  and  distress,  especially  among  the  villagers.  These  were  troubles  which 
none  could  escape,  but  still  the  island  was  perfectly  peaceful,  and  the  peasant  was  cheered 
by  the  masterful  vigilance  of  the  government.  When  the  Porte  in  1769  declared  war  against 
Russia,  necessaries  for  the  conduct  of  a  war  which  touched  the  very  heart  of  the  Empire 
were  demanded  from  all  its  subject  provinces,  and  Cyprus  too  was  ordered  to  contribute 
some  tons  of  biscuit,  ten  times  as  much  as  it  could  afford.  But  though  the  store  of  grain  was 
scanty,  for  all  its  complaints  and  entreaties  it  could  obtain  no  reduction  of  the  appointed 
quantity.  So  stores  were  chosen,  flour  prepared,  men  appointed  to  knead  it,  with  overseers : 
so  many  ways  of  spending  money,  and  so  many  excuses  for  the  officers  in  charge  to  waste 
or  steal. 

As  soon  as  the  Russian  fleet  entered  the  White  Sea,  great  disorders  followed  in  the 
Morea,  ending  in  the  utter  ruin  of  the  country  and  its  inhabitants.  It  harassed  all  the 
islands  of  the  Archipelago,  and  accomplished  that  remarkable  and  unexpected  exploit,  the 
burning  at  Chesme  on  June  24,  1770,  the  whole  Ottoman  squadron,  spreading  terror  and 
confusion  up  to  Constantinople  itself.  It  swept  the  whole  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  and 
subjected  Cyprus  to  no  less  damage  than  the  other  islands.  The  French  vessel  (SaiVTia) 
which  crossed  at  stated  intervals  from  the  port  of  Kyrenia  to  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor  had 
about  300  purses  of  imperial  treasure  on  board,  it  was  captured  with  the  coin,  by  a  Russian 
corsair.  Various  merchandise  was  confiscated  because  the  merchants  were  the  Sultan's 
subjects.  The  muhassil  and  leading  men  of  both  races  took  thought  for  the  future,  and  in 
certain  events  chose  the  lesser  of  two  evils.  When  Russian  ships  moored  along  their  coasts, 
they  treated  with  them  in  a  wary  fashion  about  provisions ;  bought  black  slaves,  male  and 
female,  and  dealt  gently  and  cautiously  with  shipwrecked  Russian  sailors,  letting  them  go 
free,  and  trying  to  elude  the  conquerors'  wrath.  The  destruction  of  the  Morea  and  other 
places  could  not  fail  to  teach  us  to  steer  a  middle  course,  and  to  display  the  leading  men  of 
both  races  as  real  defenders  of  their  country. 

The  Porte  however  foresaw  the  necessity  of  strengthening  the  island,  and  in  1772  sent 
a  certain  Sadik  Mehmed  Pasha  with  300  men,  and  a  monthly  allowance  of  1600  piastres. 


CYPRIANOS. 


303 


Orders  were  given  that  he  should  deduct  this  sura  from  the  revenues  of  the  island,  but  the 
Muhassil  Haji  Ismail  Agha,  who  had  paid  up  to  the  last  para  his  debt  to  the  Porte,  refused 
the  Pasha's  supplies,  and  the  leading  citizens,  Turks  and  Greeks,  for  all  their  poverty,  were 
obliged  to  borrow  to  provide  for  his  entertainment  for  eighteen  months.  He  duly  gave 
receipts  for  the  money,  but  run  as  they  might  to  the  Porte  with  entreaties  to  be  allowed  to 
deduct  it  from  the  new  assessment,  they  laboured  in  vain,  they  got  nothing.  The  Pasha  had 
calmed  matters  down,  and  was  ordered  to  leave  the  island  and  to  proceed  to  his  province. 

Peace  was  concluded  between  the  Turks  and  liussians  immediately  after  the  accession 
of  the  new  Sultan  Abdul  Hamid,  January  21,  1774.  About  July  the  island  began  to  recover 
itself  a  little,  although  in  addition  to  the  old  taxes  four  hundred  new  warrants  were  added  to 
the  kharaj  assessment.  The  inhabitants  however,  great  and  small,  hoped  for  rest  and  peace, 
or  at  least  to  be  exempt  from  fresh  charges.  It  was  some  time  since  a  wood-cutter  of  the 
deserted  village  of  Clavdia,  a  one-eyed  creature  called  Baqi,  threw  up  wood-cutting,  and 
joined  the  levendler  or  volunteers.  He  wrought  a  great  deal  of  harm  among  the  respectable 
villagers,  and  getting  into  the  graces  of  an  odaliq,  the  slave-mistress  of  some  notable,  became 
musellim  at  Attalia.  Hounded  thence  for  his  villainy,  he  returned  to  Cyprus  and  began  to 
play  the  tyrant  and  robber  at  Larnaca.  Here  he  was  made  zahit  (magistrate),  but  being 
dismissed  for  his  tyranny  by  the  dragoman  Christophaki,  the  blood-sucker  set  upon  the 
latter  and  murdered  him  on  Easter  morning,  1750.  Under  Suleiman  efendi.  Governor  in 
1767,  on  account  of  his  ineffable  tricks  and  wiles,  treacheries  and  persecutions,  he  was  thrown 
into  prison,  banished,  deserted,  and  left  so  poor  that  he  would  fain  beg  his  bread  in  the 
streets.  But  the  unhappy  country  which  Providence  allowed  him  to  call  his  own  was  yet  to 
sufPer  fresh  tumult,  the  sad  result  of  his  crimes.  Reviled  and  despised  as  a  common  plague, 
and  unlettered  as  he  was,  Ismail  Agha,  miihassil  in  1771,  made  him  dcftcrdar:  it  may  have 
been  from  kindly  feeling  to  but  more  certainly  because  the  aghas  obstinately  refused 

to  pay  the  five  hundred  piastres,  he  asked  to  allow  them  to  appoint  whom  they  would.  The 
agitator  takes  up  his  office,  and  begins  to  spread  slanders  and  confusion  :  he  gets  rid  of  Haji 
Joseph,  who  was  almost  a  sovereign  among  the  Greeks,  and  whose  office  of  dragoman  had 
brought  him  dignity  and  riches,  and  houses, — the  beam  in  the  one  eye  of  the  High  Treasurer. 
A  new  muhansil,  Ali  Agha,  arrived.  He  knew  the  creature  in  1700,  when  he  was  Kiaya  in 
the  house  of  his  father-in-law  Kasim,  as  shifty  and  hated  by  aghas  and  rayah.s,  and — but 
for  the  sins  of  the  island — would  have  wiped  him  off  the  face  of  the  earth.  But  Ali  Agha 
fell  ill,  and  the  wily  Baqi  found  means  to  evade  the  danger  by  persuading  a  doctor  of  his 
own  kind  to  substitute  poison  for  a  purge.  The  muhai<)fil  died,  and  the  Porte  appointed  his 
Kiaya  to  complete  his  term.  He  too  unfortunately  fell  sick,  and  the  one-eyed  monster  again 
appears  at  his  side  with  his  potions;  begs,  intreats  and  persuades  the  wretched  Kiaya,  who 
takes,  drinks  and  drains  the  cup  to  the  dregs,  and  forty  days  later  he  too  is  despatched  to 
his  grave. 

Having  succeeded  so  far,  while  the  general  suspicion  was  still  thick  upon  him,  the 
wretch,  who  was  now  Alay  Bey,  assembled  the  Ulema  and  aghas,  and  with  infinite  cunning 
and  flattery  persuaded  them  all,  and  the  bishops  as  well,  to  write  of  him  in  favourable  terms 
to  the  Forte,  that  he  might  be  appointed  to  complete  the  unexpired  term  of  the  (iovernorship. 
Things  turned  out  as  he  wished,  so  anxious  was  he  to  see  himself  Muhassil  of  Cyprus.  At 
the  end  of  the  year  one  Hussein  Agha  came  in  his  room,  a  silly  drunken  creature,  under 
whom  Baqi  became  again  Alay  Bey.  The  island's  evil  luck  brought  to  its  shores  the  Qapudan 
Pasha  Hassan,  who  was  on  his  way  to  chastise  Tahir  Omer,  Governor  of  Acre,  who  in  the 
recent  war  had  proved  himself  a  traitor,  and  the  close  friend  of  the  Russians.    The  one-eyed 

46—2 


364 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Baqi  tries  all  liis  tricks,  cozens  and  cheats  the  empty-headed  Hussein,  the  aghas  and  bishops, 
and  goes  down  to  Scala  as  representative  of  the  whole  population  to  greet  the  Qapudan  Pasha, 
to  whom  he  offers  gifts  and  obeisances.  After  the  usual  compliments,  with  the  utmost  address 
he  implores  and  intreats  Hassan  Pasha  to  accept  him  as  his  chiragh  or  protege,  to  assist  him, 
and  secure  his  appointment  as  the  next  Grovernor  in  Cyprus.  He  finds  favour  with  the  Pasha, 
obtains  his  promise  and  in  1775,  all  unworthy  as  he  was,  was  appointed  Muhassil,  taking 
the  style  of  Haji  Abdu'l  Baqi  Agha.  His  wiles  and  rich  gifts  prevailed  so  far  that  he  was 
maintained  in  office  until  1783. 

For  the  first  year  or  two  with  consummate  craft  he  feigned  a  kind  of  good  nature,  and 
made  no  attempt  to  resist  the  just  demands  of  the  bishops,  and  bore  himself  mildly  as  became 
a  poor  and  friendless  man.  He  inspired  evil  doers  with  fear,  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  he 
won  the  good  opinion  of  the  public,  and  that  he  did  not  try  to  load  the  rayah  with  new 
burdens.  But  still  he  was  incurably  greedy,  not  so  much  to  make  a  fortune  for  himself,  for 
he  was  liberal  enough,  but  to  satisfy  the  inhabitants  of  Levkosia  and  to  make  a  name.  He 
meddled  in  all  kinds  of  business ;  took  from  the  rayah  cotton,  silk,  wheat,  barley  on  account 
of  taxes  at  his  own  rates,  sold  at  high  prices,  and  insisted  on  making  a  kind  of  monopoly  of 
produce  of  little  value,  so  as  to  embarrass  both  the  traders  and  the  peasants  and  rouse  their 
resentment.  Thus  enriched,  and,  mere  villager  that  he  was,  puffed  up  by  his  riches,  he  began 
to  build  palaces  and  summer  houses,  to  store  water  outside  the  city,  to  acquire  teams  of  oxen 
and  farms  and  mills  and  gardens  in  every  direction,  extorting  them  from  the  peasants,  and 
paying  little  or  nothing  in  proportion  to  their  value.  At  last  he  put  a  tax  of  eight  piastres  on 
the  rayah,  regardless  of  his  poverty.  The  bishops,  knowing  and  regretting  the  misery  of 
their  poor  flocks,  resisted  and  refused.  In  spite  of  them  he  sent  his  officers  out  to  collect  the 
money  by  force  and  threats.  The  Turks  as  well  as  the  rayahs  were  greatly  disturbed,  and 
they  compelled  the  bishops  to  leave  the  island  secretly  in  August,  1783,  and  to  go  to 
Constantinople,  to  lay  before  the  Porte  their  complaints,  and  report  how  greatly  disturbed 
the  island  was  on  account  of  his  tyrannical  exactions. 

The  unexpected  news  of  the  bishops'  flight  excited  Baqi's  wrath,  and  he  wrote  overland 
at  once  abusing  them  to  the  Porte.  The  Porte  made  no  further  enquiry,  but  issued  an  order 
of  banishment,  that  wherever  caught  they  were  to  be  exiled  to  Mount  Athos.  With  threats 
and  pressure  he  harried  and  worried  the  clergy  and  laity  of  Levkosia,  who  chose  four  monks 
in  the  room  of  the  absent  bishops.  Baqi  wrote  and  obtained  their  herats,  and  squeezed  from 
them  as  many  purses  as  he  would.  With  these  powerful  agents  he  persuaded  the  Yazir  to 
order  the  Patriarch  to  write  to  his  brother  of  Antioch  to  consecrate  them.  But  he  failed  to 
gain  his  point,  and  the  bishops  elect  were  not  consecrated,  much  as  they  might  wish  to 
infringe  the  canons,  and  take  possession  of  their  sees.  At  Chios  the  unhappy  bishops  heard 
of  their  banishment,  and  of  the  search  made  for  them  by  the  Porte.  They  hid  themselves  in 
Smyrna :  the  Archbishop  found  a  refuge  in  the  house  of  the  Dutch  Consul  and  his  wife 
Madame  Baroni,  a  lady  noted  for  her  freedom  of  speech  towards  the  Turkish  officials  both 
in  Constantinople  and  Smyrna,  as  well  as  for  her  great  generosity  and  good  heart.  And  the 
other  prelates  were  housed  with  various  pious  persons,  until  the  anger  of  the  Porte  passed. 
Shortly  after  Meletios,  Bishop  of  Cition,  was  sent  secretly  to  the  capital,  and  using  the 
measures  which  were  generally  convincing  there  obtained  the  itlaq  or  release  of  his  colleagues. 
By  imperial  command  the  Archbishop  Chrysanthos,  Sophronios,  Bishop  of  Kyrenia,  and 
Panaretos,  of  Paphos,  went  to  Constantinople,  and  in  an  audience  of  the  Vazir  exposed  the 
tyranny  and  extortion  of  the  one-eyed  Baqi,  and  his  persecution  of  rayahs  and  Turks.  The 
Porte  was  satisfied,  and  ordered  him  with  threats  to  come  in  hot  haste  to  the  capital,  to  justify 


CYPIIIAXOS. 


365 


himself.  He  heard  the  commands  and  threats,  and  couhl  not  but  obey,  so  terrified  and 
trembling  for  his  life,  much  against  his  will  the  wretch  sailed  for  Constantinople. 

Without  waiting  for  his  arrival  the  Porte  nominated  another  muhassil,  and  the  bishops 
were  ordered  to  sail  with  him  for  Cyprus.  The  Bishop  of  Paphos  started  first  and  reached  his 
country.  The  Archbishop  embarked  on  another  vessel,  and  was  wrecked  off  Gallipoli.  But 
by  the  divine  mercy  he  escaped,  and  arnved  unhurt  at  Levkosia.  The  Bishops  of  Cition  and 
Kyrenia  remained  behind  to  await  the  arrival  of  Haji  Baqi,  and  to  be  present  if  necessary  at 
his  trial.  At  last  the  coward  Haji  Abdu'l  Baqi  arrived,  presented  himself  before  the  Vazir, 
was  examined  and  found  guilty  of  the  charges  laid  against  him.  He  was  condemned,  and 
stripped  of  his  wealth  and  authority,  and  the  crow  remained  the  crow  he  was  before,  just 
escaping  with  his  life.  The  bishops  reached  Cyprus  loaded  with  a  debt  of  over  700  purses, 
and  found  their  country  had  been  for  a  year  past  scourged  with  want  and  dearth ;  the  crops 
had  failed  through  the  drought,  the  people  were  sunk  in  debt  and  misery,  and  hardly  knew 
where  to  look  for  grain.  Everyone  was  famine-struck,  and  business  unprofitable  and 
uncertain.  Above  all,  the  people  had  au  evil  habit  of  not  ascribing  their  misfortunes  to  the 
proper  source,  nor  the  increase  of  their  debts  to  the  insatiate  and  heartless  greed  of  the 
governors,  but  thoughtlessly  laid  the  blame  on  their  spiritual  fathers  and  chiefs :  and  this 
not  only  now,  but  from  of  old.  Ingratitude,  alas,  is  a  very  old  heritage  among  Cj'i)riots. 
Many  refu.se  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those  whose  love  had  prompted  them  to  risk  their  lives 
for  their  compatriots. 

What  then?  Wlien  things  in  Cyprus  were  reduced  to  this  lamentable  ami  miserable 
condition,  the  wicked  Baqi  (the  Vazir  by  whom  he  was  condemned  having  fallen,  and  the 
seals  of  the  Empire  being  entrusted  in  1784  to  another)  began  to  plot  against  the  Cypriots, 
and  especially  the  bishops:  but  his  evil  machinations  turned  against  himself.  He  used  all 
his  infiuence,  collected  large  sums  of  money,  and  again  obtained  his  investiture  as  muhasi<il 
for  the  coming  term.  But  quickly  his  joy  vanished,  like  a  shadow  or  a  dream.  The  news  of 
the  scheme  reached  the  island,  and  aghas,  ulema  and  rayahs  hurried  off  in  troops  to  the 
Porte,  denouncing  him,  trumpeting  forth  his  tyranny,  and  declaring  with  determination  that 
the  population,  to  the  very  children,  would  leave  the  country  if  they  saw  their  implacable 
enemy  and  oppressor  but  set  a  foot  in  it.  They  insisted  moreover  that  he  only  sought  the 
post  to  get  his  revenge  on  his  accusers.  The  Vazir  was  satisfied  of  the  villainy  of  the 
one-eyed  wretch,  and  of  his  aims,  and  forthwith,  by  the  Sultan's  connuand,  issued  a  terrible 
decree  that,  under  pain  of  death,  he  .should  never  dare  to  land  in  Cyprus.  He  was  stripped 
of  his  office,  and  banished  to  Jaffa,  a  desert  spot:  and  there,  Heaven  lending  ear  to  the  groans 
of  a  whole  people,  he  was  soon  struck  by  the  plague,  and  spit  out  in  tortures  his  miserable 
soul.  His  countrymen  preserved  the  memory  of  his  crimes  by  raising  piles  of  stones  in  the 
highways  and  crossways,  to  which  each  passer-by  adds  his  stone  and  his  curse. 

But  as  my  history  must  find  its  end  in  the  end  of  this  present  December,  1788,  a  j'ear 
which  has  been  disa.strous  throughout  the  Ottoman  I'hnpire,  1  think  it  well  to  note  here  the 
new  distribution  of  the  imposts  to  be  levied  from  the  Rayahs,  under  the  order  of  the  reigning 
Sultan,  dated  1785. 

At  that  time  it  pleased  the  Porte,  for  high  and  secret  rea.sons  of  .state,  to  put  up  for  sale 
the  imperial  revenues  of  many  provinces,  including  Cyjjrus,  which  was  now  separated  from 
the  emoluments  of  the  Vazirs,  who  for  more  than  a  hundred  years  had  dealt  with  the  island 
as  their  own  property.  From  information  received  from  other  cpiarters,  but  chicHy  from 
Michael,  son  of  the  Archbishop  Clirysanthos,  an  old  gentleman  still  residing  in  Venice,  the 
revenues  of  Cyprus  were  sold  for  1,562,500  piastres,  or  .'n2,.50O  sequins.    They  wim-c  divided 


366 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


into  125  lots,  each  priced  at  12,500  piastres.  From  each  of  these  lots  the  buyers,  Turkish 
capitahsts  and  officials,  enjoy  by  imperial  decree,  by  way  of  interest,  2000  piastres. 

In  a  year's  space  this  interest,  collected  from  the  Rayah  only,  amounts  to  P.  250,000 

The  Christian  population  pays  yearly  besides  P.  65,000 

The  Grovernor,  for  his  investiture  (qaftan-parasi)  pays  yearly  to  the  Vazir  P.  32,000 

Yearly  assessment,  not  counting  other  dues  paid  by  Turks  and  Grreeks  alike  P.  347,000 

I  judged  it  idle  curiosity,  and  likely  to  rouse  the  suspicions  of  witless  persons,  to  set 
forth  in  detail  the  state-revenue  of  the  island  collected  from  Moslem  and  Christians.  Yet  I 
possess  a  detailed  and  accurate  account  of  the  sums  encashed  in  1777  under  the  rule  of  Baqi. 
For  the  information  both  of  the  natives  and  the  curious  stranger,  I  may  add  this,  that  in  spite 
of  its  scanty  population  the  island  pays  yearly  and  inevitably  to  its  masters  more  than  it  paid 
under  the  Venetians.  Yet  it  is  scourged  by  locusts,  and  often  wasted  by  drought:  it  is 
deficient  in  the  inhabitants,  farmers,  artisans  and  merchants,  adequate  to  its  extent,  and 
necessary  for  the  development  of  its  soil. 

As  regards  its  administration,  call  it  as  you  will  a  government  or  a  tyranny,  if  anyone 
would  compare  the  conduct  of  the  former  authorities,  albeit  Christians,  with  that  of  the  rulers 
of  to-day,  conquerors  and  aliens  in  faith  and  race,  he  would  find  both  equally  oppressive  to 
the  people  under  them. 

Briefly,  according  to  the  census  of  1777,  in  the  miserable  days  of  the  monster  Baqi,  the 
families  of  Grreeks,  Armenians  and  Maronites,  rayahs  paying  taxes,  rich  and  poor  together, 
were  distributed  (omitting  Levkosia)  in  564  villages  and  towns,  allotted  to  the  various 
sub-districts  and  qaziliqs  comprised  in  the  four  districts  into  which  the  island  is  divided,  and 
subject  finally  to  the  one  capital  Levkosia. 

You  will  find  below  a  general  estimate  of  the  Turks  and  Christians,  of  both  sexes  and 
all  ages,  now  inhabiting  Cyprus ;  although  I  cannot  say  whether  in  the  eleven  years  which 
have  elapsed  since  the  last  census  the  population  has  increased  or  decreased.  But  there  are 
those  who  think  the  estimate  excessive,  and  it  may  be  admitted  to  be  approximative,  rather 
than  ascertained  with  curious  exactitude. 

Families  of  Christian  subjects  assessed  for  taxes  in  1777. 

District  of  Levkosia. 
Levkosia  itself  contains  Families  755 

Sub-district  of  the  Mesaoria  Villages  61  „  1,144 
„  Ammochostos  and  Carpas  „  40  „  957 
„  Orine  „        48       „  869 

„  Kythraia  „        49       „  926 


198  4,651 
District  of  Paphos. 

Sub-district  of  Paphos  Villages  45       „  691 

„  Kouklia  „        18       „  201 

„  Chrysochou  „        38       „  577 

„  Avdim  „        16       „  236 


117 


L705 


CYPRIANOS. 


367 


District  of  Larnaca. 

Sub-district  of  Larnaca  Villages  47  Families  974 

„  Lemessos  and  Episcopi  „        70       „  915 

„  Koilanion  ,,        19       „  348 


136  2,237 
District  of  Kyrenia. 

Sub-district  of  Kyrenia  Villages  31       „  391 

„  Morphou  and  Pentaya  „       43       „  807 

,,  Levka  ,,       39       „  696 


113  1,894 
Sub-districts  17.                   Villages  564.  Families  10,487 

Number  of  li\nng  souls. 

Christian  population,  males,  about  12,000 

Females  and  children,  at  least  25,000 


37,000 

Turkish  population,  according  to  native  accounts  15,000 
Females  and  children,  at  least  32,000 


47,000 
84,000 

There  are  grave  doubts  about  the  number  of  Moslem,  who,  according  to  many  European 
travellers  of  authority,  are  more  than  the  Christians.  You  will  find  it  so  stated  in  the  work 
of  Mr  John  Hawkins,  an  P^nglishnian  and  ac(iuaintanco  of  my  own,  a  mineralogist,  who  went 
over  the  island  two  years  ago,  and  noted  all  that  was  curious  and  interesting.  His  companion, 
also  an  Englishman,  was  a  botanist,  and  wrote  a  full  account  of  the  herbs  of  the  island  used 
in  medicine. 


368 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


M.  DE  VEZIN. 

Michael  de  Vezin,  of  French  origin  but  born  in  London,  was  during  sixteen  years  His  Britannic 
Majesty's  Consul  for  Aleppo  and  Cyprus.  He  died  at  Larnaca  in  1792,  aged  51,  and  was  buried  in  the 
little  graveyard  adjoining  S.  Lazarus'  church.  His  widow,  Elizabeth  Pfauz,  a  German  born  in  Venice, 
remarried  D.  Gottlieb  Harles,  Professor  at  Erlangen,  who  translated  M.  de  Vezin's  notes  into  German, 
and  published  them  in  M.  C.  Sprengel's  Reisebeschreibungen,  vol.  xii.  pp.  63 — 86,  8vo,  Weimar,  1804.  From 
this  work  I  have  restored  them  to  their  original  language.  The  German  translator  takes  the  Turkish 
Piastre  at  a  little  less  than  two-thirds  of  a  Saxon  Thaler. 

Cyprus  is  the  largest  island,  Sicily  excepted,  in  the  Mediterranean.  It  is  about  200 
English  miles  long,  its  greatest  breadth  is  70,  and  its  circuit  480 :  its  soil  is  very  fertile.  It 
is  divided  into  four  Provinces,  and  these  again  into  sixteen  Districts :  the  former  are  called 
Paphos,  Amathusa,  Lapitho  and  Salamina. 

The  Turkish  inhabitants  are  reckoned  at  about  60,000 :  the  Glreeks  are  now  not  more 
than  20,000  though  in  earlier  days  their  number  far  exceeded  that  of  the  Turks.  But  the 
oppressive  taxes  constantly  imposed  on  them,  and  the  incredible  contributions  exacted  from 
them,  caused  a  great  emigration  of  Christians.  There  are  also  Maronites  and  Armenians, 
but  in  very  small  numbers.  No  Jews  at  all :  under  no  pretext  are  they  allowed  to  settle  in 
the  island,  and  even  those  who  only  pass  through  it  must  provide  themselves  with  good  pass- 
ports from  the  Consul  of  some  Christian  nation  in  whose  dominions  they  are  tolerated. 
Altogether  Cyprus  has  rather  more  than  80,000  inhabitants. 

Nicosia  or  Levcosia  is  the  capital  of  the  whole  island.  It  lies  almost  in  the  middle  of  it, 
in  the  province  Lapitho,  and  is  the  seat  of  a  Greek  Archbishop,  entirely  independent  of  the 
Patriarch  of  Constantinople,  whose  income,  which  is  free  of  all  taxes,  amounts  to  30,000  piastres 
a  year.  He  has  three  suifragan  bishops,  one  at  Cherigno,  one  at  Larnaca,  and  the  third  at 
Baffo  or  Paphos,  whose  joint  incomes  amount  to  60,000  piastres.  It  is  also  the  seat  of 
Government. 

Cyprus  is  administered  by  a  Musellim  or  Governor  (Vice-Pasha)  who  is  also  Muhassil 
or  Receiver  General  of  the  Grand  Signer's  revenues,  and  lives  at  Nicosia,  where  all  the 
higher  courts  hold  their  sittings.  Usually  he  would  be  changed  every  year,  but  Haji  Baqi 
Agha,  who  was  raised  to  this  dignity  by  the  influence  of  the  Archbishop  and  his  friends, 
held  it  several  years,  until  in  1784  dissension  arose  between  him  and  the  bishops  about  the 
traffic  carried  on  by  them  and  their  relations  to  the  detriment  of  his  own.  The  Archbishop 
and  his  suffragans  travelled  in  all  haste  to  Constantinople,  there  to  seek  help.  The  Governor 
was  in  fact  recalled,  but  the  whole  affair  cost  the  bishops  so  much  money  that  up  to  this  day, 
as  they  pretend,  they  have  been  unable  to  pay  the  debts  they  then  incurred. 

The  Musellim  and  two  other  persons  leased  the  island  from  the  Grand  Vazir.  The 
agreement  was  for  620  purses  of  500  piastres,  or  310,000  piastres  for  one  year;  but  with  the 
condition  that  the  lease  should  be  surrendered  to  anyone  else  who  would  bid  more.  Each 
chiftliq  or  private  estate  paid  a  proportionate  sum  to  the  proprietor  at  Constantinople.  The 
bishops  and  the  dragoman  of  the  Serai,  who  is  connected  by  marriage  with  the  Archbishop, 
kept  in  communication  with  the  High  Admiral  or  Qaptan-Pasha  at  Constantinople,  and  so 
arranged  that  the  island  should  there  be  ceded  to  the  said  High  Admiral  and  others,  and 
a  new  Musellim  sent  to  Cyprus  from  Rhodes,  a  man  who  never  does  the  least  thing  except 


M.  DE  VEZLV. 


369 


on  the  advice  of  the  Archbishop,  his  three  suffragans,  and  the  dragoman  of  the  Serai.  The 
last  named  is  now  Chief  Collector  of  taxes  and  duties.  The  differences  between  the  former 
Musellim  and  the  bi.shops  were  the  reason  that  the  island  is  now  farmed  out  for  the  fixed 
yearly  sum  of  900  purses,  or  450,000  piastres.  The  income  of  the  Governor  is  undefined,  he 
can  amass  just  as  much  as  his  conscience  allows.  The  bishops  do  their  best  to  keep  on  good 
terms  with  him. 

The  dragoman  of  the  Serai,  through  whose  hands  all  public  and  private  business  passes, 
gets  from  the  Governor  a  salary  of  2000  piastres  a  year,  but  his  private  gains  are  very  much 
more  important,  so  that  in  his  fourteen  years  of  office  he  must  have  amassed  a  considerable 
fortune.  This  man  has  often  entire  power  over  the  Governor,  who  cannot  read  and  must 
perforce  believe  what  the  dragoman  tells  him.  It  is  a  very  common  case  to  find  Turks  who 
have  mounted  to  the  highest  positions  without  the  least  acquaintance  with  official  business. 

The  last  Pasha  who  ruled  the  island  was  Bekir,  a  man  of  great  reputation.  He  spared 
no  pains  to  restore  to  Cyprus  its  old  importance,  and  among  other  charitable  works  he 
brought  water  to  Larnaca  from  Arpera,  six  miles  away.  Many  wells  were  dug,  and  the 
water  led  from  its  source  to  three  aqueducts,  the  longest  of  which  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
salt-lake,  about  two  miles  from  Larnaca.  The  aqueducts,  which  threatened  lately  to  fall, 
were  restored  and  improved,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  Governor,  the  bishops  and  the 
poor,  by  voluntary  contributions  collected  by  the  writer. 

[Then  follows  a  list  of  officials,  civil  and  military,  identical  witli  that  given  by  Alex. 
Drummond,  Excerpta  Cypria,  p.  195.] 

There  are  a  few  Janisaries  in  Nicosia :  most  of  them  serve  on  board  the  Grand  Signor's 
warships,  which  they  call  mravelas. 

Other  important  cities  in  the  Island. 

Famagusta  was  once  the  key  of  Cyprus,  and  is  very  well  buih.  Tlu-  outer  walls  are  still 
in  good  condition;  all  the  inner  works  are  in  ruins,  as  well  as  the  greater  part  of  the  city. 
The  harbour  is  small  and  shallow,  and  the  bay  not  so  good  as  that  of  the  Salines.  Merchant- 
captains  come  here  to  caulk  their  ships,  the  harbour  being  the  most  convenient  for  that 
purpose.  The  air  of  the  city  is  very  unhealthy,  owing  to  the  quantity  of  standing  water  in 
the  neighbourhood :  these  pools  used  to  be  from  time  to  time  dried  up.  Outside  the  city  are 
more  houses,  which  make  up  a  village,  with  good  gardens,  bearing  lemons,  pomegranates  and 
other  delicate  fruits.  The  officers  of  the  Porte  at  Famagusta  are  the  Alay  Bey,  commandant, 
and  a  Qazi  or  judge:  the  Sanjaq  Hey,  or  bearer  of  the  great  standard,  the  Qol-aghasi, 
captain  of  the  castle,  which  contains  many  fine  cannons.  Some  bear  the  figure  of  S.  Mark, 
others  the  imperial  arms.  A  few  are  mounted  on  carriages,  and  these  are  so  badly  adjusted 
that  they  cannot  and  must  not  be  moved.  Of  the  rest  some  are  burst,  some  spiked,  lying 
here  and  there  about  the  fort. 

In  the  year  1784  came  an  order  from  the  Porte  to  the  Governor  Haji  Hacii  Agha  to 
enquire  and  report  about  the  gunpowder  for  the  great  gun,  which  was  found  at  the  time  the 
island  was  taken  from  the  Venetians.  The  (Jovernor  encpiired  particularly  from  the  writer, 
if  he  did  not  know,  or  had  heard,  that  an  Knglish,  Dutch,  Austrian,  Tuscan  or  Danish 
merchantman  (the  writer  being  Vice-Consul  of  all  these  Powers)  had  carried  off  the  powder. 
All  of  us  Consuls  wrote  in  reply,  to  save  the  (lovernor  and  the  island  from  blackniiiil,  that 
we  had  heard  that  the  previous  Muhassil  had  taken  the  stuff  away,  but  in  what  vessel  we 
knew  not.    For  this  information  the  Governor  expressed  his  warmest  thanks. 

Larnaca  is  the  town  where  the  Fr:inks  reside.    It  lies  a  mile  away  from  the  Bay  of 

c.  47 


370 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Salines,  has  a  Zabit  (Digdaban  or  Vice-Governor)  appointed  by  the  Musellim  at  Nicosia,  a 
Qazi  from  Constantinople,  a  Serdar  or  captain  of  the  police,  and  in  the  Marina,  or  town  on 
the  shore,  which  forms  a  town  by  itself,  a  Qol-aghasi,  or  commandant  of  the  fort,  which  is  so 
greatly  decayed  that  one  would  think  it  could  scarcely  be  worse :  it  has  only  twelve  guns, 
besides  two  or  three  which  are  altogether  useless.  There  is  also  a  Chief  Collector  of  Customs 
at  the  Custom  House  on  the  shore,  who  has  a  Greek  assistant,  and  a  chief  and  second  clerk. 
The  Zabit  pays  to  the  Governor  for  his  post  a  hundred  piastres  a  month ;  he  gets  no  pay,  but 
receives  certain  fees  from  the  natives,  and  what  he  can  squeeze  from  the  people  who  are 
brought  before  his  judgment  seat.  He  is  generally  very  poor.  The  Qazi  pays  180  piastres  a 
month  to  Constantinople  for  his  post.  As  he  too  has  no  fixed  salaxy,  he  gleans  his  income 
from  the  lawsuits  which  come  before  him,  and  from  certain  fees  for  Hams  &c.  The  Serdar 
pays  500  p.  a  year  for  his  post.  He  gets  from  every  newly  married  Greek  in  the  District  of 
Larnaca  45  paras :  this  is  all  his  income  except  what  he  can  make  by  petty  extortions. 

All  Christian  vessels,  except  those  of  Ragusa,  pay  half-yearly  15  piastres  anchor-money, 
which  is  divided  between  the  officials  at  the  Custom  House,  and  the  fort,  and  the  Consul. 

The  French  Consul  is  now  no  longer  paid  by  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  but  by  his 
Government.  He  has  with  him  a  French  dragoman,  also  paid  by  his  Government,  who 
serves  (according  to  the  latest  orders  regulating  the  French  establishment  in  the  Levant)  as 
Chancelier.    When  the  Consul  retires  from  his  office  he  gets  a  moderate  pension  for  his  life. 

The  Venetian  Consul  was  heretofore  appointed  by  the  Great  Council  in  Venice,  which 
had  the  right  of  choice  only :  all  the  Consular  business  went  to  the  Council  of  the  Savij,  by 
whom  all  decisions  thereon  were  taken.  The  Consul's  pay  consists  in  2  per  centum  as  fees  on 
all  merchandise  imported  or  exported,  which  is  paid  without  deduction  at  the  Custom  House. 
All  expenses  connected  with  the  Consulate,  such  as  gifts  to  the  Turks,  to  Janisaries  &c.  the 
Consul  has  to  pay  himself. 

The  Republic  of  Ragusa  has  also  a  Consul,  who  is  in  business.  He  has  no  salary,  but 
takes  2  p.c.  like  his  Venetian  colleague.  In  accordance  with  an  agreement  with  the  Porte 
Ragusans  pay  only  this  2  p.c.  as  duty :  but  then  they  are  tributaries  of  the  Porte. 

In  1785  a  Russian  Consul  also  established  himself  here,  and  hoisted  his  flag,  like  those  of 
England,  France,  and  Venice.  When  the  war  broke  out  between  the  Porte  and  Russia  he 
went  off  in  great  haste.  As  a  Greek  he  was  much  courted  by  his  co-religionists,  and  all  their 
grievances  were  settled  by  him. 

Naples  has  a  Vice-Consul,  who  gets  600  piastres  a  year  to  meet  gifts  to  the  Turks  &c. 
But  the  Neapolitans  have  no  commerce  at  all  with  Cyprus,  and  there  are  only  three  or  four 
inconsiderable  merchants  here  of  that  nation. 

Spain  has  since  March,  1787,  a  Vice-Consul  appointed  by  the  Minister  in  Constantinople, 
but  he  has  neither  subjects  nor  business.  In  May,  1788,  for  the  first  time  in  the  memory  of 
man  a  Spanish  frigate  and  a  brig  appeared  off  the  island.  Their  Commander  promised  the 
Vice-Consul  to  report  on  his  position  at  Madrid,  and  to  exert  himself  to  secure  for  him,  if 
possible,  a  sufficient  salary  to  uphold  the  honour  of  his  nation. 

The  English  Consul,  who  since  1786  has  also  the  superintendence  of  the  Consulate  at 
Aleppo,  has  the  largest  business  connection  in  the  island,  and  accordingly  the  greatest 
influence. 

The  Bay  of  Larnaca,  or  of  the  Salines,  is  the  meeting-place  of  ships  for  all  this  part  of 
the  Levant.  It  is  safe  at  all  seasons,  and  when  vessels  meet  with  bad  weather  at  Damiata, 
Jaffa,  or  even  on  the  open  sea  they  fly  here  for  shelter,  or  come  expressly  to  take  provisions. 
French  ships  especially  leave  behind  them  in  the  Boghaz  or  Bay  of  Damiata  their  cable-tow 


M.  DE  VEZIX. 


371 


with  a  buoy,  and  come  to  Salines :  when  the  bad  weather  is  over  they  return  and  take  up 
their  tow.  Throughout  the  greatest  part  of  the  year  South  and  West  winds  prevail,  rising 
generally  an  hour  before  mid-day. 

Limasol  also  is  a  resort  for  ships  in  all  weathers.  The  town  is  well  enough,  particularly 
as  to  business.  The  English  Consul  has  here  a  (xreek  as  Vice-Consul  to  give  assistance  to 
British  ships  calling  here,  and  to  see  what  is  wanted  in  the  town  and  neighbourhood.  Limasol 
has  a  Zabit,  a  Qazi,  a  Serdar  and  an  Ashab-aghasi,  or  commandant;  but  the  fort,  like  the 
rest,  needs  many  repairs.  Paphos — very  few  vessels  touch  here,  though  in  good  years  it  is 
very  convenient  to  load  wheat  here,  when  the  Governor  allows  the  export.  It  has  an  Alay 
Bey,  a  Qazi,  a  Serdar  and  a  Qol-agha.si.  Cherigna — few  ships  come  here,  but  the  French 
keep  always  two  small  vessels  at  the  service  of  the  Porte,  to  carry  the  Miri,  or  revenue 
accruing  to  the  Grand  Signor,  from  this  town  to  Selefka  in  Caramania,  and  bring  back  other 
Government  officials  with  their  suites.  Hitherto  one  has  been  a  sloop,  the  S.  Louis,  the  other 
a  little  brig,  the  Maria.  These  ves.sels  are  also  at  the  disposal  of  the  Govei-nor,  and  when 
necessary,  visit  various  ports  of  Caramania,  Rhodes  and  Damiata.  In  the  last  war  the  writer 
by  their  means  put  all  his  belongings  into  safety;  he  considered  them  only  as  ships  in  the 
service  of  the  (irand  Signor,  and  of  no  other  l^jwer  besides.  There  are  here  a  Zabit-agha,  a 
Qazi,  a  Serdar  and  a  Qol-aghasi,  commandant  of  the  castle,  which  was  once  very  strong,  and 
well  able  to  withstand  for  a  long  time  the  attack  of  an  enemy :  now  it  is  in  quite  as  bad  a 
condition  as  the  rest. 

All  the  Turks  in  the  Government  service,  in  Nicosia,  Famagusta,  Larnaca  and  other 
parts  have  no  pay.  They  buy  their  posts,  but  to  recoup  themselves  for  their  outlay,  and 
make  something  over,  the  Governor  surrenders  certain  of  his  privileges  for  their  support. 
The  Turks  who  are  called  shorifs  pay  yearly  to  the  (lovernor  7\  i)iastres,  the  rest  19t  p. 
The  tribute  paid  by  the  (ireek  is  H.\ed  at  the  yearly  sum  of  70  piastres  for  the  rich,  and  40 
for  the  poor:  even  boys  of  twelve  years  pay  something.  From  the  Greeks  especially  is  the 
tax  exacted  which  is  called  r/lnirnnn  (disl)ursemoiits  for  service  ajid  (juartei-s)  when  some 
great  personage  travels  through  the  island,  or  wlien  other  persons  are  sent  round  by  the 
Governor.  After  their  departure  the  tax-collector  makes  his  demand  under  the  name  of 
provata  on  every  person  in  the  towns  and  villages  through  which  the  travellc>r  passed. 
These  gentlemen  travel  too  entirely  at  the  public  cost. 

Yearly  produce. 

The  Saltworks  of  Larnaca  yield  every  year  10,000  cartloads  of  jjiire  white  salt.  Each 
cartload  (araba)  carries  1000  okes  of  400  drams.  Each  oke  is  about  2|  Eng.  lbs. :  a  cartload 
of  this  salt  sells  on  the  spot  for  Si  p.  The  Salines  at  Limasol  yield  15,000  cartloads,  but  the 
salt  is  far  inferior  to  that  of  Larnaca,  and  the  cartload  costs  only  3  piastres.  The  quantity 
of  salt  from  both  places  might  be  much  greater  if  a  little  more  care  were  taken  for  its 
orderly  collection. 

Cotton,  the  chief  article  of  produce,  brings  in  about  3.")00  kintals  (the  kintal,  or  cantar, 
equals  100  rotoli,  the  rotolo  720  drams).  The  price  of  cotton  varies  greatly,  depending 
chiefly  on  the  orders  from  Europe.  Thirty  or  forty  years  ago  the  kintal  cost  from  60  to 
75  piastres.  Twenty  years  ago  and  onwards  the  price  was  150  to  275  p.  the  kintal.  In  1784 
it  fell  again  to  135,  and  even  120  p.  But  as  a  rule  in  our  time  the  kintal  fetches  between 
160  and  175  p.  When  the  island  has  a  population  corresponding  to  its  size,  and  the  locusts, 
which  for  a  hundred  years  have  been  its  unceasing  scourge,  are  exterminated,  it  niu.st  yield 

47—2 


372 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


an  enormous  quantity  of  cotton,  and  one  may  safely  assert  that  if  the  land  fell  to  another 
lord  these  locusts  would  be  easily  destroyed  within  three  years. 

Cyprus  produces  about  9000  okes  of  white  silk :  the  oke  sells  at  8  to  12  p.  according  to 
the  demand.  In  1745,  40,000  okes  were  collected :  at  that  time  it  was  worth  6  to  7  p.  the 
oke.  Fine  yellow  silk  is  produced  at  Baffo  and  the  neighbourhood  to  the  extent  of  4000  okes. 
It  is  worth  from  3  to  4  p.  less  than  the  white.    It  goes  chiefly  to  Cairo  in  Egypt. 

The  country  produces  about  250,000  mozas  of  wheat.  The  moza  contains  eight  cafRsis 
[Persian  Icajiz,  a  bushel-measure]  and  each  caffisi  weighs  between  16  and  17  okes  (taken  at 
44|  lbs.  English)  according  as  the  weigher  is  more  or  less  tired,  or  the  grains  are  heavier. 
The  present  mode  of  weighing  differs  greatly  from  that  used  in  the  rest  of  the  world.  They 
turn  and  shake  the  measure,  press  the  wheat  down  with  all  their  might,  then  heap  up  as  much 
as  they  can  on  the  top  in  the  shape  of  a  sugar-loaf.  The  moza  costs  now  ten  piastres.  The 
wheat  from  BafEo  is  the  best. 

Barley,  of  which  about  500,000  mozas  are  harvested,  sells  at  four  piastres  the  moza.  It 
is  weighed  like  the  wheat. 

Madder  (lizari)  brings  in  500  kintals,  at  95  to  100  p.  the  kintal.  The  French  buy  the 
greater  part.    Sheep's  wool,  600  kintals,  at  45  to  50  p.    It  goes  to  Leghorn. 

Oil — 25  kintals,  at  90  p.  Very  little  is  exported,  it  is  mostly  consumed  by  the  natives,  and 
by  seamen. 

Of  the  white  wine  called  Commanderia  150,000  couzas  are  produced.  Each  couza  holds 
2|  Eng.  gallons,  and  is  sold  at  the  beginning  at  one  piastre.  The  best  of  it  goes  to  Venice, 
but  all  this  wine,  if  exported  fresh,  turns  in  part  to  vinegar ;  after  the  month  of  August  the 
risk  is  less :  it  depends  mainly  on  the  weather,  and  the  place  where  the  vines  grew.  This 
kind,  which  is  kept  for  a  very  long  time,  has  this  peculiarity  that  in  successive  years  it  loses 
regularly  12  p.c.  of  its  bulk,  but  it  gains  immensely  in  goodness  when  it  deposits  its  lees  of 
thirty  to  eighty  years.  These  lees  are  very  dear,  and  although  the  price  of  the  new  wine, 
one  piastre  (as  given  above),  seems  very  low,  yet  a  larger  quantity  called  old  wine  is  sold  in 
Larnaca  at  first  hand  for  3  to  4|  and  5  p.  the  couza :  and  the  really  old  and  more  generous 
wine,  which  is  comparatively  rare,  fetches  from  6  to  7  p.,  or  even  more.  The  yield  of  red 
wine,  for  ordinary  use  or  shipment,  is  about  170,000  couzas,  worth  half  a  piastre  each,  just  as 
the  vintage  turns  out.    Brandy  is  made  to  the  value  of  10,000  dollars. 

Of  manufactured  goods  the  following  are  produced  and  sold  in  Nicosia.  Silk  stuifs — 
40,000  piastres.  They  are  sought  after  chiefly  in  the  Greek  islands,  for  they  are  coarse,  and 
have  little  value  in  Europe,  except  a  few  pieces  used  as  cushion-covers. 

Ordinary  linen — to  the  value  of  25,000  p. 

Printed  cottons  and  calicos — 40,000  p. 

The  business  with  France,  both  export  and  import,  has  been  hitherto  in  the  hands  of 
two  houses,  and  is  reckoned  at  300,000  p.  The  goods  received  by  these  houses  from  France, 
taking  one  year  with  another,  may  be  stated  thus : — 20  bales  of  cloth  (called  Londrins 
seconds).  3  bales  of  pepper.  Indigo,  12  barrels.  Cochineal,  6  barrels.  Sugar,  4  barrels. 
Martinique  coffee,  4  barrels.  Iron,  1400  kintals.  Cloves,  4  barrels.  Cinnamon,  about 
10,000  piastres  worth.  Lace  from  Lyon,  20,000  p.  Grold-embroidered  stuffs,  20,000  p. ;  and 
they  get  for  these  about  50,000  p.  in  imperial  crowns,  and  the  change  on  Constantinople. 

The  business  with  the  (late)  Venetian  Republic,  export  and  import,  is  valued  at 
450,000  p.  The  goods  imported  from  Venice  by  merchants  of  that  city  are  : — Cloth,  10  bales. 
Ordinary  window  glass,  100  cases.    Vitriol,  50  barrels.    Pine  boards,  50,000.    Mirrors  of  all 


M.  DE  VEZIN. 


373 


kinds  20,000  p.  worth.  Chests  and  wardrobes  of  Venetian  work,  3000  p.  Headkerchiefs 
of  all  kinds,  about  20,000  p.  8ilk  stuffs  of  all  kinds,  50,000  p.  Nails,  15,000  p.  Venetian 
sequins  to  the  value  of  30,000  p.  are  paid  on  bills  of  exchange  and  orders  on  Constantinople. 

The  so-called  business  with  Tuscany  is  carried  on  by  merchants  of  all  European  countries, 
and  by  some  Greeks  in  the  island.  It  is  inconsiderable  in  proportion  to  the  exports  from 
Cyprus,  which  are  mostly  carried  on  Ragusan  vessels.  During  the  peace  between  England 
and  France  it  revived  a  little.  Two  brigs  sailed  under  the  Imperial  Hag  up  to  the  breaking 
out  of  the  last  Turkish  war.  Cotton,  silk,  wool,  colocynth,  madder,  storax  in  cakes,  go  to 
Leghorn,  and  are  bought  chiefly  with  bills  on  Constantinople. 

English  business  con.sisted  in  silk,  in  exchange  for  which  a  few  English  articles  were 
introduced :  but  since  the  increa.se  of  duty  on  silk  in  England,  and  the  increased  price  in 
Cyprus,  the  writer  has  not  dared  to  speculate  in  it.  The  war  also  between  the  Porte  and  the 
Empires  on  its  borders  caused  great  losses.  Only  a  little  colocynth  and  storax  goes  to 
England.  The  finer  class  of  cotton  is  still  at  too  high  a  rate  for  the  English  market,  and  one 
would  not  be  wise  to  meddle  with  it. 

The  sixteen  Districts  of  Cyprus  are : — 

Nicosia — here  is  the  capital :  it  has  manufactures,  and  produces  wheat  and  barley. 
Cerigna — here  are  the  old  harbour  and  fort  of  that  name. 

Citherea — produces  fine  white  silk  and  some  oil:  and  has  32  water-mills  for  grinding  corn. 

Lapitho — has  the  best  cotton  and  oil. 

Morfu  or  Omorfo — cotton,  wheat  and  barley. 

Poll  of  Clirissofu — cotton,  w(K)1,  pitch,  tar. 

BafFo  or  Paphos — yellow  silk  and  cotton. 

Afdimo — tobacco,  silk  and  cotton. 

Cuclia — excellent  cotton,  wheat  and  capers. 

Kilan — wine,  bad  silk,  for  sieves  and  some  common  handkerchiefs. 
Limasol— salt,  wine,  brandy,  and  carobs  (a  kind  of  8.  John's  bread). 
Larnaca  or  Larnica — salt,  wheat,  barley,  cajiers  and  a  few  dates. 

Famagusta  and  Carpas — silk,  garden  produce,  hardwood  for  export  and  for  building 
peasants'  dwellings. 

Messarea,  the  gi'eat  plain  of  the  island — cotton,  wheat,  barley,  capers  and  a  few  dates. 
Orini — wine  (commanderia),  garden  produce,  and  good  hams. 
Marathos — fine  cotton,  wine,  fruit. 


374 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


UMM  HARAM. 

I  reprint  here  my  translation  of  a  Turkish  manuscript,  which  preserves  an  account,  compiled  about 
1800,  of  the  Musalman  shrine  near  Larnaca,  known  as  the  Klialat  i  Sultan  Tekye.  Within  its  precincts, 
tmder  a  megalithic  monument.  He  the  venerated  remains  of  Umm  Haram  bint  Milhan,  a  lady  of  the  kin 
of  Mohammad,  who  in  the  spring  of  a.d.  649  left  Syria  with  her  husband  'Ubada  ibn  as-Samit  in  the  train 
of  Mo'awiya  for  the  conquest  of  Cyprus,  and  died  by  a  fall  from  her  mule  on  the  spot  where  she  is  buried. 
For  biographical  and  other  details  the  reader  may  refer  to  the  original  paper  in  the  Journal  of  the  Royal 
Asiatic  Society,  January,  1897. 

In  the  name  of  Grod,  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful. 

The  fulness  of  devotion  to  Umm  Haram,  daughter  of  Milhan :  may  the  Merciful,  the 
Most  High  and  Holy  One,  be  well  pleased  with  her.  Lauds  without  number  and  praise 
without  limit  are  most  meet  to  be  ascribed  to  the  Majesty  of  Him,  the  Self-Existent,  who 
pours  forth  abundantly  blessing  and  beneficence,  who,  haAdng  distinguished  with  perfect 
honour  the  noble  companions  and  venerable  female  friends  of  Mohammad  the  chosen,  crown 
of  apostles  and  prophets  (may  the  favour  and  blessing  of  God  Most  High  be  upon  him),  and 
having  exalted  them  above  all  the  elect  and  the  vulgar,  favoured  them  with  perfect  grace, 
and  made  them  the  source  of  many  virtues. 

The  best  of  prayers  and  greetings  innumerable  are  most  meet  and  due  to  the  beloved  of 
God,  the  prince  of  Paradise,  that  ensample  to  the  exalted  prophets,  the  last  and  first,  who 
illuminated  the  brilliant  hearts  of  his  chosen  companions  (may  God  be  pleased  with  them  all) 
with  the  light  of  the  saying — "  My  companions  are  like  the  stars,  and  if  ye  follow  anyone  of 
them  ye  shall  be  led  in  the  road  of  salvation " :  and  made  them  to  guide  their  adherents. 
He  more  especially  delighted  the  taste  and  quickened  the  noble  heart  of  Umm  Haram  (may 
God  accept  her)  with  the  pleasing  announcement,  "  Thou  art  of  the  first."  And,  again,  the 
same  prayers  and  greetings  are  most  fitting  to  all  his  family,  companions,  followers,  and 
friends,  who,  through  their  intimacy  with  that  personage  of  angelic  endowments  (to  whom  be 
the  most  perfect  greetings),  having  been  confidants  of  his  secrets  in  his  solitary  retreats,  have 
used  their  knowledge  to  confirm  the  sacred  law;  so  that  his  followers  received  into  God's 
mercy  may  be  venerated  until  the  day  of  judgment;  and  who  in  holy  and  religious  war  have 
made  mighty  effort,  wherefrom  Islam  and  the  faith  arose,  and  the  Book  and  Qor'an  came  to 
light. 

And  then — This  weak,  poor,  and  lowly  servant,  abounding  in  faults,  a  suppliant  for  the 
mercy  of  his  Lord,  the  Mighty  One,  a  servant  of  the  poor  of  Umm  Haram  (may  God  be 
pleased  with  her),  the  Sheykh  Ibrahim,  son  of  Sheykh  Mustafa  (the  High,  the  Highest,  give 
them  both  pardon),  has  been  honoured  with  the  honour  of  being  in  the  glorious  service  of 
that  exalted  lady,  the  intercessor  interceded  for,  who  (through  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  of  the 
worlds  and  the  guidance  of  the  prince  of  the  apostles)  was  made  a  manifestation  of  wonders 
and  of  sanctity,  a  source  of  chastity  and  purity  of  life.  Sheykh  Mustafa  Efendi,  a  pillar  of 
the  verifiers  of  truth,  a  quintessence  of  those  who  examine  closely,  a  chief  among  the  wise, 
my  blessed  and  pardoned  father,  besides  the  beautiful  account  written  by  him  in  the  year 
1177  concerning  the  venerated  intercessor,  when  on  a  visit  in  the  year  1210  to  the  Threshold 


UMM  HARAM. 


375 


of  Felicity  [Constantinople]  collected  on  loose  sheets  many  accounts  of  acts  of  excellence  and 
virtue,  which  he  extracted  and  arranged  from  the  books  of  Traditions^  Biographies  of  the 
Prophet,  Histories  of  the  Companions,  and  Names  of  the  Narrators  existing  in  its  libraries, 
and  while  still  purposing  to  compile  from  these  another  greatly  profitable  volume,  according 
to  the  saying  "  Death  is  a  cup,  and  man  the  drinker,"  he  drank  of  the  cup  of  death,  and 
delivered  up  his  victorious  soul.    The  mercy  of  God  be  upon  him,  mercy  in  abundance. 

And  now  through  the  grace  of  the  Lord  of  the  worlds,  and  the  inspiration  of  the  aunt  of 
the  prince  of  the  apostles,  and  the  favour  of  the  precious  saints,  ha\'ing  (in  accordance  with 
the  interpretation  preferred  by  the  commentators  on  the  sacred  traditions,  and  with  the  tenor 
of  the  legends  and  histories)  translated  the  sacred  sayings  copied  and  collected  by  the  said 
deceased,  and  having  arranged  and  written  them  down  in  three  chapters  and  an  epilogue, 
under  the  title  "  The  End  of  Devotion  to  Umm  Haram,"  I  present  the  same  as  a  precious  gift 
to  the  present  Muhassil  of  Cyprus,  Seyyid  JIasan  Aglia,  a  helper  of  the  faith  and  despiser  of 
the  infidels.  May  it  be  that  on  condescending  to  peruse  it.  His  Hxcellency,  by  rea.son  of  his 
perfect  love  to  the  honoured  intercessor  (may  (xod  be  pleased  with  her),  live  free  from  cares 
and  sorrows.    And  God  is  He  who  gives  prosperitj^  and  guidance. 

Chapter  I  explains  what  differences  exist  in  the  holy  name  of  this  exulted  lady  (may  (rud 
be  pleased  with  her,  and  turn  her  intercession  to  our  profit),  and  what  was  her  relatimuthip  to 
the  lord  of  the  sons  of  Adam  (may  the  favour  and  blessing  of  God  he  up<m  him). 

According  to  the  distinct  statement  of  al-IIafidh  al-Dhahabi,  in  his  book  called  The 
Names  of  Traditioni.sts,  her  holy  name  is  Humey.sa.  In  the  J(hni'  a^^-Snyhir  it  is  expressly 
called  Ramla;  according  to  others  it  is  8ahla.  But  most  of  the  guardians  of  traditions  say 
distinctly  "«o  name  of  hers  is  known,"  but  that  her  holy  title  is  famous  as  Umm  Ijanim. 
This  statement  al-Hjifidh  ibnu  '1-Hajar  sets  forth  precisely  in  his  biK)k,  called  Ii^dba,  on  the 
names  of  the  companions,  and  with  this  the  statement  of  'AH  al-Qari  in  his  comment  on  the 
holy  Mishh'd  is  in  full  agreement.  Umm  Haram  is  the  same  as  Umm  Muhtarama,  the 
honoured  mother.  The  lord  of  men  (may  the  favour  and  blessing  of  God  be  upon  him) 
showed  her  perfect  love  in  saying  to  her,  "  O  my  mother,"  and  thence  she  is  entitled  "the 
honoured  mother."  The  noble  name  of  her  father,  one  of  the  Ansiirs  of  the  Banu  Najjar,  is 
Milhan.  Men  still  visit  her  house  in  Quba,  saying,  "  it  is  the  fortunate  house  of  Umm 
Haram":  so  it  is  a  place  of  pilgrimage.  Her  august  husband  was  'Ubada  ibn  as-Samit, 
whose  surname  was  Abu'l-Wali.  'Ubada  was  the  first  governor  of  the  province  of  Palestine. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years,  and  was  buried  in  Jerusalem.  And  this  exalted 
lady  was  the  sister  of  Umm  Suleym,  the  venerable  mother  of  Anas  ibn  Malik.  In  certain 
histories  it  is  said  that  Unnn  Suleym  gave  suck  to  the  most  honoured  Prophet  (may  God  be 
pleased  with  them  both) ;  and  as  to  the  kinship  it  is  alleged  by  Abu  Mohammad  ibn  Qutb  ibn 
Yahya  ibn  Ibrahim  that  verily  our  Prophet  (may  the  favour  and  blessing  of  God  be  upon 
him)  gave  leave  to  thi?  honoured  motlier  to  search  on  his  holy  head  for  lice,  for  being  his 
maternal  aunt  he  might  be  intimate  with  her,  for  her  ancestors  were  of  his  tribe.  According 
to  a  story  derived  from  Il)n  Wahb,  she  is  called  his  aunt  because  she  gave  him  the  breast; 
and  most  of  the  guardians  of  traditions  give  preference  to  this  tradition,  and  do  not  concern 
themselves  with  any  other.  And  Umm  Suleym  was  the  foster-sister  of  Amina,  as  say  sundry 
among  the  guardians  of  traditions.  And  in  one  of  the  traditions  of  al-Bukhari  it  is  said, 
"and  she  was  his  maternal  aunt,"  making  this  kinship  clear;  and  Umm  Hanim,  together 
with  Unnn  Suleym,  at  most  times  tightened  their  belts  and  girded  their  loins  for  the  service 
of  the  Prophet,  showing  perfect  love.    May  God  be  pleased  with  them  both. 


376 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Chapter  the  Second  sets  forth  the  holy  wars  in  which  she  tooJc  part,  and  the  purport  of  the 
traditions  about  her. 

There  is  a  story  handed  down  by  the  servant  of  the  apostle  of  God  (may  the  favour  and 
blessing  of  God  be  upon  him),  Anas  ibn  Malik,  that  that  bulbul  of  the  garden  of  eloquence, 
that  nightingale  of  the  flower-garden  of  fair  speech  (to  him  be  the  best  of  praise),  honoured 
with  a  visit  the  fortunate  house  of  Umm  Haram  bint  Milhan  (may  the  Merciful  One  be 
pleased  with  her),  and  after  he  had  condescended  to  eat  food,  that  sainted  woman  searched 
his  august  and  sacred  head  for  lice;  and  while  thus  laying  down  his  sacred  head,  and 
proposing  to  make  manifest  much  divine  wisdom  and  heavenly  mysteries,  he  fell  asleep. 
Now  when  he  rose  up  from  his  holy  slumber  with  a  manifestation  of  joy  and  display  of 
delight  derived  during  that  interval  from  the  enjoyment  of  divine  revelations  and  godly 
visions,  that  revered  lady  questioned  him  as  to  the  cause  of  his  smiles,  and  his  perfect  joy  and 
cheerfulness.  Thereupon  that  depositary  of  the  divine  secrets  replied  in  sweet  and  life-giving 
speech :  "  From  the  presence  of  God  came  to  me  inspiration  and  good  tidings :  a  company  of 
those  of  my  faith  will,  as  though  sitting  on  the  seats  and  thrones  of  kings,  spread  holy  war 
and  forays,  for  the  exalting  of  the  word  of  God,  with  longing  to  approve  themselves  to  God, 
and  will  conquer  the  isles  of  the  seas,  and  the  cities  of  the  coasts  thereof,  and  these  of  my 
people  will  enter  into  high  heaven  among  those  who  enter  first,  without  the  trial  of  torment 
or  chastisement.  Thus  from  the  presence  of  God  inspiration  and  good  tidings  came  to  me." 
Thus  saying,  he  gave  that  holy  lady  good  news,  and  made  her  enlightened  heart  to  rejoice. 
That  honoured  lady,  too,  growing  eager  for  such  high  emprise,  and,  anxious  to  take  her  part 
with  the  victors  by  sea,  proffered  her  request,  and  with  "  Thou  art  of  the  first  "—an  irrefragable 
word — was  declared  of  the  first  of  the  troop  which  was  to  war  at  sea,  and  was  thus  gladdened 
with  good  tidings,  and  rejoiced  in  heart;  and,  according  as  the  Prophet  said,  so  it  was. 
Hence  it  is  clearer  than  the  sun  that  the  announcement  that  his  followers  would  be  stablished, 
that  his  religion  would  be  made  clear  and  manifest,  that  the  believers  would  after  his  death 
enter  upon  expeditions  and  make  war  for  the  exalting  of  the  faith,  even  to  the  subduing 
of  many  islands  and  cities,  and  that  God  Most  High  would  make  those  who  die  martyrs 
worthy  of  entering  Paradise  with  those  who  entered  first  therein,  without  torment  or  chastise- 
ment, is  of  the  signs  of  prophethood  and  of  the  number  of  miracles. 

In  Chapter  Third  is  set  forth  when  they  went  out  to  conquer,  and  from  what  quarters 
they  came. 

In  the  twenty-seventh  year  of  the  Flight  of  the  Prophet  (to  whom  be  the  most  perfect  of 
greetings),  under  the  third  Khalifa,  'Othman  ibn  'Affan  (may  God  be  pleased  with  him), 
leave  and  permission  were  given  for  the  waging  of  war  by  sea ;  and  Abu  Dhar  and  'Ubada 
ibn  as-Samit  and  his  honoured  wife,  Umm  Haram,  and  Shaddad  ibn  Aws,  and  Abu  '1-Darda, 
and  Talha  and  Sa'id  ibn  Zeyd,  and  'Abdu'llah  ibn  Nawfal,  who  were  of  the  greatest  among 
the  companions  of  the  apostle  of  God,  and  the  companions  of  'Omar  (may  God  be  pleased  with 
them),  with  very  many  soldiers,  started  from  Medina,  the  illuminated,  and  entered  Damascus; 
and  by  order  of  'Othman  ibn  'Affan,  Mo'awiya  ibn  Abi  Sofyan  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand. They  arrayed  a  large  body  of  troops  and  marched  out  of  Damascus,  and  by  way  of 
visitation  entered  Jerusalem.  And  after  the  visitation,  by  way  of  Ramla  they  descended  on 
Tripoli  of  Syria ;  and  from  the  ports  at  Tripoli  and  the  neighbourhood  they  collected  ships 
and  boats,  and  embarking  on  them,  and  circling  about  the  seas,  they  came  to  the  island  of 
Cyprus.    And  on  landing  at  a  spot  about  two  hours  distant  from  the  port  of  Tuzla,  the  holy 


UMM  yARAM. 


377 


woman  (may  God  be  pleased  with  her)  was  set  with  all  honour  on  a  mule ;  and  on  arriving  at 
the  place  where  now  her  luminous  tomb  is  seen,  they  were  attacked  by  Genoese  infidels,  and 
falling  from  her  beast  she  broke  her  pellucid  neck,  and  yielded  up  her  victorious  soul,  and  in 
that  fragrant  spot  was  at  once  buried.  And  it  is  clear  that  that  irrefragable  prophetic  word, 
"  Thou  art  of  the  first,"  is  of  the  number  of  the  manifest  miracles  of  Mohammad.  It  is  by  the 
perfect  divine  favour  of  the  Giver  of  all  gifts  in  the  other  world  that  the  beloved  of  God  and 
honoured  Prophet  (may  the  favour  and  blessing  of  God  be  upon  him)  has  given  life  to  the 
hearts  of  the  believers  by  saying — "  If  any  of  the  male  companions  or  female  disciples  be 
buried  in  a  holy  place  they  will  intercede  for  such  dwellers  in  that  place  as  are  worthy 
of  their  intercession."  So  likewise  in  this  life  it  is  by  the  grace  of  God  that — as  it  is  said  by 
the  Imam  Munawi  (on  him  be  the  mercy  of  the  Almighty),  in  his  comment  on  the  Jdmi' 
Saghir — whenever  the  people  of  Damascus  are  sorely  tried  by  droughts  and  other  troubles, 
and  with  full  trust  appeal  to  that  honoured  lady,  asking  froTn  the  Giver  of  all  good  and 
munificence  rain  and  rest,  and  deliverance  from  trouble  and  attack,  the  Dispeller  of  all  cares 
and  sorrows,  God  Most  High,  out  of  respect  to  that  honoured  lady,  dispels  their  anxieties  and 
troubles  and  grants  them  His  rain  and  grace.  And  especially  there  is  no  doubt  that  for 
those  who  with  earnest  endeavour  and  in  full  faith  make  the  customary  and  acceptable 
visitation  to  the  honoured  tomb  and  revered  shrine  which  contain  her  .sacred  body,  the  Giver 
of  blessings  in  unequalled  wisdom  satisfies  all  their  needs.  It  is  the  perfect  favour  and  grace 
of  God  Most  High  and  Kxalted  that  Ho  has  made  the  aunt  of  that  most  glorious  of  created 
beings  an  interces.sor  for  the  inliabitants  of  this  island  and  the  visitors  who  earnestly  appeal 
to  her,  and  that  when  we  confide  in  her  exalted  person  we  attain  all  our  desires  and  aims  in 
this  world  and  the  next.  What  great  fortune  and  felicity  is  this  !  "  Thin  ix  the  grace  nf  (rfxi, 
which  He  given  to  all  Hin  .servaHta  irho  neek  it ;  ami  (Jod  in  the  Lord  of  the  greatest  grace." 

Conclusion,  setting  forth  sumlry  of  the  miracles  ami  graces  of  that  exalted  lady. 

One  of  the  miracles  of  that  exalted  lady  (may  God  be  plea.sed  with  her)  is  this : — On  her 
journey  from  Jerusalem  to  Ramla  she  alighted  on  her  way  as  a  guest  at  the  house  of 
a  Christian  monk.  She  beheld  in  the  house  three  huge  stones  like  columns,  and  to  show 
a  marvel  and  display  saintship  she  desired  to  buy  tlie  said  stones  from  the  monk.  The  monk, 
fully  persuaded  of  the  impossiljility  of  transporting  the  stones  and  carrying  them  away,  gave 
them  as  a  present  to  the  exalted  lady.  She  accepted  tluMu,  and  .said — "  Jjet  them  remain  by 
way  of  trust;  in  due  time  they  will  be  taken  away,"  and  departed.  And  on  the  evening  of 
hor  burial  the  said  stones,  by  the  might  of  the  Lord  of  the  worlds,  moved  from  their  place, 
and  walking  in  the  sea — a  wonderful  sight — appeared  in  this  fragrant  place;  and  one  of  them 
set  itself  at  her  sacred  head,  one  at  her  holy  feet,  and  the  other  stone,  as  though  suspended 
over  them,  rested  there  by  the  power  of  God,  And  now,  if  we  look  to  be  instructed,  the 
elevation  and  juxtaposition  with  other  stones  of  a  stone  so  huge  must  be  deemed  an 
impossibility.  It  is,  therefore,  clear  and  manifest  that  the  stone  is  suspended.  Tliese  marvels 
are  of  the  number  of  the  prodigies  and  saintly  works  of  that  source  of  wonders,  and  of  the 
signs  of  her  high  rank.  And  even  now  many  holy  marvels  of  hers  are  seen,  and  tho.se 
witnessed  by  pilgrims  who  .seek  her  trustfully,  and  by  the  servants  who  live  about  her 
pleasant  shrine,  are  such  as  none  may  inimV)er  and  count.  May  God  be  pleased  with  her,  and 
benefit  us  through  her  intercession.  We  pray  Thee,  O  God,  for  uprightness  in  her  service, 
and  to  exalt  us  under  her  banner,  through  the  favour  of  the  chief  of  the  apostles;  and  praise 
be  to  God,  the  Lord  of  the  worlds. 

Al-Fdtihat. 

c.  48 


378 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


CLARKE. 

The  Eev.  Edward  Daniel  Clarke,  LL.D.,  Fellow  of  Jesus  College,  and  Professor  of  Mineralogy  at 
Cambridge,  died  on  March  9,  1822.  His  Travels  in  various  countries  of  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa, 
sumptuously  printed  and  illustrated,  were  issued  in  quarto  volumes  between  1810  and  1823.  I  transcribe 
from  Part  the  second  (Greece,  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Land),  Section  the  first  (1812),  pp.  308 — 356,  omitting 
the  notes,  chiefly  references  to  Dapper,  Heyman  and  other  travellers,  whose  remarks  on  Cyprus  I  have 
already  edited  for  the  Excerpta  Cypria. 

Dr  Clarke  visited  Cyprus  in  H.  M.  frigate  Ceres  between  June  6  and  16,  1801.  He  notes  the 
temperature  during  his  stay  as  varying  between  77  and  85  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  of  June  the  third  1801  we  made  land  north-east  and 
by  east.  It  fell  to  my  lot  to  give  the  first  intelligence  of  its  appearance,  being  aloft  upon  the 
look-out  in  the  phuttock  shrouds.  Cape  Blanco,  anciently  Curias  promontory,  then  hove  in 
view  (to  use  the  language  of  seamen),  and  soon  after  the  whole  island  was  seen  indistinctly 
looming  amidst  thick  fogs.  It  appeared  very  high  and  mountainous.  We  had  such  light 
breezes  and  frequent  calms,  that  we  did  not  reach  Salines  Bay  until  3  o'clock  p.m.  on 
Saturday  the  sixth  of  J une.  We  had  coasted  the  whole  island  from  its  western  extremity, 
and  so  near  to  the  shore  that  we  had  a  distinct  survey  of  the  features  of  the  country.  We 
saw  the  fortress  and  town  of  Baffa,  anciently  Paphos,  backed  by  high  mountains.  The  coast 
towards  the  west  much  resembles  the  southern  part  of  the  Crimea ;  the  villages  and  cultivated 
places  being  near  the  shore,  and  all  behind  being  craggy  and  mountainous.  From  Balfa  to 
Limassol  near  the  spot  where  the  ancient  city  of  Amathus  stood,  the  coast  appears  very 
fertile,  and  more  so  than  any  part  of  the  island  that  we  afterwards  visited.  Towards  the 
south-western  district  the  country  is  well  covered  with  forest  trees,  and  particularly  the 
neighbourhood  of  Balfa.  Limassol  produces  the  finest  muscadine  wine  of  Cyprus;  some  of 
this  pours  like  oil,  and  may  be  kept  to  a  great  age.  The  wane  called  Commanderia,  is, 
however,  held  principally  in  esteem  among  the  natives. 

As  we  sailed  into  Salines  Bay,  anciently  that  of  Gitium,  now  called  'AAiVcs,  from  a  cluster 
of  salt  lakes  near  the  sea,  the  town  of  Salines  appeared  covered  wdth  that  white  fog,  so  much 
dreaded,  and  so  well  known  in  Italy,  by  the  name  of  Mal-aria.  The  mountains  behind  the 
place  were  partially  concealed  by  this  unwholesome  vapour.  It  rose  from  the  shore  and 
buildings  like  smoke.  Whenever  this  appearance  is  presented  the  heat  upon  the  island  is 
excessive.  Few  of  the  natives  venture  out  of  their  houses  during  mid-day ;  and  all  journeys, 
even  those  of  caravans,  are  performed  in  the  night ;  the  dews  are  then  neither  abundant  nor 
dangerous ;  in  this  respect  Cyprus  differs  entirely  from  Egypt,  and  from  all  the  neighbouring 
shores.  Its  ports  are  more  sultry  than  any  other  in  the  Levant.  Salines  and  the  towns 
situated  on  the  eastern  and  north-eastern  coasts  of  the  island  are  subject  to  such  dangerous 
temperature,  that,  in  the  months  of  June  and  July,  persons  fall  victims  to  the  afflicting 
malady  called  a  sun-stroke,  or  coup  de  soleil,  if  they  venture  out  at  noon  without  the 
precaution  of  carrying  an  umbrella.  The  inhabitants,  especially  of  the  lower  order,  wrap 
their  heads  as  if  exposed  to  the  rigour  of  a  severe  winter;  being  always  covered  with  a 
turban  over  which,  in  their  journeys,  they  place  a  thick  shawl,  many  times  folded.  The 
great  heat  experienced  upon  the  eastern  coasts  of  Cyprus  is  owdng  to  two  causes;  to  the 
situation  of  the  island  wdth  respect  to  the  Syrian,  Arabian,  and  Libyan  deserts ;  and  to  its 
mountainous  nature,  preventing  the  cooler  winds,  the  west,  and  north-west,  from  the  low 
shores  to  the  east  and  north-east. 


CLARKE. 


379 


We  had  scarce  entered  the  bay,  when  we  observed,  to  the  north-east,  a  lurid  haze,  as  if 
the  atmosphere  was  on  fire :  and  suddenly,  from  that  quarter,  a  hurricane  took  us,  that  laid 
the  Ceres  upon  her  beam-ends.  At  the  time  of  this  squall,  I  endeavoured  to  ascertain  the 
temperature  of  this  blast.  We  found  it  so  scorching,  that  the  skin  instantly  peeled  from  our 
lips;  a  tendency  to  sneeze  was  excited,  accompanied  with  great  pain  in  the  eyes,  and  chapping 
of  the  hands  and  face.  The  metallic  scale  of  the  thermometer,  suspended  in  a  port-hole  to 
windward,  was  kept  in  a  horizontal  position  by  the  violence  of  the  gale ;  and  the  mercury, 
exposed  to  its  full  current,  rose  six  degrees  of  Fahrenheit  in  two  minutes,  from  eighty  to 
eighty-six ;  a  singular  consequence  of  north-east  wind  to  Englishmen,  accustomed  to  consider 
this  as  the  coldest  to  which  their  island  is  exposed.  All  the  coast  of  Cyprus,  from  Salines  to 
Famagu-sta,  anciently  Salamis,  is  liable  to  hot  winds,  from  almost  every  point  of  the  compass; 
from  the  north-east;  from  the  east;  from  the  south-east;  from  the  south;  and  south-west. 
The  north-east,  coming  from  the  parched  de.serts  of  Curdistan ;  the  east  from  the  .sands  of 
Palmyra ;  the  south-east,  from  the  great  desert  of  Arabia ;  and  the  south,  and  south-west, 
from  Egypt  and  Libya.  From  the  west,  north-west,  and  north,  the  inhabitants  are  shut  by 
high  mountains,  lying  open  to  the  beams  of  a  .scorching  sun,  reflected  from  a  soil  s(j  white, 
that  the  glare  is  often  sufficient  to  cause  temporary  bUndness,  without  even  the  prospect  of  a 
single  tree,  beneath  which  one  might  liojje  for  shade.  In  the  middle  of  the  day,  few  animals 
are  seen  in  motion,  except  the  lizard,  seeming  to  sport  with  greatest  pleasure  where  the  sun  is 
most  powerful,  luul  a  species  of  long  black  serpents,  abounding  in  Cyprus;  one  of  these  we 
killed,  four  feet  three  inches  in  length.  Sometimes,  also,  a  train  of  camels  may  be  noticed, 
grazing  among  dusty  thistles  and  bitter  herbs,  while  their  drivers  seek  shelter  from  the 
burning  noon. 

We  found  at  anchor,  in  this  bay,  the  Ipliigenia,  Captain  Stackpole,  from  the  fleet,  with 
several  transport-ships,  waiting  for  supplies  of  cattle  and  water.  On  the  following  morning, 
June  the  seventli,  about  ten  o'clock  we  landed,  and  carried  our  letters  of  recommendation  to 
the  difFercnt  Consuls  residing  at  Larnrra,  about  a  mile  from  Salines  towards  the  north. 
Here  the  principal  families  reside,  altiiough  almost  all  commercial  transactions  are  carried  on 
at  Saline.s.  We  dined  at  Larneca  with  our  own  Consul,  collecting,  during  our  walk  to  and 
from  his  house,  beneath  the  shelter  of  umbrellas,  the  few  plants  that  occurred  in  our  way. 
In  our  subsequent  visits,  we  soon  found  that  the  malaria  we  had  witne.ssed  from  the  deck 
of  the  Ceres,  veiling  all  the  harbour  with  its  fearful  mist,  could  not  be  approached  with 
impunity.  Our  lamented  friend,  and  exemplary  commander.  Captain  Russel,  was  the  first  to 
experience  its  baneful  influence;  being  seized  with  a  fever,  from  which  he  never  afterwards 
recovered.  Indeed,  the  fevers  of  Cyprus,  unlike  those  caught  upon  other  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean,  I'arely  intermit;  they  are  almost  always  malignant. 

The  strictest  attention  is  therefore  paid  by  the  inhabitants  to  their  diet.  Fortunately  for 
them,  they  have  no  butter  on  the  island  ;  and  in  hot  weather  they  deem  it  fatal  to  eat  fat 
meat  or  indeed  Hesh  of  any  kind,  unless  boiled  to  a  jelly.  They  likewise  carefully  abstain 
from  every  sort  of  pastry ;  from  eggs,  cream,  and  milk,  'llie  i.sland  produces  abundance  of 
delicious  apricots,  from  standard  trees,  having  a  much  higher  flavour  than  those  of  Rosetta, 
but  eciually  dangerous  to  foreigners,  and  speedily  causing  fever,  if  they  be  not  sparingly 
used.  Those  of  Famagusta  are  the  most  celebrated.  They  are  sent,  as  acceptable  presents, 
to  Nicotia,  the  cai)ital.  The  apricots  of  Larneca  are  also  fine,  and  may  be  purchased  in  the 
market  at  the  snuill  price  of  three  shillings  the  bushel.  Many  different  varieties  of  the  gourd, 
or  pumpkin,  are  used  in  Cyprus  for  vegetables  at  table.  The  young  fruit  is  boiled,  after 
being  stuffed  with  rice.   We  found  it  refreshing  and  pleasant,  partaking  at  the  same  time  the 

48—2 


380 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


flavour  of  asparagus  and  artichoke.  We  noticed  also  the  beet-root,  melons,  cucumbers,  and 
a  very  insipid  kind  of  mulberry,  of  a  white  colour.  The  corn  of  the  island,  wherever  the 
inhabitants  have  courage  or  industry  enough  to  venture  on  the  cultivation  of  the  land,  in 
despite  of  their  Turkish  oppressors  and  the  dangers  of  the  climate,  is  of  the  finest  quality. 
The  wheat  although  bearded,  is  very  large,  and  the  bread  made  from  it  extremely  white  and 
good.  Perhaps  there  is  no  part  of  the  world  where  the  vine  yields  such  redundant  and  luscious 
fruit.  The  juice  of  the  Cyprian  grape  resembles  a  concentrated  essence.  The  wine  of  the 
island  is  so  famous  all  over  the  Levant,  that,  in  the  hyperbolical  language  of  the  Greeks,  it  is 
said  to  possess  the  power  of  restoring  youth  to  age,  and  animation  to  those  who  are  at  the 
point  of  death.  Englishmen  however  do  not  consider  it  a  favourite  beverage,  as  it  requires 
nearly  a  century  of  age  to  deprive  it  of  that  sickly  sweetness  which  renders  it  repugnant  to 
their  palates.  Its  powerful  aperient  quality  is  also  not  likely  to  recommend  it,  where  wine  is 
drunk  in  any  considerable  quantity,  as  it  sometimes  causes  a  disorder  of  the  bowels  even  after 
being  kept  for  many  years.  When  it  has  been  in  bottles  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  it  acquires 
a  slight  degree  of  effervescence ;  and  this,  added  to  its  sweetness  and  high  colour,  causes  it  to 
resemble  Tokay  more  than  any  other  wine.  This,  however,  is  not  the  state  wherein  the 
inhabitants  of  Cyprus  drink  their  wine.  It  is  preserved  by  them  in  casks,  to  which  the  air 
has  constantly  access,  and  will  keep  in  this  manner  for  any  number  of  years.  After  it  has 
withstood  the  changes  of  a  single  year,  it  is  supposed  to  have  passed  the  requisite  proof,  and 
then  it  sells  for  three  Turkish  piastres  the  gooze.  (Couza,  about  twenty-one  pints.  The  value 
of  the  piastre  varies  continually :  it  was  worth  about  twenty  pence  when  we  were  in  Turkey.) 
Afterwards,  the  price  augments  in  proportion  to  its  age.  We  tasted  some  of  the  Commanderia, 
which  they  said  was  forty  years  old,  and  was  still  in  the  cask.  After  this  period  it  is 
considered  quite  as  a  balm,  and  reserved,  on  account  of  its  supposed  restorative  and  healing 
quality,  for  the  sick  and  the  dying.  A  greater  proof  of  its  strength  cannot  be  given,  than  by 
relating  the  manner  in  which  it  is  kept ;  in  casks  neither  filled  nor  closed.  A  piece  of  sheet 
lead  is  merely  laid  over  the  bung-hole;  and  this  is  removed  almost  every  day,  whenever 
persons  visit  their  cellars  to  taste  the  different  sorts  of  wine  proposed  for  sale.  Upon  these 
occasions,  taking  the  covering  from  the  bung-hole,  they  dip  a  hollow  cane  or  reed  into  the 
liquor,  and  by  suction  drawing  some  of  it,  let  it  run  from  the  reed  into  a  glass.  Both  the 
Commanderia  and  the  Muscad  are  white  wines.  When  new,  they  have  a  slight  tinge  of  a 
violet  hue :  but  age  soon  removes  this,  and  afterwards  they  retain  the  colour  of  Madeira. 
Cyprus  produces  also  red  wines ;  but  these  are  little  esteemed,  and  used  only  as  weak  liquors 
for  the  table,  answering  to  the  ordinary  "  Vin  du  Pays  "  of  France.  If  the  people  of  Cyprus 
were  industrious,  and  capable  of  turning  their  vintage  to  the  best  account,  the  red  wine  of 
the  island  might  be  rendered  as  famous  as  the  white ;  and  perhaps  better  calculated  for 
exportation.  It  has  the  flavour  of  Tenedos ;  resembling  that  wine  in  colour  and  strength ; 
and  good  Tenedos  not  only  excels  every  other  wine  of  Greece,  but  perhaps  has  nowhere  its 
rival  in  Europe. 

This  island,  that  had  so  highly  excited,  amply  gratified  our  curiosity  by  its  most 
interesting  antiquities;  although  there  is  nothing  in  its  present  state  pleasing  to  the  eye, 
instead  of  a  beautiful  and  fertile  land,  covered  with  groves  of  fruit  and  fine  woods,  once 
rendering  it  the  paradise  of  the  Levant,  there  is  hardly  upon  earth  a  more  wretched  spot  than 
it  now  exhibits.  Few  words  may  forcibly  describe  it;  Agriculture  neglected — inhabitants 
oppressed — population  destroyed — pestiferous  air — contagion — poverty — indolence — desola- 
tion. Its  antiquities  alone  render  it  worthy  of  resort ;  and  these,  if  any  person  had  leisure 
and  opportunity  to  search  for  them,  would  amply  repay  the  trouble.    In  this  pursuit,  Cyprus 


CLARKE. 


may  be  considered  as  yet  untrodden.    A  few  inscribed  marbles  were  removed  from  Baffa  by 

Sir  Sidney  Smith.     Of  two  tliat  the  Author  examined,  one  was  an  epitaph,  in  Greek 

hexameter  and  pentameter  lines;  and  the  other  commemorated  public  benefits  conferred  by 

one  of  the  Ptolemies.    But  the  Phoenician  reliques  upon  the  island  are  most  likely  to  obtain 

notice,  and  these  have  been  hitherto  unregarded.    The  inhabitants  of  Larneca  rJfrely  dig 

near  their  town  without  discovering  either  the  traces  of  ancient  buildings,  subterranean 

chambers,  or  sepulchres.    Not  long  before  our  arrival,  the  English  Consul,  Signor  Peristiani, 

a  Venetian,  dug  up,  in  one  place,  above  thirty  idols  belonging  to  the  most  ancient  mythology 

of  the  heathen  world.    Their  origin  refers  to  a  period  long  anterior  to  the  conquest  of  Cyprus 

by  the  Ptolemies,  and  may  relate  to  the  earliest  establishment  of  the  Phoenician  colonies. 

Some  of  the.se  are  of  terra-cotta ;  others  of  a  coarse  limestone ;  and  some  of  soft  crumbling 

marble.    They  were  all  sent  to  our  Ambassador  at  Constantinople,  who  presented  them  to 

Mr  Cripps.    The  principal  figures  seem  to  have  been  very  ancient  representations  of  the  most 

popular  Divinity  of  the  island,  the  Pantamorpha  Mater;  more  frequently  repre.sented  as 

Ceres  than  as  Venus  (notwithstanding  all  that  Poets  have  feigned  of  the  Paphian  Goddess), 

if  we  may  safely  trust  to  such  documents  as  engraved  gems,  medals,  marbles,  and  to  these 

idols,  the  authentic  records  of  the  country.    Upon  almost  all  the  intaglios  found  in  Cyprus, 

even  among  the  ruins  of  Paphos,  the  representations  are  either  those  of  Ceres  herself,  or  of 

symbols  designating  her  various  modification.s.    Of  the.se,  the  Author  collected  many,  which 

it  would  be  tedious  to  enumerate. 

Among  the  gems  found  in  Cyprus,  we  noticed  intagliated  scarabivi  with  similar  symbols ; 

and  obtained  one  whereon  Isis  was  exhibited  holding  a  lion's  cul),  preci.sely  according  to  the 

appearance  presented  by  the  statue  di.scovered  at  Larnaca.    Since  these  antiquities  were 

found,  the  inhabitants  have  also  dug  up  a  number  of  stone  coffins,  of  an  oblong  rectangular 

form.    Each  of  these,  with  the  exception  of  its  cover,  is  of  an  entire  mass  of  stone.    One  of 

them  contained  a  small  vase  of  trrra-coHa,  of  the  rudest  workmanship,  destitute  of  any 

glazing  or  varnish.    Several  intaglios  were  also  discovered,  and  brought  U)  us  for  sale.  We 

found  it  more  difficult  to  obtain  antient  gems  in  Larneca  than  in  the  interior  of  the  island, 

owing  to  the  exorbitant  prices  set  upon  them.    At  Nicotia,  the  goldsmiths  part  with  such 

antiquities  for  a  few  paras.    The  people  of  Larneca  are  more  accustomed  to  intercourse  with 

strangers,  and  expect  to  nuike  a  harvest  in  their  coming.    Among  the  ring  stones  we  left 

in  that  town,  was  a  beautiful  intaglio  represi-nting  Cupid  whipping  a  butterfly;  a  common 

method,  among  antient  lapidaries,  of  typifying  the  power  of  love  over  the  soul.    Also  an 

onyx,  which  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  one  of  the  Ptolemies  had  used  as  a  signet.  It 

contained  a  very  curious  monogram,  expressing  all  tlie  letters  of  the  word  riTOAEMAIOY. 

•  •  • 

The  signet  stones  of  Cyprus,  although  cut  in  a  variety  of  substances,  were  more  frequently 
of  red  carnelian  than  of  any  other  mineral.  Some  of  the  most  diminutive  size  were  finely 
executed  in  red  garnet,  the  carbuncle  of  the  antieiits.  Others  were  formed  of  plasma,  onyx, 
bloodstone,  topaz,  jasper,  and  even  of  quartz.  Of  all  these  the  most  antient  had  the  scarabean 
form. 

CHAITKK  XI. 

It  will  now  perhaps  be  interesting  to  ascertain  from  what  iMi(eiiician  city  the  antiquities 
discovered  at  Larneca  derive  their  origin ;  and  if  the  Reader  will  give  an  Author  credit  for 
the  difficulties  he  has  encountered,  in  order  to  a.scertain  this  point,  he  may  perhaps  spare 
himself  some  trouble,  and  render  unnecessary  any  ostentatious  detail  of  the  volumes  it  was 


382 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


necessary  to  consult.  The  antient  geography  of  Cyprus  is  involved  in  greater  uncertainty 
than  seems  consistent  with  its  former  celebrity  among  enlightened  nations.  Neither  Greeks 
nor  Romans  have  afforded  any  clue  by  which  we  can  fix  the  locality  of  its  Eastern  cities. 

Certain  of  them,  it  is  true,  had  disappeared  in  a  very  early  period.  Long  prior  to  the 
time  of  *Pliny,  the  towns  of  Cinyria,  Malium,  and  Idalium,  so  necessary  in  ascertaining  the 
relative  position  of  other  places,  no  longer  existed.  Both  the  nature  and  situation  of  important 
land-marks,  alluded  to  by  the  antient  geographers,  are  also  uncertain.  According  to  Strabo, 
the  Chides  were  two  islands  upon  the  north-east  coast ;  Pliny  makes  their  number  four ;  and 
Herodotus  mentions  a  promontory  that  had  the  name  given  to  these  islands.  If  we  consult 
the  text  of  Strabo,  his  description  of  Cyprus  appears  to  be  expressed  with  more  than  usual 
precision  and  perspicuity.  Yet  of  two  renowned  cities,  Salamis  and  Citium,  the  first 
distinguished  for  the  birth  of  the  historian  Aristus,  and  the  last  conspicuous  by  the  death  of 
Cimon,  neither  the  situation  of  the  one  nor  of  the  other  has  been  satisfactorily  determined. 
D'Anville  assigns  a  different  position  for  these  cities,  and  for  the  present  towns  of  Famagusta 
and  Larneca;  although  Drummond,  "  Vir  haud  contemnendus,"  as  he  is  styled  by  a  late 
commentator  upon  Strabo,  and  also  Pococke,  whose  proverbial  veracity  is  beyond  all  praise, 
from  their  own  ocular  testimony  reconcile  the  locality  of  the  antient  and  modern  places. 
"  At  Larneca,"  observes  the  former  of  these  writers,  are  undeniable  proofs  of  its  having  been 
the  antient  Citium.  Perhaps  the  antiquities  now  described  may  hereafter  serve  to  confirm 
an  opinion  of  Drummond's,  founded  upon  very  diligent  inquiry,  and  repeated  examination  of 
the  country.  During  the  time  he  was  Consul  at  Aleppo,  he  thrice  visited  Cyprus,  and  upon 
every  occasion  industriously  surveyed  the  existing  documents  of  its  antient  history. 

The  sepulchral  remains,  occupying  so  considerable  a  portion  of  the  territory  where  the 
modern  town  is  situated,  appear  to  have  been  those  of  the  Necropolis  of  Citium ;  and  this 
city  probably  extended  from  the  port  all  the  way  to  Larneca,  called  also  Larnec,  and  Larnic 
(Larnaca  is  the  name  in  most  common  acceptation  among  foreign  nations ;  but  the  inhabitants 
call  it  Larnec,  and  the  Abbe  Mariti  writes  it  Larnic.  The  Bay  of  Salines  is  also  sometimes 
called  Larneca  Bay) ;  implying,  in  its  etymology,  independently  of  its  tombs,  "  a  place  of 
burial." 

Descending  to  later  authors,  we  find  this  position  of  Citium  strongly  confirmed  by  the 
Abbe  Mariti,  who  discovered  very  curious  testimony  concerning  it,  in  a  manuscript  preserved 
at  Venice.  From  his  very  interesting  account  of  Cyprus,  we  leai'n  that  the  erroneous  notions 
entertained  with  regard  to  the  locality  of  the  city,  originated  with  Stephen  de  Lusignan; 
who  was  deceived  by  the  name  of  a  neighbouring  village,  called  Citi,  from  a  promontory  at 
present  bearing  that  appellation.  Mariti  places  Citium  between  Salines  and  Larneca,  upon 
the  authority  of  the  manuscript  before  mentioned,  and  the  ruins  he  there  observed.  It  is,  as 
he  remarks,  of  some  importance  to  determine  the  true  situation  of  a  city  once  so  renowned, 
on  account  of  the  celebrated  men  it  produced,  and  the  splendid  actions  of  which  it  was  the 
theatre.  Yet  it  is  singular,  that  this  writer  makes  no  mention  of  its  Phoenician  origin. 
Concerning  this  fact  so  well  ascertained,  a  few  observations  may  therefore  suffice. 

Citium,  from  whose  ruins  we  shall  now  consider  both  the  modern  towns  of  vSalines  and 
Larneca  to  have  arisen,  was  founded,  together  with  the  city  of  Lapethus,  by  a  Phoenician 
King,  of  the  name  of  Belus.  Its  inhabitants,  according  to  Cicero,  were  originally  Phoenicians. 
Cyprus,  from  its  vicinity  to  their  country,  and  its  commercial  advantages,  was  the  first  island 
of  the  Mediterranean  that  came  under  this  dominion.  Eusebius  observes,  that  Paphos,  a 
Phoenician  city  in  Cyprus,  was  built  when  Cadmus  reigned  at  Thebes.  It  is  moreover  affirmed 
by  the  learned  Bochart,  that  before  the  time  of  the  Trojan  war,  Cinyras,  King  of  Phoenicia, 


CLARKE. 


383 


possessed  this  island  of  Cyprus,  having  derived  it  from  his  ancestors.  To  this  monarch 
Agamemnon,  according  to  Homer,  was  indebted  for  liis  breastplate.  The  cities  of  Urania 
and  Idalium  were  also  founded  by  the  same  people :  the  former  received  its  name  from 
Urania  Venus,  whose  worship,  as  related  by  Herodotus,  was  tran.sf erred  to  Cyprus  bj''  the 
Phoenicians  from  Ascalon.  Citium  derived  its  name  from  the  Hebrew  appellation  for  the 
island,  Chetim ;  the  Chitim,  or  Cittim,  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  It  was  famous  as  the  birth- 
place of  Apollonius,  a  disciple  of  Hippocrates;  and  of  Zeno,  who,  being  shipwrecked  upon 
the  coast  of  Attica,  from  a  Phoenician  merchant  became  founder  of  the  Stoics,  and  had  for 
his  illustrious  followers,  Epictetus  and  Seneca.  According  to  Plutarch,  it  was  with  the  sword 
presented  by  a  King  of  Citium  that  Alexander  triumphed  over  Darius.  This  weapon  was 
held  by  him  in  such  estimation,  that  he  always  wore  it  upon  his  person.  The  same  author 
also  informs  us  that  at  the  siege  of  Citium,  Cimon,  son  of  Miltiades,  received  the  wound 
whereof  he  died. 

It  is  quite  uncertain  when  this  city  was  destroyed.  Mariti  believes  that  event  did  not 
take  place  later  than  the  beginning  of  the  third  century.  In  1767,  an  excavation  being  made 
to  procure  from  its  ruins  materials  for  building,  the  workmen  discovered  a  marble  bust  of 
Caracalla,  some  medals  of  Septimius  Severus,  Antoninus  Caracaila,  and  Julia  Domna,  with 
Greek  inscriptions.  Upon  their  obverse  sides  were  exhibited  the  Temple  of  Paphos,  with  the 
legend  KOINON  KYIlPIliN.  Some  of  them  had  the  image  of  Caracalla  on  one  side,  and  that 
of  Geta  on  the  other.    There  were  also  others  with  the  head  of  the  Emperor  Claudius. 

Many  circumstances  occurred  to  excite  our  curiosity  concerning  the  interior  of  the 
island ;  although  we  despaired  of  being  able  to  penetrate  as  far  as  Baffa,  the  antient  Paphos, 
on  account  of  the  plague,  then  raging  over  all  the  western  part  of  Cyprus,  and  particularly  at 
Baffa.    The  ruins,  and  other  antiquities  of  this  place,  are  numerous. 

Sir  Sidney  Smith  removed  some  inscriptions  already  alluded  to;  and  the  English  Consul 
at  Larneca  presented  me  the  hand  of  a  colossal  marble  statue,  found  there,  of  the  most 
exquisite  sculpture.  We  also  hoped  to  enrich  our  collection  of  plants,  and  make  some 
observations  concerning  the  minerals  of  Ball'a,  especially  a  beautiful  variety  of  crj'stallized 
quartz,  as  diaphanous  as  the  rock-crystal  of  the  north  of  Norway,  called  Yeny  Maden  or 
Madem  by  the  Turks,  and  sold  by  Armeinan  merchants  in  the  Crimea  for  diajiionds.  Before 
we  left  that  i)eninsula.  Professor  Pallas  had  particularly  requested  information  with  regard 
to  the  locality  of  this  stone.  Among  the  substances  offered  for  sale  as  false  diamonds,  there 
is  nothing  more  common  all  over  the  Mediterranean  than  highly-transpareiit  quartz ;  hence 
the  various  names  of  "  Gihrnltar  diamoiuls"  "  Vesuvian  diamonds,"  "  Baffa  diamonds,"  and 
many  other.  We  have  also,  in  our  own  country,  the  "  Bristol  diamo7uls."  All  natural 
resemblances  of  the  diamond  have,  however,  been  lately  eclipsed  by  a  very  different  mineral, 
the  white  Topaz  of  New  Holland.  This  stone,  when  cut  and  polished,  with  the  exception 
only  of  the  white  Corundum,  possesses  a  degree  of  lustre  and  linipidness  superior  to  every 
other  excepting  the  real  diamond. 

The  antient  mines  of  Cyprus,  now  entirely  neglected,  appear  to  have  been  situated 
towards  the  Pai)hian  extremity  of  the  island  ;  for  if  the  natives  exhibit  any  mineral  substance 
remarkable  for  its  beauty,  utility,  or  hardness,  they  name  it,  by  way  of  eminence,  "a  Baffa 
stone."  Amianthus  of  a  very  superior  quality  is  found  near  Baffa,  as  flexible  as  silk,  and 
perfectly  white ;  fincn-,  and  more  delicatelj^  fibrous  than  that  of  Sicily,  Corsica,  or  Norway. 
The  Cypriots  call  this  n\ineral  "  the  Cotton  stonc.'^ 

Early  on  the  morning  of  June  the  eighth,  ha\'ing  procured  an  order  for  mules  and  asses, 
and  a  firman  to  authorize  the  expedition,  we  h^'t  the  Ceres,  and  set  out  for  Nicotia,  the 


384 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Leucusia  or  Leucosia  of  the  Greeks,  and  present  capital  of  Cyprus.    We  were  detained  at 
Larneca  until  the  evening,  by  the  hospitality  of  the  English  Consul,  Signor  Peristiani,  who 
had  prepared  a  large  party  of  ladies  and  other  inhabitants,  all  eager  to  represent  to  us  the 
danger  of  travelling  during  the  day ;  and  to  gratify  very  reasonable  curiosity — for  a  sight  of 
strangers,  and  for  news  from  Egypt.    Among  the  party  was  the  English  Consul  from  Berytus, 
from  whom  I  obtained  a  silver  tetradrachm  of  Tyre,  in  the  highest  state  of  preservation. 
The  interesting  costume  presented  in  the  dress  of  the  Cyprian  ladies  ought  not  to  pass 
without  notice.    Their  head  apparel  was  precisely  modelled  after  the  kind  of  Calathus  repre- 
sented upon  the  Phoenician  idols  of  the  country,  and  upon  Egyptian  statues.    This  was  worn 
by  women  of  all  ranks,  from  the  wives  of  the  Consuls  to  their  slaves.    Their  hair,  dyed 
of  a  fine  brown  colour,  by  means  of  a  plant  called  Henna,  hung  behind,  in  numerous  long 
straight  braids;  and  in  some  ringlets  disposed  near  the  face  were  fastened  blossoms  of  the 
Jasmine,  strung  together  upon  slips  from  leaves  of  the  palm  tree  in  a  very  curious  and 
pleasing  manner.    Next  to  the  Calmuck  women,  the  Grrecian  are,  of  all  others,  best  versed  in 
cosmetic  arts.    They  possess  the  valuable  secret  of  giving  a  brown  colour  to  the  whitest  locks, 
and  also  tinge  their  eye-brows  with  the  same  hue ;  an  art  that  would  be  highly  prized  by  the 
hoary  courtezans  of  London  and  of  Paris.    The  most  splendid  colours  are  displayed  in  their 
habits ;  and  these  are  very  becoming  to  the  girls  of  the  island.    The  upper  robe  is  always  of 
scarlet,  crimson  or  green  silk,  embroidered  with  gold.    Like  other  Grreek  women  they 
wear  long  scarlet  pantaloons,  fastened  round  the  ankle;  and  yellow  boots,  with  slippers 
of  the  same  colour.    Around  the  neck,  and  from  the  head,  were  suspended  a  profusion  of 
gold  coins,  chains,  and  other  trinkets.    About  their  waists  they  have  a  large  belt  or  zone, 
fastened  in  front  by  two  large  and  heavy  polished  brass  plates.    They  endeavour  to  make  the 
waist  appear  as  long  as  possible,  and  the  legs,  consequently,  short.   Naturally  corpulent,  they 
take  no  pains  to  diminish  the  size  of  their  bodies  by  lacing,  but  seem  rather  vain  of  their 
bulk ;  exposing  their  bosoms,  at  the  same  time,  in  a  manner  highly  unbecoming.  Notwith- 
standing the  extraordinary  pains  they  use  to  disfigure  their  natural  beauty  by  all  sorts  of  ill- 
selected  ornaments,  the  women  of  Cyprus  are  handsomer  than  those  of  any  other  Grecian 
island.    They  have  a  taller  and  more  stately  figure;  and  the  features,  particularly  of  the 
women  of  Nicotia,  are  regular  and  dignified,  exhibiting  that  elevated  cast  of  countenance  so 
universally  admired  in  the  works  of  Grecian  artists.    At  present,  this  kind  of  beauty  seems 
peculiar  to  the  women  of  Cyprus ;  the  sort  of  expression  exhibited  by  one  set  of  features  may 
be  traced,  with  different  gradations,  in  them  all.     Hence  were  possibly  derived  those 
celebrated  models  of  female  beauty  conspicuous  upon  the  statues,  vases,  medals,  and  gems  of 
Greece ;  models  selected  from  the  throng  of  Cyprian  virgins,  who,  as  priestesses  of  Venus, 
officiated  at  the  Paphian  shrine.    Indefinite  as  our  notions  of  beauty  are  said  to  be,  we  seldom 
differ  in  assigning  the  place  of  its  abode.    That  assemblage  of  graces,  which  in  former  ages 
gave  celebrity  to  the  women  of  Circassia,  still  characterizes  their  descendants  upon  Mount 
Caucasus;  and  with  the  same  precision  that  enables  us  to  circumscribe  the  limits  of  its 
residence,  we  may  refer  to  countries  where  it  never  was  indigenous.    Foremost  in  the  list 
of  these,  may  be  mentioned  Egypt.    The  statues  of  Isis,  and  the  mummies,  exhibit  at  this 
hour  the  countenance  common  to  the  females  of  the  country ;  nor  did  the  celebrated 
Cleopatra  much  differ  from  the  representation  thus  afforded,  if  the  portrait  given  of  her 
upon  Mark  Antony's  medals  may  be  considered  as  authority.    There  are  some  countries 
(for  example,  Lapland)  where  it  might  be  deemed  impossible  to  select  a  single  instance  of 
female  beauty.    Here,  it  is  true,  the  degraded  state  of  human  nature  explains  the  privation. 
But  among  more  enlightened  nations,  a  traveller  would  hardly  be  accused  of  generalizing 


CLARKE. 


3«5 


inaccuratelj',  or  partially,  who  should  state  that  female  beauty  was  rare  in  G-ermany,  although 
common  in  England;  that  it  exists  more  frequently  in  Russia  than  in  France;  in  Finland, 
than  in  Sweden;  in  Itnly,  than  in  Greece;  that  the  Irish  women  are  handsomer  than  the 
Spanish;  alth(jugh  learned  antiquaries  would  assure  us  that  both  were  originally  of  Pelasgian 
origin. 

The  gardens  of  Larneca  are  very  beautiful,  and  constitute  the  only  source  of  delight  the 
women  of  the  place  seem  to  possess.  Thej'  are,  however,  no  ornament  to  the  town,  being 
inclosed  by  high  walls.  Almost  every  house  has  its  garden  ;  the  shade  and  verdure  thus 
afforded  is  a  delightful  contrast  to  the  glare  of  a  white  and  dusty  soil,  everywhere  ob.served 
around.  In  these  gardens  we  noticed  two  .sorts  of  jasmine,  one  common  in  European  coun- 
tries, and  the  other  derived  from  Syria  ;  the  double-blossomed  pomegranate,  a  most  l)eautiful 
shrub;  also  lemons,  oranges,  plums,  and  apricots.  The  Pha><eolux  Caracalla,  kept  in  the 
green-houses  of  the  Seraglio  gardens  at  Constantinople,  Hourished  here  in  the  open  air.  Thej' 
had  also  the  Arbutus  Andrachne,  growing  to  an  enormous  size. 

We  left  Larneca  in  the  eveiiing,  and  found  a  very  good  road  to  Nicotia ;  travelling 
principally  over  plains,  by  a  gradual  and  almost  imperceptible  ascent,  towards  the  north-west. 
Mountains  appeared  in  the  distant  scenery,  on  almost  every  side.  The  soil  everywhere 
exhibited  a  white  marly  clay,  said  to  l)e  exceedingly  rich  in  its  nature,  although  neglected. 
The  (i reeks  are  so  oppressed  by  their  Turkish  masters,  that  they  dare  not  cultivate  the  land  ; 
tlie  harvest  would  instantly  be  taken  from  them  if  they  did.  Their  whole  aim  seems  to  be,  to 
scrape  together  barely  sufficient,  in  the  course  of  the  wliole  year,  to  pay  their  tax  to  the 
(rovernor.  The  omissi(jn  of  this  is  punished  bj'  torture,  or  by  death;  and  in  cases  of  their 
inability  to  supply  the  impost,  the  inhabitants  fly  from  the  island.  So  many  emigrations  of 
this  sort  happen  during  the  year,  that  the  population  of  all  Cyprus  rarely  exceeds  .sixtj' 
thousand  persons;  a  number  formerly  insufficient  to  have  peopled  one  of  its  towns.  The 
Governor  resides  at  Nicotia.  His  appointment  is  annual ;  and  as  it  is  ol)tained  by  purchase, 
the  highest  bidder  succeeds;  each  striving,  after  his  arrival,  to  surpass  his  predece.s.st)r 
in  the  enormity  of  his  exactions.  From  this  terrible  oppres.sion  the  Consuls  and  a  few 
other  families  are  free,  in  conse(iuence  of  j)rotection  granted  by  their  respective  nations. 
Over  such  a  barren  tract  of  land,  altogether  desolate,  and  destitute  even  of  the  meanest 
herbage,  our  journey  was  neither  amusing  nor  profitable.  It  might  have  suggested  reflec- 
tions to  a  moral  philosopher,  thus  viewing  the  horrid  conseiiuences  of  barl)arian  power; 
but  when  a  traveller  is  exposed  to  the  burning  beams  of  an  Eastern  sun,  mounted  on  a  sorry 
mule  dislocating  his  very  loins,  fatigued,  and  breathing  hot  pestilential  vapours,  he  will  feel 
little  disposition  to  moralize.  We  rejoiced  indeed,  when,  in  a  wide  plain,  we  came  in  view 
of  the  little  huts  where  we  were  to  pass  part  of  tlu-  night,  previous  to  four  more  hours  of 
similar  penance. 

The  venerable  pair  with  whom  we  rested  in  the  village  of  Attien  wi-re  the  parents  of  our 
mule-drivers,  and  owners  of  the  nudes.  They  made  us  welcome  to  their  homely  supper, 
by  placing  two  planks  across  a  couple  of  benches  and  setting  thereon  boiled  pumpkins,  eggs, 
and  some  wine  of  the  island  in  a  hollow  gourd.  I  observed  upon  the  ground  the  sort  of 
stones  used  for  grinding  corn,  called  qncrnx  in  Scotland,  connnon  aUo  in  Lapland,  and  in  all 
parts  of  Paliestine.  The.se  are  the  primaeval  mills  of  the  world;  and  they  are  still  found  in 
all  corn  counti-ies,  where  rude  and  antient  customs  have  not  been  liable  to  those  changes 
introduced  by  refinement.  The  employnient  of  grinding  with  these  mills  is  confined  solely  to 
females;  and  the  practice  illustrates  the  observation  of  our  Saviour  alluding  to  this  custom  in 
His  prediction  concerning  the  day  of  judgment :  "Two  women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  mill  ; 
the  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left." 


386 


EXCERPTA  (lYPRIA. 


In  these  little  cottages  we  found  very  large  establishments  for  bees,  but  all  the  honey 
thus  made  is  demanded  by  the  Governor ;  so  that  keeping  these  insects  is  only  considered  as 
the  means  of  an  additional  tax.  The  manner,  however,  in  which  the  honey  is  collected,  is  so 
curious,  and  so  worthy  of  imitation,  that  it  merits  a  particular  description  ;  the  contrivance  is 
very  simple,  and  was  doubtless  suggested  by  the  more  antient  custom,  still  used  in  the  Crimea, 
of  harbouring  bees  in  cylinders  made  from  the  bark  of  trees.  They  build  up  a  wall  formed 
entirely  of  earthen  cylinders,  each  about  three  feet  in  length,  placed,  one  above  the  other, 
horizontally,  and  closed  at  their  extremities  with  mortar.  This  wall  is  then  covered  with 
a  shed,  and  upwards  of  one  hundred  swarms  may  thus  be  maintained  within  a  very  small 
compass.  Close  to  this  village  grew  the  largest  Carob-Tree  we  noticed  in  all  our  travels.  It 
is,  by  some,  called  St  John's  bread-tree ;  the  Ceratonia  Siliqua  of  Linna3us.  It  was  covered 
with  fruit,  the  pods  being  then  green,  and  had  attained  the  size  of  our  largest  English  oaks. 
We  could  neither  discover  nor  hear  of  antiquities  near  this  village ;  except  one  large  reservoir 
for  water,  pointed  out  as  an  antient  work,  although  probably  of  Venetian  origin.  This  is  still 
in  a  perfect  state,  lined  with  square  blocks  of  stone,  about  twenty-five  feet  deep,  and  fifteen 
feet  wide.    It  is  situated  in  a  field  close  to  the  village. 

Two  hours  before  sun-rise,  we  again  set  out  for  Nicotia.  The  road  lay  through  an  open 
country ;  but  high  mountains  were  everywhere  in  view,  as  on  the  preceding  evening :  some  of 
these,  as  we  drew  nearer  to  them,  exhibited  very  remarkable  forms,  standing  insulated, 
and  with  flat  tops,  like  what  are  usually  called  table  mountains.  On  our  right,  we  observed 
one  that  rose  out  of  a  fine  plain,  having  a  most  perfect  conical  form,  except  that  its  vertex 
appeared  truncated  parallel  to  its  base.  Upon  the  road  we  noticed  distinct  masses  of  the 
purest  transparent  selenites,  or  crystallized  sulphate  of  lime,  as  diaphanous  as  the  most  limpid 
specimens  from  Montmartre,  near  Paris.  It  seemed  as  if  they  had  been  dropped  by  caravans 
passing  the  road ;  although  we  could  learn  nothing,  either  of  the  place  whence  they  were 
derived,  or  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  intended.  A  ridge  of  mountains  bounded  all  the 
view  in  fi'ont  of  our  route ;  at  length  at  the  distance  of  two  hours  and  a  half  from  Attien,  we 
beheld  the  city  of  Nicotia,  situated  in  the  middle  of  one  of  the  fine  plains  common  in  this  part 
of  the  island,  at  the  base  of  one  extremity  of  the  mountain  barrier.  As  we  advanced  towards 
it,  we  were  struck  with  the  magnitude  of  its  fortifications;  these,  although  neglected,  still 
remain  nearly  entire,  surpassing  in  extent  and  beauty  those  of  almost  every  other  city.  The 
moat  is  half  a  mile  wide;  it  is  now  dry,  or  at  best  an  unwholesome  swamp.  Beneath  the 
walls,  the  bed  of  this  moat  abruptly  terminates  in  a  deep  and  wide  fosse.  The  ramparts  are 
still  mounted  with  a  few  pieces  of  artillery.  The  road  winds  round  the  wall  towards  the  gate, 
which  had  once  a  portcullis.  We  found  the  entrance  filled  with  beggars.  The  guard  demands 
a  toll  from  all  Greeks  passing  through.  As  we  rode  into  the  town,  we  met  a  long  train 
of  women,  dressed  in  white  robes,  the  beautiful  costume  of  the  capital,  filling  the  air  with 
their  lamentations.  Some  of  these  were  of  the  middle  age,  but  all  were  handsome ;  as  they 
came  on,  they  exposed  their  faces  and  breasts  to  public  view,  tearing  their  hair,  and  weeping 
piteously.  In  the  midst  of  the  procession  rode  a  Turk  upon  an  ass,  smoking  his  pipe  in  the 
most  tranquil  manner,  and  wholly  indiiferent  to  their  cries.  Upon  inquiring  the  cause  of  this 
tumult,  we  were  told  that  these  women  were  all  prostitutes,  whom  the  Governor  had  banished 
the  city,  and  whom  they  were  therefore  conducting  beyond  the  gates.  Their  dress  was 
modelled  after  a  very  antient  form,  and  highly  elegant;  it  consisted  entirely  of  fine  white 
linen,  so  disposed  as  to  veil  at  once  the  whole  figure,  unless  when  purposely  cast  aside ;  and  it 
fell  to  the  ground  in  long  graceful  folds. 

We  went  to  the  house  of  Mr  Sekis  (the  English  Dragoman  as  he  is  vulgarly  called), 
a  rich  Armenian  merchant,  who  enjoys  the  English  protection  for  transacting  whatsoever 


CLA]{KK. 


business  their  nation  may  have  with  the  (rovernor.  His  house  was  in  all  respects  a  palace, 
possessing  the  highest  degree  of  Oriental  magnificence.  The  apartments  were  not  only- 
spacious,  l)ut  they  were  adorned  with  studied  elegance ;  the  floors  being  furnished  with  the 
finest  mats  brought  from  Grand  Cairo,  and  the  divans  covered  with  satin,  set  round  with 
embroidered  cushions.  The  windows  of  the  rooms,  as  in  all  Oriental  houses,  were  near  the 
roof,  and  small,  although  numerous,  and  placed  close  to  each  other.  They  had  double  case- 
ments, o!ie  being  of  painted  glass,  sui-rounded  by  carved  work,  as  in  the  old  Gothic  palaces  of 
England.  These  perhaps  derived  their  original  form  from  the  East,  during  the  Crusades. 
So  many  instances  occur  to  strengthen  the  opinion,  that  I  maj-  be  liable  to  unnecessarj^ 
repetition,  when  allusion  is  made  to  this  style  of  building.  The  custom  of  having  the  floor 
raised  in  the  upper  part  of  a  chamber,  where  the  superiors  sit,  as  in  our  old  halls,  is  strictly 
Oriental ;  it  is  the  same  in  the  tents  of  the  Tartars.  We  were  jjermitted  to  view  the  Harem. 
This  always  consists  of  a  summer  and  a  winter  apartment.  The  first  was  a  large  square  room, 
surrounded  bj'  divans;  the  last  an  oblong  chamber,  where  the  divans  were  placed  parallel  to 
each  other,  one  on  either  side,  lengthways;  and  at  the  upper  extremity  was  the  fire-place, 
resembling  our  antient  English  hearths. 

About  half  an  hour  after  our  arrival,  the  worthy  old  Armenian  came  home;  and 
throwing  himself  at  full  length  upon  the  divan,  began  to  fan  himself  with  a  bunch  of  coloured 
feathei-s,  while  his  secretary  opened  and  read  to  him  our  letters.  Refreshments  were 
instantly  .served,  and  pipes  brought  Ijy  his  attendants;  .soon  after  this  he  proposed  that  we 
should  accompany  him  to  the  Governor's.  As  we  descended,  he  shewed  us  his  beautiful 
garden,  filled  with  standard  apricot-trees  laden  with  ripe  fruit,  and  our  wine,  as  he  said,  for 
dinner,  already  cooling  in  marble  fountains,  beneath  the  shade  of  orange,  citron,  lemon,  fig, 
vine,  and  pomegranate  trees. 

We  entered  the  court-yard  of  the  Governor's  palace,  and  observed  several  beautiful 
hor.ses,  richly  caparisoned,  standing  without  anj'  attendants,  each  fastened  by  a  chain  to  its 
fore  leg,  and  to  a  spike  in  the  ground.  This  custom  exists,  as  a  kind  <jf  parade,  in  almost  all 
the  palace-yai-ds  of  Pashas  who  are  governors,  and  are  called  Musselim.  \N'e  were  conducted 
first  into  the  chamber  fif  the  Dragoman,  or  interpreter,  where  we  found  a  crowd  of  pereons 
assembled  upon  business.  Here  again  pipes  were  bnMight  while  our  firmans  were  examined, 
and  some  questions  put  concerning  the  state  of  affaii^s  in  Egj^jt,  the  death  of  the  Kmperor 
Paul,  and  the  victory  gained  by  Nelson  over  the  Danes.  We  were  then  led  through  several 
passages,  until  we  came  to  the  (governor's  apartment,  who  liaNTUg  heard  our  names  and 
business,  desired  us  to  be  seated  upon  the  divan  opposite  to  him.  As  this  man  afi'ected  all 
that  haughtiness  with  which  Franks  were  formerly  received,  in  times  when  the  English  name 
was  not  quite  so  much  respected  as  it  is  now  in  Turkej-,  I  shall  particularly  specify  the 
ceremony  attending  our  visit.  The  custom  shewn  in  the  reception  of  strangers,  is  the  same 
over  all  the  Ottoman  empire;  and  in  all  countries  the  punctilios  of  hospitality  are  best 
exercised  by  proud  men.    It  is  only  our  equals  who  laj-  a.side  ceremony. 

The  Governor  of  Cj'prus  was  no  Pasha,  nor  had  he  any  other  rank  than  what  his  wealth 
had  procured  in  his  temporarj'  station  at  Nicotia  ;  an  honour  annually  purchased  of  the 
Capudan  Pasha,  as  before  stated,  by  tlu-  highest  bidder.  One  short  year  of  dominion, 
wholly  dedicated  t(j  the  exercise  of  a  vain  ostentation,  and  to  unbounded  rapacity,  was  there- 
fore all  that  awaited  him,  in  return  for  the  expenditure  wherebj-  the  pi)st  had  been  obtained. 
It  was  truly  annising,  tlierefore,  to  see  the  nuinner  of  displaying  his  new  sovereignty.  Our 
credentials  were  of  a  very  superior  nature;  because,  in  addition  to  our  firman,  we  carried 
with  us  letters  from  the  Capudan  Pasha,  and  the  Connnander-in-chief,  both  of  the  fleet  and  of 

49—2 


388 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  army.  At  sight  of  these,  however,  his  new-made  Excellency  affected  to  turn  up  his  nose, 
muttering  between  his  teeth  the  expressive  word  Giaur  with  considerable  emphasis,  and 
taking  up  the  skirts  of  his  pelisse  (as  our  venerable  friend  the  Armenian  kneeled  before  him, 
to  act  as  our  interpreter),  that  they  might  not  be  defiled  by  the  touch  of  an  infidel.  This 
insolence  was  the  more  remarkable,  as  the  Turks,  except  when  in  a  state  of  open  rebellion 
generally  salute  the  Grand  Signor's  firman ;  even  the  haughty  Pasha  of  Acre  always  made 
sign  of  obeisance  when  it  was  produced.  After  thus  endeavouring  to  make  us  feel  our 
inferiority,  he  next  strove  to  dazzle  our  senses  with  his  splendour  and  greatness.  Having 
clapped  his  hands,  a  swarm  of  attendants,  most  magnificently  habited,  came  into  the  room, 
bearing  gilded  goblets  filled  with  lemonade  and  sorbet,  which  they  presented  to  us.  A  high 
priest  of  the  dervishes  then  entered,  and  prostrated  himself  before  the  Governor,  touching  his 
lips  with  his  fingers,  crossing  his  hands  upon  his  breast,  and  raising  his  thumbs  afterwards  to 
his  ears.  All  these  marks  of  reverence  ended,  he  rose  and  took  his  station  upon  the  divan,  on 
the  left  side  of  the  Governor.  Next  came  a  fresh  party  of  slaves,  bringing  long  pipes  of 
jasmine  wood  with  amber  heads  to  all  the  party;  these  were  suddenly  followed  by  another 
host  of  myrmidons  in  long  white  vests,  having  white  turbans  on  their  heads,  who  covered 
us  with  magnificent  cloths  of  sky-blue  silk,  spangled  and  embroidered  with  gold.  They  also 
presented  to  us  preserved  fruits  and  other  sweetmeats ;  snatching  away  the  embroidered 
cloths,  to  cover  us  again  with  others  of  white  satin,  still  more  sumptuous  than  before.  Then 
they  brought  coffee,  in  gold  cups  studded  with  diamonds;  and  the  cloths  were  once  more 
taken  away.  After  this,  there  came  slaves  kneeling  before  us  with  burning  odours  in  silver 
censers,  which  they  held  beneath  our  noses;  and  finally  a  man,  passing  rapidly  round, 
spattered  all  our  faces,  hands,  and  clothes,  with  rose-water — a  compliment  so  little  expected 
at  the  time,  and  so  zealously  administered,  that  we  began  to  wipe  from  our  face  and  eyes  the 
honours  which  had  almost  blinded  us.  The  principal  dragoman  belonging  to  the  Governor 
next  presented  each  of  us  mth  an  embroidered  handkerchief ;  "  gifts,"  he  said,  "  by  which 
infidels  of  rank  were  always  distinguished  in  their  interviews  with  his  Master."  The 
handkerchief  consisted  of  embroidered  muslin,  and  was  enclosed  in  a  piece  of  red  crape. 
These  presents  we  in  vain  solicited  permission  to  decline;  adding,  that  "as  private  individuals, 
meanly  habited,  in  the  view  of  travelling  expeditiously  through  the  island,  we  hoped  he 
would  not  form  his  ideas  of  Englishmen  of  rank  either  from  our  appearance  or  pretensions." 
Upon  further  conversation,  we  found  that  all  intercourse  with  Balfa  and  the  western  side  of 
the  island  was  cut  off  by  the  plague,  which  had  begun  to  shew  itself  even  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Nicotia;  we  therefore  resolved  to  return  to  our  more  humble  host  in  the  village 
of  Attien  the  same  night ;  when  to  our  great  surprise,  the  Governor  requested  that  we  would 
spend  a  few  days  with  him :  and,  as  we  stated  this  to  be  impossible,  he  even  threatened 
to  detain  the  frigate  at  Salines  for  that  purpose.  We  were,  however,  resolute  in  our  deter- 
mination; and  therefore  representing  to  him  the  illness  of  our  Captain,  and  our  utter 
inability  to  remain  an  instant  after  the  Ceres  had  got  her  cargo  on  board,  we  took  our  leave, 
accompanied  by  an  officer  of  his  guard,  whom  he  permitted  to  attend  us  among  the  gold- 
smiths of  the  place,  in  search  of  medals  and  other  antiquities. 

It  is  to  these  artificers,  bearing  the  name  of  quyumji,  almost  universally  in  Turkey,  that 
the  peasants  of  the  country,  and  lower  order  of  people  in  the  towns,  carry  all  the  pieces 
of  gold  or  silver  they  may  chance  to  find  in  the  soil,  to  be  exchanged  for  modern  trinkets. 
They  are  generally  men  in  a  small  way  of  trade  sitting  in  a  little  stall,  with  a  crucible  before 
them,  a  touchstone,  and  a  handful  of  very  ordinary  tools.  Their  chief  occupation  consists  in 
making  coarse  silver  rings,  of  very  base  metal,  for  the  women,  and  in  setting  signets  for 


CLARK  K. 


3H9 


Turks  of  all  denominations.  There  is  hardly  a  Mahometan  who  does  not  bear  upon  one  of 
his  fingers  this  kind  of  ornament.  The  Turkish  signet  is  generally  a  carnelian  stone, 
inscribed  with  a  few  words  from  the  Qoran,  a  proverb  in  Arabic,  or  a  couplet  in  Persian.  We 
found,  as  usual,  ample  employment  among  these  men;  and  were  so  much  occupied  in  the 
pursuit,  that  we  even  neglected  to  visit  the  Cathedral  of  St  Sophia,  built  in  the  Gothic  style 
by  the  emperor  Justinian,  when  he  raised  the  edifice  of  the  same  name  in  Constantinople. 
We  have  the  testimony  both  of  Drummond  and  Mariti  for  the  architecture  exhibited  in  this 
building.  The  cathedrals  both  of  Famagusta  and  Nicrjtia  are  desci  ibed  as  Gothic.  If  it  be 
true,  therefore,  that  the  Nicotian  church  was  erected  by  Justinian,  we  have  authority  for  the 
existence  of  that  style  of  architecture,  in  a  high  degree  of  perfection,  so  long  ago  as  the 
middle  of  the  sixth  century,  six  hundred  and  forty  years  before  the  conquest  of  Cyprus 
by  Richard  the  first ;  and  certainly  long  anterior  to  the  introduction  of  any  .specimen  of  the 
architecture  called  Gothic  in  Great  Jiritain.  Other  instances  of  still  higher  antiquity  exist  in 
Kgypt  and  Palestine. 

Our  success  in  collecting  gems  was  so  great,  that  the  number  of  our  acijuisitions  in 
Nicotia  exceeded  the  total  of  what  we  had  been  able  to  procure  since  our  departure  from 
Constantinople.  We  found  also  silver  medals  of  Antoninus  Pius,  Severus,  Fau.stina,  and  of 
the  Ptolemies.  The  bronze  were  all  of  late  date,  and  almost  all  after  the  time  of  Constantine. 
We  also  made  diligent  inquiry  concerning  the  Yeity  Madmi  crystal.  Some  detached  and  very 
ordinary  specimens  of  crystallized  quartz  were  shewn  to  us,  by  the  name  of  Baffa  xtones ;  but 
the  inhabitants  wej-e  unable  to  polish  even  these.  All  the  stones  found  in  the  island,  capable 
of  being  polished,  are  sent  to  (xrand  Cairo  for  this  purpose.  This  fact,  while  it  serves  to  shew 
the  wretched  state  of  the  arts  in  Cyprus,  also  conveys  a  proof  of  their  flouri.shing  state  in  the 
present  capital  of  Egypt,  beyond  the  notions  usually  entertained  of  that  remote  city.  Amcmg 
our  intaglios  were  numerous  representations  and  symbols  of  Isis,  Ceres,  and  Venus,  a  veiy 
beautiful  gem  representing  Mercury  leaning  upon  a  sepulcral  Stele ;  of  Anubis,  kneeling 
with  the  dove  upon  his  left  hand;  and  one  (jf  very  diminutive  form,  but  of  exquisite  beauty, 
meriting  a  moi-e  i)articnlar  description  :  it  is  a  highly  transparent  garnet.  The  subject 
engraven  represents  a  colossal  statue,  whose  two  arms  extended  touch  the  extremity  of  the 
st(jne.  Before  this  figure  is  seen  a  person  kneeling,  in  the  act  of  worshipping  the  idol.  This 
corresponds  so  accurately  with  the  descriptions  given  of  the  statue  of  Jupiter  Serapis  at 
Alexandria,  whose  two  hands  touched  the  sides  of  the  temple,  that  it  is  prol)able  the  gem  was 
intended  to  preserve  a  memorial  of  the  image.  It  has  no  resemblance  to  the  appearance  of 
any  Grecian  Deity;  the  calathus,  or  rather  tlie  pileus,  upon  its  head,  is  like  that  seen  upon 
Indian  or  Chinese  idols;  and  this  further  coincides  with  the  history  of  the  worship  of  Serapis, 
transferred  by  one  of  the  Ptolemies  from  Asia  to  Egypt. 

In  the  evening  we  mounted  our  mules,  and  again  returned  to  Attien.  Our  good  friend 
Mr  Sekis  had  laden  an  a.ss  with  all  sorts  of  provisions  for  our  journey,  but  we  w(juld  only 
accept  a  basket  of  his  apricots.  These  he  said  were  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  apricots 
he  received  annually  from  Famagusta,  yet  they  were  the  finest  we  had  ever  .seen.  We  met 
caravans  of  camels  in  our  way  to  Attien,  marching  according  to  the  order  always  observed  in 
the  East;  that  is  to  say,  in  a  line,  one  after  the  other;  the  whole  caravan  being  preceded  by 
an  ass,  with  a  bell  about  its  neck.  Camels  never  seem  t(j  seek  the  shade  ;  when  left  to  repose, 
they  kneel  d(jwn,  exposed  to  the  hottest  beams  of  the  sun.  Trees,  however,  are  rarely  seen  in 
this  part  of  the  island  ;  the  inliabitaiits  relate,  that  eastward  of  Nicotia,  towards  Baffa,  the 
country  being  more  mountainous  is  also  well  covered  with  wood.  The  rivers  of  Cyprus  are 
dry  during  the  summer  months.    Sudden  rain  swells  them  into  torrents.    Some  fell  during 


390 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


tlie  second  night  we  passed  at  Attien.  In  the  morning,  two  hours  before  sun-rise,  we  set  out 
for  Larneca ;  and,  having  to  cross  a  bridge,  found  it  shaking  so  violently  with  the  impetuosity 
of  the  water,  that  we  feared  it  would  fall.  The  antient  Cypriots  pretended  that  their 
Paphian  Altars,  although  exposed  to  the  atmosphere,  were  never  wetted  by  rain.  Probably 
they  would  not  have  escaped  drenching  during  the  showers  which  had  caused  this  inundation. 
We  reached  Larneca  at  eight  o'clock,  and  were  on  board  the  Ceres  before  ten.  Captain 
Russel's  fever  had  much  increased.  The  apricots  we  brought  for  him  seemed  to  afford 
a  temporary  refreshment  to  his  parched  lips  and  palate,  but  were  ultimately  rather  injurious 
than  salutary.  The  symptoms  of  his  melancholy  fate  became  daily  more  apparent,  to  the 
great  grief  of  every  indi^ddual  of  his  crew. 

During  our  absence  the  English  Consul  had  been  kindly  endeavouring  to  procure  for  me 
other  reliques  from  the  interesting  vestiges  of  Citium.  Before  I  left  the  island,  he  obtained, 
from  one  of  the  inhabitants,  a  small,  but  thick,  oblong  silver  medal  of  the  city ;  considered, 
from  its  appearance,  as  older  than  the  foundation  of  the  Macedonian  empire.  A  ram  is 
represented  couched  in  the  front.  The  obverse  side  exhibits,  within  an  indented  square,  a 
rosary  or  circle  of  beads,  to  which  a  cross  is  attached.  Of  these  rosaries,  and  this  appendage, 
as  symbols  (explained  by  converted  heathens  at  the  destruction  of  the  temple  of  Serapis), 
having  in  a  former  publication  been  explicit,  it  is  not  now  necessary  to  expatiate.  That  the 
soul's  immortality  was  alluded  to,  is  a  fact  capable  of  the  strictest  demonstration.  The 
Consul  from  Berytus  also  presented  to  me  a  magnificent  silver  tetradrachm  of  Tyre,  with  the 
inscription  "  Of  Tyre  Holy  and  Inviolate  " 

TYPOYIEPA2KAIA2YAOY 
and  also  a  monogram,  marking  the  year  when  it  was  struck ;  namely,  183  of  the  Seleucidan 
aera. 

We  left  Cyprus  on  the  sixteenth  of  June,  steering  for  the  coast  of  Egypt,  and  first  made 
land  off  Damiata. 


CLARKK.    Al.I  liEY. 


391 


ALI  BEY. 

Tlie  author  of  tlic  Travels  of  AH  Bey  announced  himself  as  Ah  Bey  el  Abbassi,  son  of  Othnian  Bey  of 
Aleppo,  prince  of  the  Abbassides,  and  directly  descended  from  Abbas,  son  of  Abd  El  Motalleb  and  uncle 
of  Mohammad.  Under  this  fantastic  designation,  and  the  garb  of  a  Sherif,  or  member  of  the  family  of  the 
prophet  of  Islam,  was  veiled  the  person  of  a  Spaniard,  long  resident  in  Paris,  Don  Domingo  Badia-y- 
Leyblich. 

He  left  Spain  for  Tangier  on  June  '29,  1803,  and  visited  in  order  Fez,  ^lorocco,  Tripoli.  Cyprus 
(March  4  to  May  12, 1806),  Egypt,  Mecca,  Medina,  Jerusalem,  Damascus,  Aleppo  and  Constantinople.  His 
Traveh  leave  him  at  Bucharest,  December  19,  1807.  He  was  born  at  Barcelona.  April  1,  1767,  and  died 
September  1,  1818,  at  a  spot  a  two  days'  journey  from  Mazarib  (the  first  castle  on  the  pilgrim  road  from 
Damascus),  liaving  left  that  city  with  a  caravan  starting  for  Mecca,  with  which  he  hoped  to  make  his 
second  visit  to  the  holy  places  of  Islam.  It  is  said  that  some  of  his  pai)ers  and  effects  were  ransomed  by 
Lady  Hester  Stanhope.  All  that  is  known  of  his  life  may  be  found  in  the  preface  to  the  Catalan 
translation  of  his  Traveh  published  at  Barcelona  in  1888  under  the  title  Viatjeit  tie  AH  Bey  el  Abba»8i  per 
Africa  y  AHuia. 

His  work  was  published  in  an  English  translation  in  1816,  but  as  this  was  not  at  hand,  onr  extracts 
ai"e  translated  afresh  from  vol.  ii.  pp.  73 — 1.5.5  of  the  original  French  edition,  Paris.  3  vols.  8vo,  1814.  The 
Atlas  accompanying  this  edition  gives  a  map  of  Cyprus,  a  jwrtrait  of  the  author,  and  many  pleasant 
engravings  from  sketches  by  his  hand.  From  this  volume  we  have  copied  the  letter  of  Chrysanthos, 
Archbishop  of  Cyprus  (1767 — 1810)  to  Ali  Bey,  to  which  allusion  is  made  on  pjige  7.5.  From  the  historical 
notes  on  the  Church  of  Cyprus  of  Philippos  Georgiou  (Athens,  187;5)  it  may  be  inferred  that  of  the 
personages  with  whom  Ali  Bey  made  acquaintance  in  Nicosia  the  bishop  in  jtartibun  (rather  a  suffragan 
or  ;(a)p€»rtV/co7roj)  was  Spiridon,  of  Trimithus:  the  bishop  of  Larnaca  ("un  homrne  de  bon  sens,  d'un 
jugoment  droit,  et  fort  instrnit")  and  Paphos  ("qui,  quoique  jeime,  me  parut  i-tre  un  homme  tin  et  rus^l, 
nephews  of  the  Archbishop:  and  the  steward  or  oIkhvoixos,  Cyprianos,  who  in  1810  procured  the  banishment 
to  Eubcea  of  the  aged  and  gouty  Chrysanthos,  and  of  his  nephew,  another  Chrysanthos.  bishop  of  Citiuni, 
and  his  own  elevation  to  the  archiepiscopal  thrunu,  from  which  he  was  trauslated  on  .July  9,  1821,  to  a 
halter  attached  to  a  plane  tree  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Serai  at  Nicosia,  by  Kuchuk  Mehmed,  Musellim 
of  the  island. 

[The  Mastkr  of  thk  vessel  upon  which  Bky  was  to  .make  the  voyage  from  Tripoli  of 
Barbary  to  Alexandria  mistook  his  course,  and  brought  up  at  last  off  the  island  of  Sapienza, 
near  the  S.W.  point  of  the  Morea.  On  leaving  this  they  fell  into  a  terrible  storm,  before 
which  they  were  driven  to  the  coast  of  CYI'RUS.] 

After  three  days  of  liigli  wind.s  and  a  raging  sea  we  anchored  in  the  roadstead  of 
Limassol,  on  March  7,  1806. 

How  can  I  describe  the  frightful  state  of  our  sliip?  all  the  sails  torn  and  none  to  replace 
them!  the  hull  making  water  everywhere,  the  pumps  almost  incessantly  at  work:  everyone 
ill,  and  more  tlian  twenty  men  prostrate,  and  apparently  at  their  last  gasp.  One  man  liad  died 
on  the  4th  and  his  body  was  thrown  into  the  sea :  two  others  were  on  the  point  of  death,  two 
went  mad.  The  ship's  crew  helping  one  another  to  jump  ashore  all  Hed  :  the  captain 
only  remained  on  board  with  two  or  tliree  Turkisli  sailors.  We  were  in  a  hurry  to  land,  the 
natives  seeing  our  terrible  state  of  distress  kept  away  from  the  vessel,  no  one  would  go  on 
board,  and  the  governor  of  the  tcnvn  was  obliged  to  order  a  few  calkers  to  plug  at  least  the 
worst  holes  in  the  hull,  so  as  to  save  the  ship  which  seemed  every  moment  to  be  on  tlie  point 
of  going  to  the  bottom. 

It  was  suggested  that  the  bad  water  of  the  island  of  Sapienza  had  made  us  ill,  and  that 
the  vapour  of  some  (juintals  of  saffron  had  vitiated  the  air  on  board  ;  but  the  worst  of  all  was 


392 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


that  for  several  days  running  while  we  were  driven  befoi-e  the  storm  more  than  eighty 
persons  were  shut  up  between  decks,  without  the  smallest  opening  for  fresh  air:  all  were 
wretched  and  downcast,  they  had  nothing  but  a  little  uncooked  food  to  eat,  and  the  refuse  of 
all  this  crowd  was  thrown  down  into  the  hold.  One  can  picture  the  condition  of  these 
unhappy  beings.  Luckily  for  me,  the  after-cabin  which  I  had  to  myself  had  no  communica- 
tion whatever  with  'tween  decks. 

When  I  landed  at  Limassol  some  Turks  and  G-reeks  came  to  me.  I  asked  them  for 
a  lodging,  and  they  took  me  to  a  nice  house  which  I  occupied  with  my  servants.  The 
Turkish  governor,  an  agha,  came  presently  to  offer  his  services,  and  sent  two  lighters,  with 
one  of  his  officers  to  land  my  baggage.  Nothing  was  examined  at  the  Custom  House. 
I  was  treated  with  as  much  politeness  as  I  could  have  met  with  in  the  best  organised 
European  city. 

My  man  of  business  here  was  the  chief  Grreek,  Demetrio  Francoudi,  then  Vice-Consul  of 
England  and  Russia  and  Consul  of  Naples,  a  very  rich  man  who  spoke  Italian  well,  and  was 
much  respected  by  Greeks  and  Turks. 

Lodging  with  this  M.  Francoudi  was  an  Englishman,  M.  Rich,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
Cairo  on  the  business  of  the  East  India  Company.  This  interesting  young  man,  who  spoke 
fluently  Tui'kish  and  Persian,  and  had  adopted  the  costume  and  manners  of  the  Moslem, 
joined  me  very  often  at  dinner,  and  always  spoke  of  the  Mamlouk  Elfi  Bey  with  enthusiasm. 

In  M.  Francoudi's  house  was  also  a  black  eunuch,  one  of  the  four  principal  officers  of  the 
Sultan's  palace :  he  was  called  Lala,  and  was  on  his  way  to  Medina,  as  guardian  of  the  tomb 
of  the  prophet.  On  his  arrival  he  had  been  mortally  wounded  by  some  soldiers  who  were 
assaulting  one  of  his  servants,  and  this  poor  man,  as  gentle  a  being  as  you  can  imagine,  fell 
a  victim  to  this  accident. 

One  of  my  servants  was  ill  from  the  fatigue  he  had  undergone  on  the  ship.  Others  lay  in 
the  Mosque  in  the  same  condition.  On  March  21  one  of  the  women  died,  another  passenger 
on  the  25th,  and  a  second  servant  fell  ill  on  the  23rd. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Finding  myself  in  the  island  which  the  Greek  poets  have  immortalized  by  their  descrip- 
tion of  the  charming  adventures  of  the  mother  of  Love,  I  wished  to  visit  the  celebrated  sites 
of  Cythera,  Idalium,  Paphos  and  Amathus.  Accompanied  by  M.  Francoudi,  his  son  and  four 
servants,  I  started  at  five  in  the  morning  of  March  28,  1806,  travelling  East. 

After  crossing  the  river  of  Amathus  which  runs  South  to  fall  into  the  sea  at  no  great 
distance,  I  soon  came  upon  the  ruins  which  I  shall  describe  further  on.  Leaving  the  seashore 
at  this  point,  and  following  the  road  to  N.E.,  I  got  among  the  mountains,  at  mid-day  we 
encountered  a  storm,  and  at  1.15  arrived  at  the  village  of  Togni. 

The  country  we  traversed  is  charmingly  picturesque.  From  Limassol  to  the  ruins  the 
road  is  by  the  seashore,  and  the  country  is  a  series  of  plains  sloping  gently  towards  the  hills, 
all  beautifully  green.  Above  the  hills  rises  a  chain  of  high  mountains,  whose  summits  are 
crowned  with  snow.  The  soil,  rich  and  reddish,  is  extremely  fertile.  The  hilly  parts  of  the 
road  have  gentle  gradients,  and  the  richest  vegetation  adorns  the  landscape. 

The  village  of  Togni,  though  the  houses  are  ugly  and  badly  built,  is  prettily  situated  on 
the  slopes  of  two  hills,  on  one  side  live  the  Greeks,  on  the  other  the  Turks :  a  little  river  runs 
between  them,  under  a  bridge  of  a  single  arch,  on  Avhich  is  built  the  Greek  Church  dedicated 
to  S.  Helena. 

The  next  day  I  left  at  7.15  a.m.  and  travelling  East  in  an  hour  crossed  the  river  Scarino 


ALi  bf:y. 


393 


which  runs  S.;  and  at  9  o'clock  another  stream  running  also  S.,  at  half  past  nine  the  road 
turned  to  N.E.,  we  were  crossing  higher  hills,  and  reached  the  top  at  eleven.  Then  descending 
gently  in  half  an  hour  we  passed  a  village  called  Como,  and  at  noon  halted  at  the  Greek 
convent  of  Ai'a  Tecla.  Wo  left  at  half  past  one,  going  N.N.E.  at  two  o'clock  we  crossed 
a  stream,  and  at  three  saw  the  village  of  Teraforio  close  to  us  on  the  left.  Then  after  lea\ang 
on  the  right  another  village  called  Tisdarchaui,  and  cros.sing  a  small  river,  we  kept  straight 
on  and  at  six  entered  Nicosia,  the  capital  of  the  island. 

The  early  part  of  our  ride  took  us  through  hills,  ri.sing  one  above  another  and  wonderfully 
green,  a  landscape  worthy  of  the  goddess  to  whom  the  island  was  dedicated.  The  soil  is  a 
rich  vegetable  mould,  just  such  as  one  would  wish  for  a  garden.  The  higher  mountains  are 
formed  of  roche  cornoe  in  every  shade  of  colour  from  apple-green  to  a  blackish  green  :  pieces 
of  hornblende  are  found  of  great  brightness  and  beauty. 

I  halted  a  moment  to  examine  these  rocks,  when  M.  Francoudi  said,  "  these  rocks  are 
called  Roca  di  Corno."  I  asked  him  whence  liad  tliey  this  name,  and  he  replied,  "  from  a 
place  which  we  shall  see  presently."  This  was  the  village  of  which  I  spoke  above.  If 
fortuitous,  this  identity  of  the  vulgar  and  mineralogical  name  is  certainly  remarkable:  or,  if 
otherwise,  what  mineralogist  founded  or  named  the  village  of  Corno  ?  I  could  learn  nothing 
of  the  origin  of  the  village,  so  it  must  be  ancient.  It  may  contain  at  most  thirty  houses;  its 
situation  is  delightful,  in  the  middle  of  a  little  valley  full  of  olive  and  carob  trees.  The 
inhabitants  are  nearly  all  engaged  in  making  earthen  ves-sels.  The  mountains  round  are 
covered  with  wild  cypresses  in  beautiful  clumps  and  thickets.  The  tree  takes  its  name  from 
the  island.  In  the  great  groups  of  roche  curnde  one  sees  veins  or  filaments  of  quartz.  I  did 
not  see  the  least  trace  of  granite.  These  hills  are  certainly  metalliferous,  for  they  contain 
mica,  as  well  as  the  oxides  of  copper  and  iron. 

At  2  p.m.  we  cros.sed  a  stream,  and  entered  a  plain  of  pt)or  clayey  .soil :  it  may  be  a 
league  in  diameter,  and  ends  E.  in  little  hills  of  jjurc  white  clay,  quite  barren  and  bare. 
Leaving  this  desert  you  find  the  soil  of  an  inferior  kind  of  vegetable  mould.  .\fter  this  the 
plains  have  none  of  the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  S.  of  the  island. 

The  convent  of  Aia  Tecla  is  well  placed  on  the  slope  of  the  same  mountains.  One  monk 
lives  there  with  several  servants  and  labourers  who  cultivate  the  rich  fields  belonging  to  it. 
The  Archbi.shop  of  Nicosia,  the  real  prince  of  tlu;  island,  enjoys  the  revenues  of  this  and 
many  other  monasteries.  The  church  is  in  good  condition,  and  underneath  it  runs  a  spring  of 
excellent  water.    The  convent  has  cells  and  rooms  f(jr  the  convenience  of  travellers. 

The  extent  of  Nicosia,  the  capital  of  Cyprus,  repre.sents  a  town  which  would  ea.Mly  hold 
100,000  inhabitants:  but  it  is  a  desert:  you  see  large  gardens  and  great  open  spaces  full 
of  ruins  and  rubbish.  I  have  been  assured  that  it  does  not  contain  more  than  a  thou.sand 
Turkish  families  and  as  many  Greek. 

The  .situation  of  the  city  on  an  elevation  of  some  feet  in  the  middle  of  a  wide  plain  allows 
it  to  enjoy  pure  air  and  a  fine  view.  The  enclosing  walls  are  scarped,  with  a  revetment  of 
cut  stone,  and  broken  by  salient  and  re-entering  angles,  so  that  it  is  capable  of  a  regular 
defence,  and  wears  an  imposing  appearance.  It  has  three  gates  called  after  I'aplios,  Chirigna 
and  Famagosta.  The  last  is  magnificent;  it  is  composed  of  a  vast  cylindrical  vault  which 
covers  all  the  ramp  or  ascent  from  the  lower  level  of  the  plain  to  the  higher  on  which  the 
city  is  built.  Half-way  up  the  slope  is  a  flattened  dome  or  segment  of  a  sphere,  in  the  middle 
of  which  is  a  round  skyligiit.  This  monumental  work,  built  as  it  is  of  huge  cut  stones  or 
coarse  marble,  is  worthy  of  the  old  inhabitants. 

There  are  a  few  fine  streets  in  the  Greek  quarter,  but  the  rest  are  narrow,  crooked,  and 

c.  50 


S94 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


above  all  unpaved  and  very  dirty.  There  are  some  fine,  and  a  few  very  large  houses :  that 
in  which  I  stayed,  belonging  to  the  Dragoman  of  Cyprus,  the  principal  officer  of  the  Greek 
community  in  the  island,  is  quite  a  palace  from  its  adornment  of  columns,  gardens  and 
fountains.  The  way  in  which  the  houses  are  built  is  exactly  the  opposite  of  that  which 
obtains  in  Barbary.  In  that  part  of  Africa  the  largest  house  receives  its  light  from  the  door 
only.  Here  on  the  contrary  there  is  not  a  wall  interior  or  exterior  but  has  two  rows  of 
windows  placed  one  above  the  other.  And  to  such  an  extent  does  this  prevail  that  in  the 
room  which  I  generally  used,  which  was  only  twenty-four  feet  by  twelve,  I  counted  fourteen 
windows  and  a  door.  The  upper  row  is  closed  by  a  jalousie  without,  and  a  glazed  window 
within :  the  lower  row  has  jalousies,  windows  and  shutters.  The  arrangement  has  a  good 
effect  in  rooms  with  a  high  roof.  Note  that  party  walls  have  windows  just  like  outer  walls. 
The  roofs  and  part  of  the  staircase  are  of  wood.  The  corridors  and  passages  are  also  closed 
with  jalousies.  The  floors  of  all  the  rooms  are  of  marble,  also  the  jambs  of  the  windows 
and  doors,  and  the  first  few  courses  of  the  building :  the  rest  of  the  walls  is  constructed  of 
rough  stone,  badly  baked  bricks  and  lime.  The  houses  are  not  covered  with  tiles;  the 
roofs  are  flat  and  extremely  weighty.  This  pernicious  practice  certainly  accounts  for  the 
disappearance  of  all  the  ancient  buildings,  of  which  the  palace  only  is  left.  This  palace,  called 
Seraya  (Serail)  is  a  vast  and  badly  arranged  pile  used  as  the  residence  of  the  Governor  General. 

The  ancient  cathedral  of  Aia  Sophia,  a  superb  Gothic  edifice,  is  now  a  Turkish  mosque. 
They  have  daubed  the  columns  with  a  thick  coat  of  lime,  giving  them  the  appearance  of 
monster  cylinders:  and  they  have  added  two  towers  or  minarets,  well  built,  but  out  of 
keeping  with  the  rest.  As  their  law  requires  them  to  say  their  prayers  with  their  faces 
towards  Mecca,  and  as  this  cathedral  was  not  built  originally  for  Moslem  worship,  the  Turks 
have  been  obliged  to  put  up  within  it  wooden  screens  aligned  in  the  direction  of  Mecca  so  as 
to  face  correctly  during  prayer. 

All  the  bishops  of  the  island  were  assembled  at  Nicosia  to  meet  a  newly  arrived  Governor 
General,  and  many  persons  of  consequence  had  come  also  to  pay  him  their  respects.  The 
day  after  my  arrival  the  Bishop  of  Larnaca  came  to  see  me,  with  a  numerous  following. 
I  thought  him  a  man  of  good  sense,  sound  judgment  and  well  educated.  The  next  day  I  had 
a  visit  from  the  Bishop  of  Paphos,  a  young  man  but  smart  and  sly.  The  third  bishop,  of 
Chirigna,  was  seriously  unwell.  The  Archbishop,  confined  to  the  house  by  extreme  old  age 
and  gouty  pains  sent  his  bishop  in  partibus  who  acts  in  his  stead.  He  came  to  call 
accompanied  by  the  archimandrita,  the  steward  and  more  than  fifty  priests.  The  three 
dignitaries  offered  me  in  the  Archbishop's  name  a  thousand  excuses :  in  spite  of  his  condition 
he  had  wished  to  have  himself  carried  to  my  house,  but  his  staff  prevented  him.  Among 
other  persons  of  note  who  were  frequent  visitors  I  paid  particular  attention  to  M.  Nicolaos 
Nicolidi,  who  in  the  absence  of  the  Dragoman  of  Cyprus  was  charged  with  his  duties. 

The  third  day  I  paid  my  visit  to  the  Governor  General,  who  received  me  with  great 
ceremony,  surrounded  by  a  great  number  of  officers,  soldiers  and  servants  armed  to  the  teeth. 
At  the  door  of  the  saloon  stood  a  sentry,  with  an  axe  on  his  shoulder.  The  Governor  rose  to 
receive  me,  and  made  me  sit  at  his  side  on  a  magnificent  sofa.  He  is  a  man  of  intelligence, 
full  of  life,  and  said  to  be  well  educated.  We  had  a  long  conversation,  chiefly  on  politics. 
MM.  Nicolidi  and  Francoudi,  who  accompanied  me,  interpreted  for  me,  because  the  Governor 
speaks  neither  Arabic  nor  any  European  language,  and  I  do  not  know  Turkish.  He  was 
splendidly  dressed,  with  a  superb  fur  coat.  His  Persian  pipe  was  brought  and  he  offered  it 
to  me,  but  I  declined  as  I  do  not  smoke.  Six  pages,  fifteen  years  old,  all  of  the  same  height, 
beautiful  as  angels,  and  richly  clothed  in  satin  with  superb  cashmere  shawls,  brought  us 


ALI  BEY. 


395 


coffee  and  then  incense  and  sprinkled  me  with  rose  water.  On  my  taking  leave  the  Governor 
escorted  me  to  the  door  of  the  room. 

I  passed  on  to  the  room  of  the  Governor's  brother,  a  nice  old  man :  he  offered  us  coffee, 
and  took  quite  a  fancy  to  me  when  he  heard  I  was  preparing  for  the  journey  to  Mecca, 
whither  he  had  gone  himself  several  times.  He  gave  me  some  advice  on  the  subject,  and  we 
parted  well  pleased  with  one  another. 

After  my  visit  to  the  serai  I  went  to  the  palace  of  the  Archbishop.  At  the  gate  I  found 
the  archimandrite  and  the  steward,  with  twenty  or  thirty  servants,  waiting  to  receive  me. 
At  the  foot  of  the  staircase  a  crowd  of  priests  took  me  and  carried  me  to  the  first  gallery 
where  the  bishop  in  partihus  received  me  with  another  train  of  priests.  In  the  next  gallery 
I  found  the  Archbishop.  This  venerable  old  man  though  his  legs  were  terribly  swollen  had 
insisted  on  being  carried  there  by  the  Bishop  of  Paphos  and  five  or  si.\  other  persons  to  meet 
me.  I  roproaclu'd  liiiri  tenderly  for  the  trouble  he  had  taken  on  my  behalf,  then  taking  his 
hand  I  followed  him  into  his  njom. 

Dr  Brunoni,  an  Italian,  residing  at  Nicosia,  who  had  adopted  the  costume,  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Greeks,  was  my  interpreter.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  wit,  full  of  tact  and  entirely 
free  of  prejudices. 

The  venerable  ArchVjishop  told  me  of  the  terrible  vexations  which  he  had  suffered  last 
year  at  the  hands  of  the  Turkish  rebels.  We  talked  of  these  at  length  and  I  tried  to  console 
him,  and  after  the  usual  honours  of  coffee,  incense  and  scented  waters,  we  separated  with 
feelings  of  hearty  affection. 

I  then  visited  tlu;  steward  and  archimandrite  in  their  apartments,  meeting  there  the 
Bishop  of  Paphos  and  the  bishop  in  partihus.  When  I  left  them  what  was  my  surprise  to  find 
the  venerable  Archbishop  again  in  the  gallery !  He  had  been  brought  there  to  wish  me  a 
last  goodbye.  I  cannot  say  how  much  I  was  touched  by  this  gracious  act,  I  tried  to  a<ldress 
him  in  friendly  reproach,  but  the  words  died  on  my  lips. 

The  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  an  independent  Patriarch  in  coumiunion  with  the  Greek 
Church,  is  also  the  pnnce  or  supreme  spiritual  and  temporal  chief  of  the  (ireek  community 
in  the  island.  He  is  responsible  to  the  (J rand  Seigneur  for  the  taxes  and  conduct  of  the 
Greek  Cypriots.  To  avoid  entering  into  the  details  of  circumstances,  ami  to  e.xcuse  himself 
from  the  bnrdeji  of  part  of  the  temporal  administration,  he  has  delegated  his  powers  to  the 
Dragoman  of  Cy  pries,  who  has  thus  become  the  chief  civil  authority:  he  has  practically  the 
rank  and  attributions  of  a  prince  of  the  community,  because  the  Turkish  (Jovernor  can  do 
nothing  to  a  Greek  without  the  participation  and  presence  of  the  Dragoman,  who  is  also 
entrusted  with  the  duty  of  laying  at  the  foot  of  the  (rrand  Seigneur's  throne  the  wishes  of  his 
fellow-(y'liristians. 

During  the  previous  year  there  had  been  a  great  rising  of  the  Turks  against  the 
Dragoman.  They  gained  po.ssession  of  the  city  of  Nicosia  and  behaved  atrociously  to  the 
Archbishop  and  other  Greeks;  they  even  killed  those  who  refused  to  give  them  money.  The 
Dragoman  Hed  to  Constantinople,  where  he  not  only  proved  the  (ireeks  to  be  in  the  right,  but 
obtained  an  order  for  a  Pasha  with  some  Caramanian  soldiers  to  march  against  the  rebels, 
who  had  entrenched  themselves  in  Nicosia.  In  this  critical  situation  the  steward  was  the 
guardian  angel  of  his  community,  such  talent  and  tact  did  he  show  in  turning  aside  the  fury 
of  the  rebels.  After  several  lights  these  opened  negotiations  with  the  Pasha,  who  accepting 
the  mediation  of  some  of  the  Kuropean  Consuls  gave  his  word  that  he  would  imnish  no  one. 
The  rebels  opened  the  city  gates,  and  as  soon  as  the  Pasha  was  within,  regardless  of  his 
promise  he  caused  several  of  them  to  be  beheaded.    This  event  has  humiliated  the  Turks,  and 

50—2 


396 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


given  the  Greeks  a  certain  air  of  boldness  and  even  independence.  The  Dragoman  was  still 
at  Constantinople,  but  though  I  could  not  make  his  personal  acquaintance  I  saw  from  his 
works  that  he  was  a  man  of  tact  and  intelligence. 

In  spiritual  matters  the  Ai'chbishop  of  Cyprus  is  an  independent  Patriarch,  and  has  no 
relations  whatever  with  the  Patriarch  of  Constantinople.  He  is  in  correspondence  with  the 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem  through  respect  to  the  Holy  Places;  the  clergy  attached  to  these  have 
property  in  the  island. 

The  Archbishop  appoints  to  bishoprics  and  other  ecclesiastical  dignities  and  offices  on  the 
presentation  of  the  people  :  he  grants  licenses  for  marriages  within  the  prohibited  degrees. 

The  Archbishop,  bishops  and  other  high  dignitaries  cannot  marry.  A  mere  secular 
priest  may  have  a  wife  if  he  was  married  to  her  before  his  ordination  as  a  priest :  but  were 
she  to  die,  he  could  not  take  another.  The  present  Archbishop  is  a  widower  and  has  a  son. 
Monks  are  vowed  to  perpetual  celibacy. 

Priests  are  distinguished  by  a  hat  or  cap  of  black  felt,  angular  for  those  who  are 
married :  round  like  an  inverted  cone  for  celibates  and  monks.  Bishops  wear  a  little  violet 
riband  round  the  head,  and  often  dress  in  cloth  of  the  same  colour.  Other  priests  generally 
wear  black. 

The  Greeks  are  extremely  submissive  and  respectful  towards  their  bishops :  in  saluting 
them  they  bow  low,  take  off  their  cap,  and  hold  it  before  them  upside  down.  They  scarcely 
dare  speak  in  their  presence.  It  is  true  that  for  this  community  of  slaves  the  bishops  are 
rallying  points.  It  is  through  them  that  it  preserves  some  kind  of  existence,  so  that  it  suits 
the  people  to  give  their  prelates  political  importance,  such  as  even  the  Turks  allow  them, 
judging  by  the  deferential  and  respectful  manner  which  they  observe  towards  the  bishops. 
These,  on  their  part,  parade  in  their  houses  and  followers  a  princely  luxury ;  they  never  go 
out  without  a  crowd  of  attendants,  and  to  ascend  a  flight  of  stairs  they  must  needs  be  carried 
by  their  servants. 

The  Greeks  pay  their  bishops  tithe  and  first-fruits,  fees  on  dispensations  and  others,  and 
large  voluntary  offerings.  These  princes  of  the  church  receive  the  imposts  assessed  on  the 
community  so  as  to  pay  to  the  Turkish  government  its  annual  claim,  and  to  share  with  it  a 
kind  of  monopoly.  The  government  has  never  succeeded  in  learning  how  many  Greeks  there 
are  in  the  island.  They  own  to  a  total  of  thirty-two  thousand  souls :  but  well  informed 
persons  raise  this  number  to  a  hundred  thousand.  Last  year  a  commissioner  was  sent  to 
make  an  exact  enumeration  of  the  Greek  families,  but  he  was  "  got  at,"  loaded  with  gold,  and 
went  away — his  task  unfulfilled.  This  handling  the  taxes  brings  enormous  gains  to  the 
spiritual  heads  of  the  people,  who  suffer  in  silence  lest  a  worse  evil  befall  them. 

The  Greeks  pay  the  government  a  yearly  tribute  of  500,000  piastres  for  the  pay  of  a 
garrison  of  four  thousand  Turkish  soldiers,  but  this  number  is  very  far  from  being  complete. 
The  Sultan  raises  besides  two  or  three  hundred  thousand  piastres  from  taxes  on  cotton  and 
other  products.  These  sums,  added  to  those  exacted  by  the  Governor  General  and  the  local 
governors,  probably  bring  up  the  total  amount  paid  by  the  Greeks  of  Cyprus  to  the  Turks  to 
a  million  piastres.    But  the  bishops  and  other  leading  men  get  as  much  again,  and  more. 

The  Greeks  are  quite  as  jealous  as  the  Turks,  and  keep  their  womenkind  in  such  out  of 
the  way  places  that  it  is  impossible  to  see  them.  Those  whom  I  met  in  the  street  were  covered 
and  hidden  by  a  white  sheet,  just  like  Turkish  women.  Those  who  go  about  with  their  faces 
uncovered  are  generally  old  or  ugly.  Their  costume  is  not  ungraceful,  but  a  kind  of  conical 
cap  which  they  wear  on  the  head  displeases  me  immensely.  The  men  have  often  good 
figures,  and  generally  good  complexions.    Persons  of  any  position  always  wear  long  coats, 


ALI  BEY. 


397 


like  the  Turks,  from  whom  they  are  distinguishable  only  by  their  blue  turban :  but  many 
wear  other  colours,  and  even  white,  without  offending  the  Turks.  I  remarked  that  everj^body, 
even  shepherds,  workmen  and  the  poorest  classes  were  always  neatly  dressed.  The  Greeks, 
who  have  no  opportunities  of  studying  the  higher  branches  of  science,  are  in  that  respect 
very  much  behindhand.  Yet  one  traces  among  them  the  old  intelligence  of  their  race, 
and  not  unfrequently  finds  men  full  of  fire,  and  of  high  character.  But  the  mass  of  the 
community,  degraded  by  slavery,  is  poor-spirited,  ignorant  and  cowardly. 

They  use  the  calendar  as  it  stood  before  the  Gregorian  corrections,  so  their  reckoning  is 
now  twelve  days  behind  that  of  Europe.  They  are  equally  behind  the  sun,  so  that  unless 
they  amend  it  the  time  will  come  when  their  calendar  will  put  the  month  of  July  in  the 
winter  solstice,  and  the  frosty  season  in  the  dog-days. 

Their  Lent,  which  they  observe  very  strictly,  lasts  a  week  longer  than  that  of  the 
Catholics.  During  this  penitential  season  they  eat  neither  meat,  Hsh  nor  cheese.  They  have 
scruples  even  about  the  use  of  oil,  so  their  food  is  reduced  to  bread  and  a  few  olives.  They 
believe  themselves  the  only  orthodox  Christians  because  they  think  they  have  preserved  the 
primitive  Greek  rite,  and  they  call  Latin  Christians  schismatics.  They  have  all  the  sacraments 
recognised  by  the  Roman  Church,  but  they  consecrate  the  Eucharist  with  unleavened  bread. 
The  sanctuary  of  their  churches  is  divided  by  a  wooden  screen  covered  with  paintings  which 
bear  the  stamp  of  the  bad  taste  of  the  Lower  Empire.  This  screen  has  a  large  door  in  the 
middle,  and  a  smaller  one  each  side,  which  serve  as  entrances  to  the  sanctuary,  in  the  midst 
of  which  is  a  square  pedestal,  covered  with  plaited  .stuff,  and  surrounded  by  a  small  wooden 
railing.  On  this  you  find  a  few  small  pictures,  the  mi.ssal  and  other  things.  The  priests, 
who  alone  can  enter  this  part  of  the  church,  say  the  mass,  I  am  told,  with  all  these  doors 
closed,  and  only  at  certain  moments  fixed  by  their  ritual  are  they  opened.  The  faithful  stand 
in  the  nave,  their  imagination  does  duty  for  the  mysteries  which  they  cannot  see.  The 
women  take  their  place  in  a  high  gallery,  shut  off  by  thick  lattice  work,  where  they  cannot 
be  seen. 

The  Greeks  all  wear  moustaches,  and  shave  their  chins  like  the  Turks ;  but  oldish  people 
and  priests  often  grow  beards.  They  are  forbidden  to  carry  arms,  but  they  all  have  a  knife 
or  dagger  concealed  about  them.  The  commerce  of  the  island,  of  which  cotton  is  one  of  the 
principal  branches,  is  almost  entirely  in  their  hands;  the  Turks  in  this  matter  play  but  a 
secondary  part.  The  indolence  of  their  character  is  well  known,  satisfied  with  the  climate 
and  people  of  Cyprus  they  smoke  their  pipes  quietly,  and  never  bestir  them.selves  except  when 
they  can  do  some  outrage  to  a  Greek  under  pretext  of  a  real  or  seeming  mi.sdoing.  The 
greatest  crime  is  forgiven  when  the  accused  i)uts  into  the  scales  the  amount  of  gftld  which  the 
grcH'd  of  the  judge  tiiinks  ecpial  to  the  gravity  of  the  offence.  Property  is  only  respected 
when  the  owner  is  stronger  or  l)etter  protected  than  the  spoiler.  One  fi'equently  sees  a 
wretched  Greek  villager  ousted  by  a  Turk  who  enters  into  possession  of  his  patrimony.  To 
avoid  these  odious  vexati(jns  many  natives  place  them.selves  under  the  protection  of  some 
European  consul,  who  is  allowed  to  grant  this  favour  U)  a  certain  number.  These  prntt'gis 
enjoy  all  the  innnunities  of  the  subjects  of  the  nation  which  protects  them.  They  are 
distinguished  by  a  tall  black  cap  of  bear's  skin,  called  calpnc.  I  have  however  seen  Greeks 
who  were  not  proteges  wearing  the  calpoc  unnoticed  by  the  Turks. 

The  mosques  of  Cyprus,  except  that  of  S.  Sophia,  which  the  Turks  call  Aia  Sofia,  are 
shabby  and  ugly.  Kvery  Friday  before  the  mid-day  prayer  the  Imam  ought  to  preach  a 
sermon  in  Arabic;  but  here  as  no  Turkish  Iniaiii  knows  Arabic  the  sermon  is  reduced  to  a  few 
short  phrases  which  they  learn  by  heart  and  repeat  over  and  over  again  like  parrots,  neither 


398 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


understanding  nor  understood.  Although  Arabic  is  the  sacred  language  of  Islam,  there  are 
probably  not  ten  persons  in  the  island  who  can  understand  it.  I  took  satisfactory  observa- 
tions, and  determined  the  latitude  of  Nicosia  35°  13'  14"  N.,  and  the  longitude  31°  6'  30"  E.,  of 
the  Observatory  of  Paris. 

It  is  remarkable  that  the  gesture  of  negation,  that  is  to  say  the  native  way  of  marking 
dissent,  is  to  toss  up  the  head  just  as  one  might  do  in  Europe  to  indicate  contempt  or  derision, 
while  here  contempt  is  shown  by  pushing  the  tip  of  the  tongue  between  the  lips,  and  saying 
ptou,  as  though  one  were  spitting.  To  express  dissent  by  shaking  the  head  is  a  thing 
unknown  in  Cyprus. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

I  left  Nicosia  at  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  3  for  Gythera.  Travelling  in  a  N.E. 
direction  I  passed  at  nine  o'clock  a  village  called  Diamiglia,  and  three  quarters  of  an  hour 
later  I  had  reached  my  goal.  The  great  plain  of  Nicosia  stretches  to  the  outskirts  of  Cythera 
which  is  surrounded  by  mounds  of  clayey  soil.  How  a  poetic  imagination  would  warm  up  at 
the  sight  of  these  spots  consecrated  of  old  to  the  mother  of  Love  !  I  had  met  at  Limassol  an 
English  traveller,  Mr  Rooke,  who  had  visited  Cythera,  and  told  me  that  his  fancy  had  tilled 
up  the  blanks  of  the  real  scene,  so  that  he  had  pictured  to  himself  as  present  the  goddess 
surrounded  by  her  court.  My  brain,  little  given  to  illusions,  failed  here  to  supply  me  visions 
in  contrast  with  what  offered  itself  to  my  senses :  the  Grraces,  Nymphs  and  Loves  would  not 
lend  their  charm  to  the  view  of  poor  Cythera,  which  I  can  only  compare  to  the  most 
wretched  hamlet  of  the  Comte  Venaissin,  or  the  Limagne  of  Auvergne.  It  is  just  a  slip  of 
country  of  irregular  shape,  with  orchards  and  mulberry  trees,  about  a  league  from  N.  to  S. 
but  quite  narrow. 

The  existence  of  the  place  depends  on  a  spring  to  the  N.  which  divides  into  two  streams 
and  pours  abundant  water  into  the  end  of  a  valley  lying  between  hills  of  pure  clay,  which  are 
quite  bare,  and  have  never  been  more  fertile  than  they  are  now.  A  few  houses  are  scattered 
about  this  valley,  and  some  mills  which  supply  Nicosia  with  flour.  The  soil  is  not  particularly 
good,  but  the  scarcity  of  water  in  the  island  makes  it  necessary  to  turn  to  account  all  possible 
modes  of  irrigation,  and  the  valley,  wherever  the  water  can  reach  it,  is  well  cultivated.  There 
are  vegetable  gardens,  and  many  mulberry  trees;  these  trees  are  not  isolated  or  planted 
apart,  as  in  Europe,  but  crowded  together  into  a  kind  of  thicket,  not  unlike  a  nursery.  They 
remain  small  and  slender,  but  it  is  supposed  that  they  produce  more  leaves,  and  these  can  be 
picked  by  hand  from  the  lowest  to  the  highest  branch  of  the  shrub. 

At  the  present  time  what  Gythera  can  show  is  a  wood  of  mulberry  trees  for  silkworms,  a 
few  carobs,  olives,  fruit  trees  and  vegetables,  in  the  hollow  of  a  valley  which  the  scant 
circulation  of  air,  the  reflection  from  the  clay  hills,  and  the  neighbourhood  of  a  range  of 
volcanic  mountains  oh  the  north  must  render  in  summer  a  truly  infernal  hole.  The  natives 
say  this  is  not  a  hot  season,  but  as  man  is  everywhere  a  creature  of  habit  I  trust  rather  to 
what  I  deduce  from  the  situation  of  a  place  than  to  what  I  hear  from  its  inhabitants. 

In  this  journey  my  only  companions  were  a  servant  and  Doctor  Brunoni  who  acted  as  my 
interpreter  and  cicerone.  At  the  request  of  the  Archbishop  we  were  lodged  in  the  house  of 
the  parish  priest,  a  kind  worthy  old  man. 

I  should  have  been  glad  to  see  some  of  the  women,  who  enjoy  a  reputation  for  beauty ; 
but  neither  in  the  streets  nor  in  their  houses  could  I  tind  one  passably  good-looking.  The 
doctor  pretended  that  there  are  some  really  beautiful,  but  that  they  are  the  most  dissolute 
wretches  in  the  island,  and  that  they  give  rise  to  numberless  lawsuits,  which  are  taken  for 


ALI  BEY. 


399 


trial  before  the  Magistrates  at  Nicosia.  Possibly  the  heat  of  the  climate,  the  isolation  of  the 
houses  which  stand  each  apart,  the  mulberry  thickets,  and  the  absence  of  the  men,  who  are 
away  during  the  day  in  tlu'  markets  of  Nicosia,  are  tlie  causes  to  which  one  may  assign  the 
dissolute  character  of  the  women  of  Cythera,  for  these  are  all  circumstances  favourable  to 
debauch. 

It  is  said  confidently  that  the  ancient  Cythera  was  situated  on  a  low  hill  about  a  mile 
away.  I  do  not  think  that  there  could  ever  have  been  gardens  there :  at  any  rate  there  is  no 
trace  of  such  now.    But  I  am  going  to  describe  other  and  more  interesting  remains. 

I  was  told  on  leaving  Nicosia  that  I  could,  on  the  way  back  from  Cythera,  visit  the  ruins 
of  the  Palace  of  the  Queen ;  but  there  was  an  air  of  indifference  about  the  remark,  as  though 
there  was  nothing  particularly  worth  while  going  out  of  the  way  to  see.  Half-way  on  our  road 
the  doctor  had  pointed  out  the  site  of  the  ruins,  on  the  highest  peak  of  the  chain  to  the  north 
of  Nicosia.  I  examined  it  with  my  glass,  and  thought  1  could  distinguish  things  which  stirred 
my  curiosity.  I  determined  to  visit  them  on  my  return  from  Cythera.  Krom  the  priest's  house 
where  we  lodged  one  can  see  the  mountain.  After  dinner  I  took  leave  of  our  host,  and 
we  started  towards  the  N.  and  X.E.  to  see  first  the  si)ring  which  waters  Cythi  nt. 

At  the  foot  of  the  clay  hills  which  lie  S.  of  a  chain  of  basaltic  mountains,  the  water 
rushes  out  abundantly  in  five  places,  and  in  less  volume  by  other  channels,  and  forms  at  once 
a  small  river.  It  is  transparent,  light,  perfectly  jjure,  and  very  cold  (thej'  say)  in  summer:  a 
proof  that  it  issues  from  a  great  depth  in  tlie  mountains:  it  is  evident  enough  that  its  source 
is  iKjt  in  the  clay  hills.  The  natives  believe  that  it  comes  from  the  mountains  of  Caramania 
on  the  main  land,  and  that  it  passes  under  the  sea.  Strictly  speaking  this  is  not  impossible, 
but  it  is  more  probable  that  it  rises  in  the  heart  of  the  basaltic  mountains,  and  passes,  at 
a  great  depth,  under  the  clay  hills ;  but  without  touching  them,  or  it  would  lo.se  its  good 
qualities,  especially  as  these  hills  are  later,  and  sui>erposed  on  the  primordial  mass  of  tlie 
mountains. 

My  curiosity  was  satisfied,  and  I  left  with  indifference  poor  (Jythera,  which  has  preserved 
but  very  little  of  the  beauty  which  marked  her  out  once  for  the  abode  of  the  goddess  of  all 
the  Graces.  We  ascended  northwards  up  to  the  first  line  of  mountains  which  overlook  the 
clay  hills  and  the  great  plain  to  the  south,  then  turning  east  and  following  the  higher  ridges 
of  this  line,  which  is  covered  with  lava  and  volcanic  products,  and  skirting  the  chain  of 
basaltic  mountains  on  our  right,  we  resumed  two  hours  later  a  northerly  course,  and  halted  at 
the  monastery  of  S.  John  C'lirysostoni,  situated  close  to  the  peak  upon  which  are  the  ruins  of 
the  Palace  of  the  Queen,  called  also  Buffavento.  This  monastery,  a  l)uilding  very  nnich  like 
that  of  S.  Tliecla,  belongs  to  the  Holy  Places  at  Jerusalem.  Three  Greek  monks,  a  sister  of 
the  Prior,  old  and  a  widow,  and  a  servant  young,  stout  and  good  looking  are  the  only  inmates. 
The  gardeners  or  labourers  live  outside  the  walls. 

The  next  morning,  April  4,  I  started  accompanied  by  two  guides.  The  doctor  was  afraid 
to  follow  me,  and  my  servant  was  too  stout  to  scale  the  rocks.  I  started  on  a  mule  and 
reached  tlie  foot  of  tiie  mountains,  about  half  an  hour's  climb  from  the  ruins.  There  1  was 
obliged  to  dismount,  so  steep  was  the  path,  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  we  had  reached  the  foot 
of  the  peak  where  there  are  two  (luadrangiilar  heaps  of  ruins.  The  peak  itself  is  a  rock  nearly 
perpendicular  on  every  side.  Tiiere  was  no  fiirtiier  trace  of  a  path,  so  we  climbed  this  natural 
wall,  taking  advantage  of  jutting  rocks,  projections,  holes,  anything  to  which  our  hands  and 
feet  would  cling.  Sometimes  we  had  to  help  one  another  with  a  stick,  at  another  the  guide 
would  stop  to  see  where  he  could  get  the  best  foothold,  so  as  to  get  over  the  paraj)et  in  front 
of  him;  and,  to  complete  the  picture,  we  had  always  beside  us  a  horrilile  precipice. 


400 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


At  last,  after  much  trouble,  we  reached  the  gate  of  the  palace  and  took  a  few  moments' 
rest.  This  singular  edifice  may  be  described  as  consisting  of  four  separate  blocks,  some 
higher  than  the  others.  Let  me  call  the  first  the  guardrooms,  the  second  the  storerooms,  the 
third  the  court  or  state  apartment,  and  the  fourth  the  sleeping  quarters  of  the  owners  on  the 
very  highest  point  of  the  mountain.  This  last  block  was  perhaps  intended  to  serve  also  as  a 
chapel  or  oratory.  There  are  vaults  below.  The  building  I  should  ascribe  to  prae-historic 
times.  I  am  told  that  no  mention  of  it  exists  in  any  history  worthy  of  credit,  and  on  no  part 
of  it  did  I  find  any  trace  of  an  inscription  or  hieroglyphics. 

The  walls  are  built  of  stone  quarried  on  the  spot,  cemented  with  lime.  Several  of  the 
corners  are  of  bricks,  still  red,  and  well  burnt.  Some  which  I  measured  were  two  feet  long, 
one  foot  broad,  and  two  fingers  thick.  The  jambs  of  the  doors  and  windows  are  of  marble 
composed  entirely  of  fossil  shells  of  a  thousand  different  kinds,  quite  well  preserved.  Some 
rooms  still  preserve  their  roof.  When  one  thinks  of  the  labour  and  cost  involved  in  the 
building  of  such  a  palace,  on  such  a  site :  when  one  reflects  on  its  antiquity,  one  is  astonished 
indeed.  It  was  decorated  with  all  the  luxury  known  at  the  epoch  of  its  construction.  The 
window  openings  are  well  proportioned  :  the  marble  was  certainly  brought  from  a  great 
distance,  as  well  as  the  lime  and  the  bricks  which  could  not  have  been  made  on  the  spot. 
The  beauty,  I  might  even  say  the  magnificence,  of  the  apartment  probably  used  by  the  court, 
even  the  provision  of  water  for  a  building  so  vast  and  situated  on  such  a  height,  make  one 
believe  that  the  founder  of  the  palace  was  a  sovereign  endowed  at  once  with  great,  talents,  no 
ordinary  spirit,  and  immense  wealth. 

If  we  care  to  suppose  that  the  building  was  a  simple  fortress  one  might  fix  very  nearly 
the  date  of  its  erection,  without  regard  to  the  silence  of  history,  for  it  may  have  been 
connected  with  no  memorable  event,  nor  attracted  particular  attention.  On  looking  at  it 
simply  as  the  dwelling  of  some  great  personage — I  have  seen  such  among  the  African 
mountains,  the  abodes  of  Arab  sheikhs — I  should  say  that  it  had  been  built  just  as  those 
were,  when  there  were  no  houses  in  the  country.  But  when  I  consider  the  magnificence 
and  luxury  of  this  palace,  a  monument  of  the  art  of  its  age,  and  its  remarkable  and  impreg- 
nable position,  I  recognise  the  abode  of  a  mighty  sovereign.  It  follows  then  that  the  Palace 
of  the  Queen  was  certainly  built  and  inhabited  in  a  prge-historic  age :  that  it  was  erected  by  a 
king  of  the  island,  a  rich  and  powerful  sovereign :  and  that  it  was  at  the  same  time  a  fortress 
which  defied  attack,  and  a  luxurious  home,  in  which  the  charms  of  society  tempered  the 
display  of  warlike  power.    But  who  was  the  prince  who  created  it  ? 

The  name  Palace  of  the  Queen  has  been  handed  down  from  father  to  son  by  an 
unbroken  tradition,  for  there  is  not  a  man  now  in  the  island  who  does  not  know  it  by  this 
title. 

Every  faith  must  have  its  mysteries,  and  in  the  convent  of  S.  John  Chrysostom  I  was 
shown  an  old  picture,  painted  on  wood,  about  two  feet  square,  which  represents  the  Queen,  the 
foundress,  according  to  the  monks,  of  both  the  palace  and  the  monastery.  She  is  depicted  at 
her  prayers  before  an  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  The  artist  has  made  the  Queen  as  beautiful 
as  he  could,  but  he  has  dressed  her  in  modern  G-reek  costume.  At  the  foot  of  the  picture  is 
an  inscription,  half  effaced,  in  Greek,  in  which  one  may  still  read  her  supposed  name  Maria, 
daughter  of  Philip  Molinos,  etc.  The  monks  pretend  that  in  their  convent  was  preserved  an 
ancient  manuscript  which  affirmed  that  this  princess  was  their  protectress.  But  no  one  has 
seen  it,  and  a  comparison  of  the  two  buildings  exposes  the  anachronism.  It  is  quite  certain 
that  when  the  Palace  of  the  Queen  was  built  nothing  was  yet  known  of  Marias  or  Philips  or 
Molinos,  still  less  of  a  monastery  of  S.  John  Chrysostom, 


ALI  BEY. 


401 


These  poor  Greeks,  since  the  days  of  the  Lower  Krnpire,  can  see  nothing  any^vhere  but 
monks  and  monasteries.  ^Ylw  upper  portion  of  the  palace  they  call  a  church,  although  it 
is  composed  of  two  small  square  rooms,  with  narrow  doors,  without  the  slightest  sign  of  ever 
ha\'ing  been  a  place  of  assembly.  Other  ruins  close  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  they  take  to 
be  the  remains  of  a  monastery;  these  however  are  as  old  as  the  rest.  For  my  part  I  consider 
them  redoubts  or  advanced  forts  to  defend  the  approaches  to  the  palace.  A  little  lower  down 
on  the  slope  on  which  the  convent  stands  one  does  find  the  ruins  of  a  real  church.  Com- 
parison ^^^th  these  proves  the  absurdity  of  the  origin  ascribed  to  the  others.  But  let  us  lift  up 
our  thoughts  and  seek  for  this  remarkable  monument  an  explanation  which  shall  correspond 
better  with  the  form  of  its  ruins  and  with  its  enchanting  situation. 

The  name  Palace  of  the  Queen,  as  I  have  said,  has  been  transmitted  and  preserved  by  an 
uninterrupted  tradition.  In  the  far  distant  ages  in  which  it  was  built,  had  it  been  a  man  who 
directed  the  work,  he  would  doubtless  have  nuide  a  castle,  eked  out  by  an  apartment  suffi- 
cient for  his  own  use.  But  the  lu.Kury  and  taste  which  prevail  in  the  portion  which  I  call  the 
hall  of  the  Court,  or  of  assembly,  makes  me  think  it  was  the  work  of  a  woman. 

This  portion  is  composed  of  four  square  halls,  ranged  one  after  the  other,  each  with  large 
wndows  looking  north  and  south,  so  that  on  all  sides  one  gets  a  view  over  nearly  all  the 
island :  the  doors,  placed  in  the  middle,  are  large  in  proportion ;  so  that  at  once  on  entering 
one  sees  all  four  rootns  ;  this  has  a  grand  effect.  One  cannot  suppf)se  that  this  block  was 
designed  for  defensive  purposes,  its  construction  is  not  adapted  thereto,  and  its  situation  offers 
no  advantages.  Again  it  cannot  be  considered  as  a  place  of  habitual  residence,  for  the  vast 
windows  opening  down  to  the  ground,  and  exposed  to  all  the  winds,  are  against  the  idea. 
Nor  can  one  suppose  it  to  have  been  a  place  designed  for  woi-ship,  unless  it  were  that  of  the 
goddess  of  the  Graces,  because  it  is  entirely  wanting  in  that  mysterious  gloom  which  marks 
ancient  temples.  I  can  find  no  explanation  for  this  range  of  rooms  except  that  of  a  gallery  or 
apartments  for  uses  of  Court  or  assemblj'.  The  taste  and  elegance  displayed  in  the  con- 
struction make  me  think  it  the  work  of  a  woman  ;  and  when  we  find  the  traditional  name 
Palace  of  the  Qiieen  preserved  so  carefully  for  so  long  a  time  it  is  certainlj-  entitled  to  our 
respect. 

When  I  consider  the  position  of  this  building  1  am  surprised  that  hitherto  no  tr.ivellei* 
has  nieiitioiu^d  it  from  a  truly  historical  and  philosophical  standpoint.  Mr  Hooke  himself, 
who  had  allowi-d  his  fancy  to  roam  through  these  spots  haunted  by  so  many  memories  of  the 
past,  told  me  nothing  whatever  about  this  singular  edifice,  which  towers  over  most  of  the 
island,  and  especially  over  (.'j'thera  and  Idaliuiu.  Chariots  could  reach  it,  the}'  say,  in  old 
times.  Cythera  and  Idalium  are  the  two  nearest  places  in  which  water  is  found  in  such 
abundance  that  the  nn'ghty  mistress  of  the  palace  could  have  supplied  her  gardens.  \VelI, 
then,  suppose  this  mistress  were...  !  Yes,  you  guess  it,  a  veritable  \  enus,  or  one  of  the  types 
of  the  Venus  of  poetry...  If  other  travellers  have  visited  these  ruins,  and  have  explained 
them  in  a  more  acceptable  way,  do  not  tell  me  of  it;  do  not  destroy  the  pleasant  illusion 
which  1  cherish  that  1  have  dwelt  though  but  for  a  moment  in  the  home  of  the  Graces,  and 
that  I  have  penetrated  into  the  highest,  and  perhaps  the  most  secret  nook  of  the  goddess  of 
Love.  Doubtless  when  she  would  fain  dispense  her  favours  to  mortals,  she  came  to  accept 
their  incense  at  Cythera,  at  Idalium,  and  retired  forthwith  to  enjoy  the  company  of  gods  in 
her  heavenlj'  abode,  placed  high  above  the  clouds.,.  Ah,  Kooke  ;  like  you,  I  am  carried  away 
by  my  imagiiuition.  Anyhow,  if  we  compare  the  construction,  position  and  antiquity  of  this 
building  with  what  traditions  and  tales  say  about  it,  we  get  the  probable  result  that  it  was 
tlie  work  of  a  woman  :  that  this  woman  had  great  power  in  Cj'prus :  that  Cythera  and 

V.  51 


402 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Idalium  sliould  be  considered  as  having  formed  parts  of  her  gardens :  that  had  there  been 
a  poet  in  the  island  he  would  doubtless  have  glorified  these  things  while  he  sang  the 
apotheosis  of  his  heroine:  that  he  would  have  made  her  one  with  Venus,  daughter  of  Jove: 
an  allegory  of  the  fecundity  of  matter,  or,  better  still,  of  the  universal  law  of  attraction,  which 
preceded  by  long  ages  the  civilisation  of  the  Greeks  or  even  that  of  the  Egyptians,  their 
teachers.  According  to  this  supposition  poetic  genius  gave  immortality  to  an  object  which 
was  naturally  far  from  deserving  it. 

In  the  highest  room,  which  is  roofless,  is  a  wild  cypress.    I  carried  olf  a  branch  with  its 
fruit,  and  then  climbing  the  wall  I  picked  out  the  highest  stone  of  the  building. 

From  this  point  one  enjoys  a  magnificent  view.  Excepting  a  little  corner  hidden  by  the 
mountains  of  Paphos,  or  Mount  Olympus,  you  get  a  bird's  eye  view,  as  on  a  map,  of  nearly 
the  whole  circumference  of  Cyprus.  On  the  north,  at  the  foot,  as  it  were,  of  the  mountain, 
you  see  the  little  town  of  Chirigna.  I  took  an  observation,  and  comparing  the  position  of 
Nicosia,  I  determined  the  latitude  of  Chirigna  to  be  35°  25'  0"  N.  and  the  longitude  31°  1'  30"  E. 
of  Paris.  The  horizon  on  the  sea  is  of  so  vast  a  stretch  that  the  sight  confuses  sea  and 
sky  in  a  kind  of  chaos  or  thick  mist.  There  is  no  spring  on  the  rock,  I  suspect  that  in  old 
times  there  was  one.  Perhaps  that  in  the  convent  of  S.  John  Chrysostom  is  an  ancient 
spring  diverted  from  its  original  direction.  On  this  peak  one  breathes  a  remarkably  pure 
air,  but  the  temperature  certainly  allows  me  to  affirm  that  the  goddess,  at  least  during  her 
sojourn  here,  could  not  have  been  so  lightly  clothed  as  it  has  pleased  painters  and  sculptors  to 
imagine.  The  peak  soars  into  the  air  in  complete  isolation  from  the  adjoining  range,  and 
forms  a  kind  of  lightning  conductor.  I  have  several  times  observed  from  the  plain  that  the 
clouds  which  rose  from  the  other  mountains,  and  were  driven  by  the  wind,  clung  round  its 
summit :  a  phenomenon  favourable  to  the  religious  illusions  of  a  mystic  mind. 

At  nine  in  the  morning  I  left  the  Palace  of  the  Queen.  We  encountered  as  much  danger 
and  trouble  in  descending  the  rock  as  we  had  in  ascending  it.  At  the  foot  of  the  peak 
I  mounted  my  mule,  and  at  ten  o'clock  joined  the  doctor  and  my  servant  at  the  monastery. 
We  rested  an  hour,  then  descended  the  lower  slopes  of  the  basaltic  mountains  and  the 
clay  hills  at  their  foot,  and  reached  the  plain  at  half  past  twelve.  It  requires  then  two  hours 
and  a  quarter  to  come  down  from  the  ruins  of  the  palace  on  the  summit  of  the  peak  to 
the  plain. 

Keeping  to  the  S.W.  I  crossed  the  torrent  of  Nicosia,  which  is  waterless  except  during 
the  rainy  season.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  we  passed  a  village  called  Ga'imaki,  and  reached 
Nicosia  at  two. 

Next  day,  April  5,  I  left  the  capital  at  a  quarter  past  eight,  and  crossed  the  great  plain 
in  a  S.E.  direction :  then  crossing  some  clay  hills,  I  turned  S.  about  half  past  eleven,  and 
following  the  left  bank  of  a  very  small  river,  which  we  crossed  at  noon,  soon  entered  Idalium. 
This  place,  once  so  famous  for  its  groves,  is  only  a  wretched  village,  situated  in  a  valley 
almost  entirely  surrounded  with  hills  of  pure  clay,  absolutely  barren  and  most  melancholy. 
The  houses  are  miserable  and  badly  built,  the  inhabitants  extremely  poor:  there  are  just 
a  few  trees  and  vegetable-gardens,  wheat  and  barley  alone  are  sown.  In  short  the  modern 
Idalium,  which  resembles  the  poorest  village  in  the  plains  of  the  Beauce,  is  as  sad  a  place  as 
you  can  imagine.  The  people  of  the  place  believe  that  the  ancient  Idalium  was  on  a  slight 
mound,  a  mile  away  from  the  modern  village.  I  went  there,  but  saw  no  relic  of  antiquity. 
But  I  saw  quite  clearly  the  peak  of  the  Palace  of  the  Queen. 

Finding  nothing  worthy  of  notice  I  started  again  at  a  quarter  past  two.  I  passed 
a  village  in  a  dreary  country  lying  between  low  hills  of  clay  entirely  barren,  returned  to  the 


ALI  BEY. 


40:^ 


plain,  and  leaving  on  the  left  the  village  of  Aradipo  iit  a  quarter  past  five,  at  six  o'clock  I  was 
at  Larnaca.  This  is  a  town  next  in  size  to  Nicosia,  the  seat  of  a  bishop,  and  the  residence  of 
all  the  consuls,  of  a  few  European  merchants,  and  of  several  Greeks  protected  by  different 
nations,  with  whose  subjects  they  share  the  privileges  and  immunities  of  their  several  flags. 
Hence  you  meet  here  with  something  of  the  same  civilisation  and  freedom  as  in  the  to^vnsand 
ports  of  Europe. 

The  day  of  my  arrival  the  Turkish  Governor,  a  Shcrif,  came  to  call,  with  a  great  carbine 
at  his  side.  The  next  day  the  Bishop  came  with  a  large  following.  The  consuls  and  the 
notables  of  the  town  paid  me  the  same  honours. 

The  roadstead  of  Larnaca  struck  me  as  too  open  and  unprotected,  but  its  position 
opposite  the  Syrian  coast  makes  it  a  common  port  of  call. 

A  mile  from  Larnaca  is  a  village  called  Scala,  where  the  English  consul  lives,  as  well  as 
two  others,  and  there  it  seems  is  the  landing  place. 

I  got  good  observations  and  fixed  the  hmgitude  of  Laniaca  at  31°  '27'  80"  E.  and  the 
latitude  34°  oO'  o4"  N. 

At  a  (juarter  past  two  in  the  afternoon  of  April  8  I  left  Larnaca,  travelling  S.S.W. 
I  soon  came  upon  an  aqueduct  of  some  length,  but  of  poor  construction.  At  a  quarter 
past  three  1  stopped  for  half  an  hour  or  so  in  the  garden  of  a  country  house.  As  I  left 
it  the  weather  began  to  break,  and  thougii  I  pushed  on,  the  rain  caught  me  on  the  road. 
Tt  was  six  o'clock  when .  I  reached  Mazzoios.  The  plain  which  we  crossed  was  rather 
fertile.  At  two  or  three  luiles  from  the  road  it  is  bounded  by  the  sea,  on  the  other  side, 
at  a  somewhat  greater  distance,  by  mountains.  Mazzafos  is  a  poor  village  on  good  soil  at  the 
foot  of  the  hills. 

At  half  past  five  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  I  .started  towards  the  S.W.  and  at  six  turned 
due  west  after  crossing  somv  fertile  countrj'  called  by  the  natives  Lacfmiiw,  which  they  say 
was  anciently  inhabited  by  a  people  of  that  name.  I  was  told  that  to  my  right  lay  the  ruins 
of  an  ancient  town  called  Alain  inn,  not  to  be  confounded  ^\^th  Salaininta.  At  seven  I  crossed 
a  stream,  an  hour  later  another,  ajid  at  a  quarter  to  m'ne  halted  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
S.  Helena.  At  the  mouth  of  this  river  is  a  tiny  port  with  a  wide  roadstead  of  the  same  name, 
because  the  princess  Helena,  mother  of  the  Emperor  Constantine,  landed  there  on  her  return 
from  the  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem.  T  left  at  ten,  following  the  seashore.  At  two  I  passed 
close  to  the  ruins  of  Amathus:  in  another  quarter  of  an  hour  I  crossed  the  stream  of  the  same 
name,  and  at  a  quarter  past  three  reached  Limassol. 

On  Wednesday,  April  23, 1  left  Tjimassol  for  Pai)hos  at  a  quarter  past  seven  in  the  morning. 
Our  route  lay  first  W.S.W. ;  two  hours  later,  leaning  more  to  the  W.,  we  pas.sed  Colo.ssi, 
then  crossing  the  stream  that  Hows  S.  We  reached  Episcopi  and  rested  there  until  a  quarter 
to  four.  Continuing  our  march  in  the  same  direction  at  half  past  four  we  passed  S.  Thomas, 
and  at  six  entered  Lnfaiiisklo,  where  I  was  to  i)ass  the  night.  The  plain  of  Limassol  reaches 
to  Colossi ;  from  the  middle  of  this  tract  projects  Cape  (h-  Gafta.  Colossi  is  a  \'illage  sur- 
rounded by  gardens,  with  plenty  of  water.  There  exists  still  a  strong  tower,  or  square  fort, 
said  to  have  been  l)uilt  by  the  Knights  Templar,  and  a  great  aqueduct  close  bj-,  still  in  use. 
Both  are  built  of  a  coarse  marble. 

Episcopi  is  larger  than  Colos.si  and  mo.st  pleasantly  situated.  Every  house  is  surrounded 
with  gardens,  trees,  plots  of  cotton  and  sown  fields,  'i'he  Nnllage  lies  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains  which  slope  down  to  the  seashore,  and  coiinuands  a  view  of  a  fine  plain  and 
of  the  sea.  There  is  water  in  abundance,  the  soil  is  excellent — advantages  which  make  Episcopi 
a  delightful  place,  infinitely  more  worthy  of  the  goddess  of  the  isle  than  Idalium  and  Cythera. 

51—2 


404 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


It  was  formerly  a  very  rich  town,  with  large  sugar-works.  One  sees  still  the  ruins  of  an 
aqueduct,  immense  stores  or  vaulted  halls,  and  several  G-reek  churches  with  fresco-paintings. 
To-day  it  is  a  village  of  little  importance,  inhabited  by  Turks  and  Greeks,  each  in  their  own, 
quarter.  The  women  appeared  to  me  to  enjoy  considerable  liberty,  but  I  saw  no  beauties — ■ 
perhaps  my  unlucky  star  kept  them  out  of  my  sight. 

Beyond  Episcopi  the  road  ascends  hills  of  pure  limestone  rising  sometimes  perpendicularly 
from  the  seashore,  and  what  makes  it  still  more  dangerous  is  that  the  track  is  a  mere  inclined 
slope  of  smooth  bare  rock  on  which  horses  scarcely  find  a  foothold.  After  this  perilous  climb 
the  road  continues  over  the  hills,  through  woods  of  cypress,  oak,  lentisc,  amid  aromatic  herbs, 
which  embalm  the  air. 

S.  Thomas  is  a  very  small  village  in  the  mountains.  Lataniskio,  a  little  larger,  is 
similarly  situated  in  the  middle  as  it  were  of  this  range. 

From  Lataniskio  you  see  perfectly  well  C.  de  Gatta,  the  point  looks  about  seven  leagues 
off,  to  the  S.E.  The  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  Lataniskio  are  Turks,  honest,  hard- 
working people,  neatly  dressed,  and  chiefly  in  white.  All  grow  beards,  which  are  long,  thick 
and  generally  reddish.  Their  meals  are  served  after  a  cleanly  decent  fashion.  They  would 
be  happy  if  they  were  not  worried  by  the  government  which  treats  them  worse  than  it  does 
the  Greeks.  The  very  poorest  of  them  pays  a  hundred  piastres  a  year.  These  good 
mountaineers  inspired  me  with  regret  and  pity:  they  are  faithful  Musalmans  and  worthy 
therefore  of  a  better  lot. 

Next  morning,  April  24, 1  left  Lataniskio  at  half  past  eight.  I  went  down  a  deep  ravine, 
at  the  bottom  of  which  is  a  fine  spring.  This,  like  several  others  which  I  have  seen  in  the 
island,  is  ornamented  with  a  small  fountain  of  ancient  date.  The  ravine  has  a  perpendicular 
fall  of  two  hundred  and  forty  feet,  on  its  face  are  exposed  an  infinite  number  of  layers  of 
limestone  or  coarse  marble.    The  parts  which  are  less  steep  are  covered  with  trees. 

At  a  quarter  past  nine  I  passed  Yalectora,  now  a  poor  village,  but  once  larger  and  rich, 
to  judge  by  the  ruins  still  conspicuous  of  churches  and  other  buildings.  It  is  built  on  a  slope, 
surrounded  with  magnificent  valleys,  many  of  them  cultivated.  At  a  quarter  to  twelve  I  had 
left  this  range  of  hills,  and  crossed  a  stream  close  to  its  mouth :  the  coast  at  this  spot  trends 
from  E.S.E.  to  W.N.W.  My  course  was  nearly  N.W.  until  I  reached  Couclia,  an  ancient 
palace  on  a  high  hill,  half  a  league  from  the  sea,  and  quite  close  to  a  village  of  the  same 
name,  now  little  but  a  collection  of  ruins,  giving  shelter  to  some  ten  families.  The  palace  is 
built  of  stone,  and  composed  of  a  vast  courtyard  with  stables  and  stores.  The  rooms  are  on 
an  upper  floor ;  but  the  whole  structure  is  falling  into  ruin. 

Some  authors  take  Couclia  to  be  the  ancient  Cythera,  others  the  ancient  Arsinoe.  The 
natives  look  upon  it  as  the  garden,  or  favourite  abode  of  Queen  Aphrodite  (a  Greek  name  for 
Venus).  The  palace  commands  a  view  of  a  wide  and  fertile  plain,  well  watered  by  streams 
and  some  rivers.  It  is  now  an  appanage  of  one  of  the  Sultanas,  but  let  and  sub-let  to  persons 
who  neglect  the  fields  and  let  the  trees  die :  this  district  which  might  really  be  an  abode  of 
bliss,  supplying  food  to  thousands,  ^vill  gradually  become  a  desert.  The  manager  or  principal 
tenant  of  Couclia  was  a  Greek  Christian,  who  lived  in  the  palace.  He  was  absent  just  then, 
so  I  postponed  my  visit  to,  and  examination  of,  the  few  antiquities  existing  near  the  place 
until  my  return  from  Paphos. 

From  Couclia  you  see  the  sea  half  a  league  away  to  the  S.S.W.,  and  a  Turkish  village 
called  Mandria  a  mile  away,  pretty  much  in  the  same  direction. 

Just  as  I  was  leaving,  a  Greek  priest  guided  me  to  a  spot  in  the  middle  of  the  hill, 
some  few  fathoms  from  the  door  of  the  castle,  and  showed  me  two  pieces  of  beautiful  mosaic. 


AIJ  BKV. 


40.5 


recently  uncovered,  about  three  feet  in  diameter.  I  am  surpri.sed  that  some  art-amateur  has 
not  laid  bare  the  rest,  for  the  layer  of  earth  upon  it  is  but  a  few  inches  thick.  The  priest 
told  ine  that  there  had  once  been  a  palace  of  Aphrodite  here. 

I  left  Couclia  about  half  past  four,  and  travelling  in  a  X.W.  direction  crossed  a  river  by 
a  graceful  bridge  of  a  single  arch :  on  it  is  a  Turkish  inscription.  At  five  I  crossed  another 
river,  and  the  villages  of  Dinii,  Ascheia  and  Coloiii,  each  a  short  distance  from  the  other.  At 
last  at  a  quailer  to  seven  we  reached  Yeroschipos,  a  Greek  word  meaning  "  sacred  garden," 
the  name  which  the  place  has  borne  from  the  most  remote  ages.  It  is  p(jinted  out  as  the  site 
of  the  sacred  garden  of  Venus,  when  the  goddess  dwelt  at  Paphos. 

On  the  wide  rocky  platform  which  overhangs  the  sacred  garden  there  is  a  small  village 
towards  the  N.W.  called  also  Yeronchipvs;  inhabited  l}y  Turks  and  a  few  Greeks.  I  lodged 
in  the  house  of  one  of  the  latter  called  Andrea  Zimbolaci,  an  agent  of  the  Engli.sh  Consulate, 
whose  flag  was  flying  above  the  roof.  A  gentlemanly  and  courteous  person,  he  had  adopted 
entirely  the  costume  and  manners  of  an  Englishman.  His  eldest  daughter  was  a  worthy 
habitant  of  the  "sacred  garden  of  Aphrodite,"  she  is  the  most  perfectly  beautiful  pei-son 
I  have  seen  in  Cyprus.  Her  face,  though  not  very  white,  is  really  a  model  of  grace  and 
loveline.ss;  yet  I  found  in  her  the  defect  characteristic  of  all  the  Cypriot  women,  that  is  to 
say,  an  air  of  reserve  and  silliness,  and  a  Vjosom  all  unlike  to  that  of  the  fair  Europa,  described 
by  Metastasio  in  the  line  Quel  liiavco  petto,  rilevato  e  mobile...  her  figure,  in  short,  like  that 
of  the  rest,  was  too  loose;  perhaps  the  native  costume  does  not  give  it  sufficient  support. 
I  noticed  her  golden  hair,  and  remembered  that  in  Africa  the  women  u.se  a  dye  of  this  tint. 
I  asked  her  father  to  tell  me  frankly  if  his  daughter  used  the  same.  He  admitted  that  she 
did,  and  told  his  wife  to  show  me  a  dish  which  contained  a  kind  of  powder,  brought  from 
Alexandria,  used  by  all  Cypriot  women  for  this  purpose.  So  it  is  to  Africa  that  they 
are  indebted  for  this  part  of  their  beauty.  Since  we  are  in  the  isle  of  the  Graces,  no  one 
will,  I  think,  take  it  amiss  that  I  speak  of  the  fair  sex  whenever  I  have  an  opportunity. 
Zimbolaci's  daughter  was  married  unfortunately  to  the  captain  of  a  merchant  vessel,  whose 
appearances  (it  is  true  that  they  were  very  rare)  always  ensured  to  his  wife  a  volley  of  blows. 
The  unhappy  woman,  who  was  about  twenty  years  old,  passed  a  life  of  loneliness  and 
widowhood. 

I  noticed  in  the  house  a  .Musalnian  maidservant,  extremely  fair,  and  though  pretty,  with 
a  certain  rustic  air  which  made  her  exactly  like  a  girl  of  the  Swiss  mountains.  Of  course  it  is 
not  among  the  Moslem  that  we  must  seek  the  remains  or  the  type  of  the  old  Cypriot  beauty. 
Musalman  women  are  beautiful,  no  doubt,  but  one  remembers  that  the  Turks,  themselves  of 
Tartar  origin,  have  mingled  their  Vilood  wth  that  of  the  Georgian,  Circassian  and  Mingrelian 
inmates  of  their  harems.  It  is  among  the  Greeks  that  we  ought  to  seek  the  tyjje  of  the 
Venus  de'  Medici ;  but  how  find  it  when  they  never  allow  themselves  to  be  seen  ?  Possibly 
the  little  charm  there  is  about  other  (xreek  women  enhances  that  of  the  Cypriots.  Perhaps 
the  coquettish  and  dissolute  manners  then  prevailing  in  the  island  turned  the  heads  ^ii 
painters,  sculptors  and  poets  as  nnich  as  beauty  would  have  done.  I  confess  that,  putting 
aside  the  conventual  style  which  I  notice  about  all  modern  Greek  women,  the  result  perhaps 
of  the  depression  and  stupor  of  their  political  position,  their  round  and  expressionless  faces, 
their  loose  bosoms,  and  their  awkward  gait  do  not  give  one  a  favourable  idea  of  the  nmch 
vaunted  beauty  of  their  ancestors;  and  I  am  judging  by  women  considered  good-looking  in 
their  own  country,  and  who  really  were  so  in  my  eyes. 

The  next  day,  Friday,  April  2.5,  I  paid  my  \nsit  to  the  sacred  garden  of  Venus.  It  is  a 
plain,  a  mile  broad  and  stretching  about  two  miles  along  the  seashore,  to  which  it  falls  in  a 


406 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


gentle  slope.  Limestone  rock  in  horizontal  strata,  witli  a  perpendicular  fall,  encloses  it  on  the 
higher  side ;  you  could  fancy  the  garden  were  underground,  because  to  enter  it  from  any  side 
you  must  descend  through  a  ravine :  and  though  the  Avind  may  be  blowing  wildly  above,  as 
was  the  case  when  I  was  there,  the  garden  below  enjoys  entire  calm. 

From  different  points  in  the  slope  flows  good  clear  water,  and  one  can  see  that  formerly 
it  had  more  issues  still.  It  might  easily  be  distributed  over  the  inclined  plane  of  the  garden. 
The  rock  has  various  windings,  giving  diversity  to  the  scene  and  allowing  the  garden  to  be 
divided  into  several  parts,  each  of  which  might  have  its  grottos  or  rooms  cut  out  of  the  rocky 
border. 

The  principal  entrance  appeared  to  me  a  kind  of  ramp  or  stairway  cut  in  the  rock  at  the 
side  of  the  present  Anllage,  the  vault  of  which  has  fallen  in,  leaving  the  passage  open  overhead, 
and  strewn  -with  ruins.  This  confirms  me  in  the  opinion  that  the  sacred  garden  was  entered 
through  a  grotto  just  like  those  which  still  exist  beside  it.  Perhaps  the  neophyte  was  detained 
there  to  undergo  some  trial,  or  to  take  part  in  the  initiatory  mysteries. 

If  this  were  so,  when  he  was  restored  to  the  light  in  the  midst  of  the  garden  he  might 
well  believe  himself  transported  to  some  heavenly  region.  The  rock  here  is  certainly  mined 
in  many  places,  for  you  can  see  openings  or  slips,  and,  if  my  guess  be  right,  who  shall  describe 
the  gloomy  labyrinth  which  the  initiated  had  to  traverse  before  they  reached  the  garden  ? 
We  are  acquainted  with  the  terrible  rites  of  Isis  and  Osiris :  we  know  too  that  Pythagoras, 
when  he  wished  to  participate  in  the  mysteries  of  Diospolis,  was  obliged  to  submit  to  the 
cruel  operation  of  circumcision.  Was  this  too,  as  I  suspect,  a  condition  of  initiation  to  the 
mysteries  of  Aphrodite  ?  I  mean  the  primitive  rites,  long  before  those  which  were  in  use 
in  the  shrines  of  the  goddess. 

The  whole  garden  was  sown  with  grain  and  a  little  tobacco.  I  found  no  trees  except  in 
a  few  clefts  of  the  rock,  and  little  spontaneous  growth,  except  a  few  wretched  plants  which 
I  added  to  my  collection.  Thus  this  famous  garden,  a  charm  ere  while  for  the  people  of 
Greece  and  Asia,  is  now  only  the  home  and  field  of  a  poor  tenant. 

About  the  middle  of  the  garden  are  the  remains  of  a  Greek  church  called  Aia  Marina ; 
I  noticed  the  capital  of  a  fluted  column,  of  gray  marble,  very  simple  and  graceful.  Just 
below  the  village  of  Yeroschipos,  in  the  garden,  is  the  chief  spiing.  This  too  issues  from 
the  slope  of  the  rock,  and  gives  excellent  water,  like  all  the  springs  in  the  garden,  in  great 
abundance. 

The  same  day,  at  half  past  nine,  I  left  the  village  travelling  W.N.W.,  and  leaving  on 
the  left  the  port  of  Paphos  or  Baffa,  at  half  past  ten  we  reached  Ktima,  the  residence  of  the 
Tarkish  Governor  of  Paphos,  and  of  the  Greek  bishop  of  that  see.  This  post,  the  second  of 
the  Turkish  dignities  in  the  island,  had  been  held  for  a  great  number  of  years  by  Alai'  Bey, 
an  old  man  of  most  polite  manners,  who  had  earned  the  respect  of  both  Turks  and  Greeks. 
I  was  to  lodge  with  him :  he  received  me  with  ceremony,  for  I  was  conducted  on  horseback 
to  the  door  of  his  room,  and  a  great  repast  was  served  immediately.  After  our  meal  I  went 
to  the  house  which  had  been  prepared  for  me,  made  my  ablution  and  then  went  to  the 
mosque.    It  is  a  small  but  neat  building,  formerly  the  Greek  church  of  S.  Sophia. 

The  town  of  Ktima  once  of  some  size  is  now  a  labyrinth  of  ruins ;  with  the  appearance 
of  a  city  of  twenty  or  thirty  thousand  inhabitants  it  contains  only  two  hundred  Turkish  and 
twenty  Greek  families.  The  bishop's  palace,  with  its  outbuildings,  is  in  a  separate  quarter, 
but  the  bishop  (who  was  away)  seems  to  have  fixed  his  residence  in  a  town  in  the  interior, 
said  to  be  large  and  peopled  by  Greeks  only. 

I  got  good  observations,  and  fixed  the  latitude  of  Ktima  at  34°  48'  4"  N.    An  occultation 


A  LI  HKY. 


407 


of  Jupiter's  second  satellite  gave  the  longitude  2  li.  0.  9  E.  of  the  Observatory  (jf  Paris : 
and  a  lunar  distance  gave  1  h.  .59.  40.  Hence  the  moan  longitude  is  1  h.  59.  54  in  time,  or 
21°  58'  30"  in  degrees  E.  of  Paris. 

The  port  of  Baffa  is  half  a  league  to  the  S.  of  Ktima,  and  therefore  in  latitude 
34°  46'  34"  N.,  while  its  hmgitude  is  the  same  as  that  of  Ktima  29'  58'  30"  E. 

The  next  morning,  Satui-day,  Api-il  26,  I  received  a  visit  from  the  venerable  Alai  Bey, 
and  left  for  old  Paphos,  which  lies  on  the  seashore  about  a  mile  away.  As  I  approached  the 
town  I  saw  at  first  nothing  but  a  few  scattered  rocks  standing  alone  in  the  plain.  My 
surprise  was  great  when  I  came  up  to  them  and  examined  them  and  found  that  each  rock  was 
dressed  on  the  inner  side  with  great  neatness,  and  they  formed  regular  houses!  and  how  was 
it  not  increased  when  I  found  underground  the  semblance  of  a  town  dug  out  of  the  rock ! 
The  roofs  of  these  subterranean  houses  are  vaulted  and  low;  some  have  no  arch  at  all.  The 
walls  are  perpendicular,  and  carefully  smoothed,  and  the  angles  neatly  squared.  Some  of 
these  buildings  give  the  idea  of  a  palace,  with  courts,  galleries,  columns,  pilasters,  and  all 
possible  luxury  of  architectural  onuiinent,  all  hollowed  and  carved  out  of  the  live  rock,  with 
mcnildings  exquisitely  finished,  and  a  polish  still  perfectly  preserved.  One  cannot  look  at  the 
work  without  admiring  the  authors  of  so  vast  a  plan,  which  dates,  I  think,  long  before  the 
books  and  coins  of  the  highest  antiquity.  The  rock  is  a  sandy  limestone,  of  a  yellowish  white 
colour  and  fine  grain:  the  strata  slope  slightly  from  the  horizontal.  In  one  of  the  buildings 
I  noticed  some  broken  columns,  whose  capitals  remain  attached  to  the  architrave,  because 
they  are  of  one  block  with  the  cornice — a  very  unusual  feature. 

One  might  indeed  take  these  buildings  to  be  catacombs,  on  account  of  their  position,  and 
the  many  narrow  niches  which  seem  to  have  been  designed  to  receive  coffins;  the  lack, 
however,  of  these  niches  in  many  of  the  rooms,  and  the  communication  existing  in  othei-s 
between  one  niche  and  the  next,  as  well  as  the  style  of  the  ornament  used  in  them,  make  me 
think  that  they  were  designed  for  human  habitation. 

The  vast  extent  covered  by  the  ruins  leads  one  to  believe  that  many  interesting  objects 
might  be  found  in  them,  if  anyone  undertook  a  well-plainied  and  continuous  scheme  of 
excavation,  such  as  those  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  whose  antiquity  is  notliing  in 
comparison  with  that  of  old  Paphos. 

The  tradition  which  marks  this  place  and  Yt'roKchipus  as  the  abode  of  Venus  i^^  too  well 
supported  to  be  called  into  question  now,  while  the  vast  grottos  still  visible  quite  agree  with 
the  current  ideas  on  the  mysterious  initiations  to  the  worship  of  that  goddess.  But  that  the 
goddess  of  Paphos  is  one  with  the  goddess  of  Idalium  aiul  Cythera,  and  therefore  with  the 
queen  of  the  palace  whose  ruins  crown  the  highest  peak  of  the  mountains  north  of  Nicosia — 
this  I  do  not  believe :  for  the  architecture  of  the  palace  is  of  a  style  far  later  than  that  of  the 
remains  at  Paphos. 

Admitting  this,  we  can  establish  with  fair  probability  that  (Cyprus  had  two  Queens 
Aphrodite  or  two  Venuses,  of  whom  the  first  reigned  at  Paphos,  Yeronchipus  and  Couclia: 
and  the  second,  in  less  remote  times,  lived  in  the  palace  on  the  mountains  near  Nicosia,  and 
gave  her  laws  to  Cythera  and  Idalium.  Poets  confounded  these  two  pi-v-historic  personages, 
and  made  of  tliem  one  goddess  or  sovereign  of  Cythera,  Idalium  and  Paphos.  In  each  of 
these  cities  temples  were  dedicated  to  her,  as  to  a  single  being.  This  at  least  is  the  result  of 
my  observations.  I  leave  it  to  the  wisdom  of  my  readers,  who,  although  they  may  not  agree 
with  Tne,  will,  I  hope,  be  able  to  say  sc  nou  c  vero,  r  ben  trovaio;  for  I  love  truth,  and  am 
always  ready  to  sacrifice  to  her  any  system  which  does  not  rest  upon  mathematical 
demonstration  or  incontestable  fact.  Unfortunately,  when  we  deal  with  things  so  remote 
one  is  somehow  compelled  to  be  content  with  probabilities  or  condemne<l  to  silence. 


40H 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


It  is  worthy  of  note  tliat  old  Paphos,  situated  as  it  is  on  the  seashore,  is  a  monument 
of  the  stationary  condition  of  the  Mediterranean,  which  has  not  in  the  course  of  so  many 
centuries  retreated  one  single  inch  from  its  general  level.  The  rocks  out  of  which  old 
Paphos  is  hewn  were,  of  course,  formed  by  the  sea ;  but  that  was  at  an  epoch  much  anterior 
to  our  globe's  last  cataclysm. 

I  observed  the  passage  of  the  sun  from  the  middle  of  these  ruins,  and  found  the  latitude 
34°  48'  4"  N.,  and  as  they  lie  due  W.  of  Ktima  the  position  of  that  town,  and  of  the  port  of 
Baffa  is  confirmed. 

In  the  afternoon  I  left  the  ruins  to  go  to  new  Paphos,  a  seaport  half  a  league  away,  called 
by  the  Turks  and  the  charts  Baffa.  A  considerable  town  must  have  existed  here,  for  one  still 
finds  heaps  of  columns,  arches  and  other  ruins.  Now  there  are  but  few  habitable  houses  and 
some  gardens.  The  port  is  small  and  blocked  with  sand,  so  that  only  the  smallest  boats  can 
enter.  On  a  rocky  point  to  the  S.W.  is  a  fort,  built  by  the  Turks  and  furnished  with  cannon. 
The  moment  we  were  seen  the  flag  was  hoisted.  The  venerable  Alai  Bey  had  given  orders 
that  I  was  to  be  saluted  with  three  guns  on  my  entry  into  the  fort,  but  it  was  late,  and 
I  went  on  my  way  without  halting  there.  On  the  seashore  opposite  the  harbour,  on  a  little 
rocky  eminence,  there  are  some  excavations  like  chambers,  of  which  the  entrance  is  blocked 
up.  Above  the  hill  the  remains  of  many  columns  attest  the  presence  in  old  times  of  some 
magnificent  edifice.  They  are  of  dai'k  gray  marble  and  well  polished.  The  natives  say  it 
was  a  palace  of  Aphrodite.  Possibly  the  caves  below  are  of  the  same  epoch,  but  I  think  that 
the  building,  whose  form  one  cannot  determine,  was  a  temple  dedicated  to  her  name  or 
worship,  and  built  long  after. 

I  had  a  hasty  look  at  the  labyrinthine  ruins  of  new  Paphos,  and  returned  the  same 
evening  to  Yeroschipos. 

The  next  morning,  April  27,  I  looked  at  some  other  catacombs  or  underground  houses,  at 
a  little  distance  from  Yeroschipob;  and  left  for  Couclia,  passing  by  Coloni,  Ascheia  and  Dimi. 
In  the  second  of  these  villages  are  the  remains  and  a  few  entire  arches  of  an  old  aqueduct, 
which  supplied  the  sugar-works  of  the  district. 

The  principal  tenant  of  Gouclia  expected  us,  and  had  prepared  a  great  dinner.  He 
complained  that  the  Sultana,  the  owner  of  the  farm,  would  spend  nothing  in  repairs.  Every 
day  the  place  grew  more  ruinous.  He  pays  twenty  purses  (ten  thousand  piastres)  a  year. 
Very  few  trees  still  remain,  but  one  can  guess  from  the  water  courses  that  there  were  formerly 
large  gardens,  as  well  as  palaces  and  buildings  of  vast  extent. 

One  very  remarkable  relic  is  seen  amid  the  ruins  of  Coiodia — masses  of  wall  composed  of 
two  courses  of  huge  stones,  forming  a  base,  and  lying  flat  one  upon  the  other :  above  these  is 
another  course  of  stones  set  on  edge  one  beside  the  other,  and  forming  by  themselves  the 
height  and  thickness  of  the  wall.  This  colossal  work  looks  as  if  it  had  been  raised  by  the 
hands  of  giants.  I  could  hardly  trust  my  eyes,  and  tried  at  first  to  persuade  myself  that  this 
mass  was  only  petrified  concrete.  Its  blackish  hue  and  some  signs  of  disintegration  might 
help  the  illusion,  but  one  cannot  really  be  deceived.  They  are  stones,  and  stones  of  such 
huge  bulk  that  one  may  get  tired  of  wondering  at  the  labour  that  must  have  been  expended 
in  transporting  and  setting  them  up.  Is  this  a  fragment  of  Cyclopean  work  ?  Men  say  that 
these  ruins  and  the  mosaic  of  which  I  spoke  just  now  belonged  to  a  palace  of  Aphrodite.  I 
admire  the  architects,  and  while  contemplating  the  remains  of  this  stupendous  building, 
ascribed  to  a  woman,  I  cannot  help  thinking  of  Catherine  II.  directing  the  transport  of  the 
base  of  the  statue  of  [Peter  I.,  the  grandfather  of  Peter  ZZJ.]  her  husband. 

Close  to  these  colossal  ruins  there  are  others,  which  appear  to  belong  to  mediaeval  times,, 
inscriptions,  bas-reliefs  and  some  fresco-paintings  well  coloured.    The  wife  of  the  farmer  of 


ALI  BEY. 


409' 


Couclia  is  vexy  good-looking,  though  too  stout.  Her  two  servants  are  equally  pretty,  but  all 
three  have  the  i*ound  Greek  figure.  At  Paphos,  Ktima  and  throughout  the  district  the 
women  are  said  to  be  beautiful. 

On  the  28th,  after  a  storm  which  lasted  until  mid-day,  I  left  for  Limassol  by  the  road 
I  had  followed  thence.  I  slept  at  Lataidakio  where  the  kindly  Turkish  mountaineers  were 
waiting  for  me  with  a  delicious  supper  of  cheese,  cream  and  the  like.  The  next  day  I  reached 
Limassol. 

A  few  days  later  I  went  to  see  the  ruins  of  Amathus,  a  league  west  of  Limassol. 

Amathus  was  once  an  immense  city,  built  on  several  hills  close  to  the  sea :  it  must  have 
been  of  some  strength  too,  judging  by  the  heaps  of  ruin.  But  everything  is  broken  up,  and 
one  finds  little  of  any  value.  I  noticed  the  remains  of  a  temple  of  irregular  architecture, 
built  evidently  at  an  epoch  when  art  was  already  degenerate.  On  some  arches  one  sees  some 
Christian  paintings  of  good  colouring,  but  wretched  drawing.  At  the  top  of  a  hill  are  the 
fragments  of  a  column,  and  at  a  little  distance  another  singular  monument — two  vases  carved 
or  formed  out  of  the  rock,  still  upright  and  of  colossal  size.  One  is  nearly  destroyed,  the 
other  fairly  well  preserved.  These  two  vases,  of  giant  dimensions,  and  placed  one  beside  the 
other,  ought  to  be  destined  to  one  purpose.  Tradition  about  them  is  obscure  enough,  but 
their  situation  on  the  top  of  a  hill  near  the  column,  and  the  figure  of  a  bull  in  relief,  carved 
most  delicately  on  the  four  sides  of  each,  answering  to  the  four  cardinal  points,  lead  me  to 
presume  that  they  were  intended  for  libations  or  sacrifices  to  Adonis. 

There  are  many  tombs  hollowed  out  of  the  rock,  and  a  large  number  of  inscriptions 
graven  on  large  boulders.  There  are  catacombs  too,  or  sepulchral  grottos  to  the  west  outside 
the  circuit  of  the  walls  of  Amathus.  Their  entrance  is  blcjcked  up,  but  one  can  just  get  in 
through  a  hole,  creeping  on  one's  belly  for  some  fathoms,  and  lighted  only  by  the  torches 
one  carries  with  one.  A  passage,  a  central  and  three  other  sepulchral  chambers  make  up 
these  catacombs.  Thousands  of  bats,  scared  by  the  light  of  the  torches,  flittered  round  us, 
and  struck  our  faces  with  their  wings.  I  was  reminded  of  the  famous  adventure  of  Don 
Qui.\ote  in  the  Grotto  of  Montesinos,  and  my  fancy  smiled  for  a  moment  in  this  melancholy 
den.  But  the  thick  darkness  which  enc()mi)assed  us  in  spite  of  our  torches,  tlie  damp  wliich 
reeked  on  every  side,  the  sepulchral  niches  hollowed  out  f)f  the  rock  which  gaped  around  us, 
the  loathsome  sight  of  the  bats  and  their  droppings  which  covered  the  ground  for  the  depth 
of  a  foot  and  more,  the  silence  of  mj'  guide,  the  only  person  who  had  entered  with  me,  soon 
made  me  remember  that  I  was  in  the  home  of  the  dead.  As  soon  as  I  had  finished  my  sketch 
I  dragged  myself  out  again,  hurrying  to  enjoy  the  light  of  day.  Such  are  the  relics  worthy 
of  notice  at  Amathus.  There  are  some  blocks  forming  part  of  the  city  wall,  but  they  are 
much  dilapidated.  The  houses  were  constructed  with  rounded  pebbles  collected  from  the 
seashore.  These  were  too  hard  and  too  smooth  to  adhere  to  the  mortar,  made  perhaps  of  bad 
lime,  so  they  have  fallen  out :  the  mortar  has  disappeared,  and  you  can  only  make  out  the 
site  of  each  house  by  the  great  piles  of  round  clean  pebbles. 

The  river  Amathus  flows  at  some  little  distance  on  the  west  of  the  city.  I  fancy  it  once 
ran  through  it,  between  the  hills  which  were  then  within  the  circuit  of  the  walls.  The  sea 
comes  I'ight  up  to  the  walls.  A  little  village,  which  still  bears  the  same  name,  lies  half  a 
mile  away  inland.  A  Turk  and  a  (ireek  of  this  place  were  mj'  guides  over  the  ruins  of  the 
city. 

An  examination  of  the  antiquities  of  the  island  of  Cyprus  confirms  me  in  the  notion  that 
at  epochs  very  remote  the  one  from  the  other  there  existed  two  sovereigns  called  Aphrodite 
or  Venus.  First,  the  primitive,  prfe-historic  Venus,  sovereign  of  the  catacombs  or  underground 

c.  52 


410 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


palace  of  old  Paplios,  of  Yeroschipos  and  Couclia :  then  the  Venus  of  Idalium  and  Cythera, 
mistress  of  the  Palace  of  the  Queen  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  of  S.  John  Chrysostom  or 
Buffavento,  who  flourished  in  a  much  later  age.  The  poets  who  were  contemporary  with  the 
second  Venus,  to  flatter  her  vanity,  made  no  difference  between  the  two,  and  later  writers, 
misled  by  their  works,  ended  by  confounding  the  copy  with  the  original  type :  careless  of  the 
anachronism  they  gave  to  the  same  Venus  the  attributes  of  her  of  Paphos,  and  her  of  Idalium 
and  Cythera.  The  superstition,  license,  interest  of  Cypriots  consecrated  temples  and 
celebrated  the  apotheosis  of  this  woman  in  the  spots  where  tradition  or  the  poets,  the  only 
historians  of  their  day,  had  fixed  the  abode  of  the  goddess.  The  port  of  Paphos  or  Baffa,  on 
the  west  of  the  island,  facing  Greece  and  the  Archipelago,  and  exactly  between  old  Paphos 
and  Yeroschipos,  seems  to  have  been  the  landing  place  of  the  Greek  pilgrims.  The  offerings 
devoted  to  the  construction  of  the  magnificent  temple  whose  fine  columns  still  are  seen  in 
pieces  on  the  little  hill  of  new  Paphos  or  Baffa,  opposite  the  port,  would  have  helped  to  make 
this  city  a  centre  of  wealth  and  luxury,  as  is  proved  by  the  huge  masses  of  ruins. 

I  do  not  remember  ever  having  read  a  description  of  Cyprus.  I  do  not  know  even  what 
other  travellers  have  thought  about  it.  But  whatever  may  be  their  opinion,  mine  is  that  the 
Venus  of  Paphos  is  not  the  same  as  the  Venus  of  Cythera  and  Idalium. 

If  the  island  were  under  a  govei-nment  which  encouraged  and  befriended  the  arts,  it  is 
probable  that  well  directed  excavations  would  bring  to  light  objects  as  interesting  as  those 
•discovered  at  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii. 

Cyprus  generally  lacks  water:  the  mountains  near  Paphos  and  Episcopi  supply  it 
abundantly,  but  in  the  rest  of  the  island  there  are  only  a  few  streams  and  torrents  which  have 
little  or  no  water  in  summer.  With  a  little  effort  I  think  that  enough  water  for  the  needs  of 
the  island  might  be  drawn  from  among  the  mountains  of  Paphos :  and  judging  by  the 
remains  of  aqueducts  which  are  found  everywhere,  even  in  the  driest  parts,  I  suspect  that  in 
ancient  times  there  existed  a  general  system  of  irrigation.  One  can  see  too  that  there  must 
have  been  good  roads  and  paths.  But  few  traces  of  such  remain,  and  the  present  roads  are 
in  the  worst  possible  condition. 

The  island  is  the  prey  of  two  terrible  scourges.  One  is  the  multitude  of  vipers,  or 
serpents  about  two  or  three  feet  long,  whose  bite  is  said  to  be  mortal.  What  proves  that  it  is 
not  always  so  is  the  boast  of  certain  quacks  that  they  can  cure  it  with  prayers,  amulets  and 
superstitious  rites,  to  which  a  few  successes  give  some  measure  of  credit.  The  number  of 
these  reptiles  obliges  the  natives  of  all  ages  and  classes,  even  the  poorest,  to  wear  boots 
always.    I  saw  several  of  these  snakes,  they  move  very  slowly. 

Another  plague  is  the  locusts,  which  increase  year  by  year  in  a  fearful  manner,  yet  no 
one  makes  the  slightest  effort  to  destroy  them — an  extremely  easy  matter.  I  sent  a  memo- 
randum on  this  subject  to  the  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  which  he  acknowledged  in  a  most 
flattering  letter. 

Were  the  population  to  increase  to  that  degree  which  I  think  the  island  could  bear :  if 
a  liberal  constitution  were  to  assure  liberty  and  private  property,  and  effaced  as  far  as 
possible  the  rivalry  of  creeds,  the  island  might  become  one  of  the  most  fortunate  spots  of  the 
earth.  Its  temperate  climate,  its  excellent  water,  whose  volume  might  be  easily  increased  by 
a  few  works,  and  by  planting  trees  to  attract  rain:  the  fertility  of  most  of  the  soil,  the  returns 
of  cotton,  wine  and  grain,  which  would  increase  with  the  population,  the  liberty  and  security 
of  the  inhabitants :  the  manufactories  of  sugar  and  tobacco,  which  might  be  re-established : 
the  wood  of  forest  trees,  which  could  easily  be  increased  on  the  higher  hills :  the  working  of 
the  many  mines  of  copper,  and  perhaps  of  metals  richer  still,  which  exist  in  the  island :  the 


ALI  BKY. 


411 


desire  of  the  natives  for  a  new  order  of  things  wliicli  would  encourage  the  development 
of  national  industries — everything,  yes,  absolutely  everything  combines  to  make  Cyprus  a 
most  interesting  country. 

As  to  its  topography — one  may  picture  the  island  as  the  segment  of  a  circle  of  which  the 
chord  or  length  is  sixty  leagues,  and  the  Vireadth  eighteen  and  a  half.  The  surface  is  divided 
into  three  great  parts :  first,  the  mountain-chain  of  Paphos  or  Olympus,  of  which  the  highest 
points  are  alwaj^s  covered  with  snow ;  this  chain  of  primary  formation  composes  the  southern 
section  of  the  island,  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Paphos,  where  are  the  highest  peaks,  almost 
to  Larnaca.  Secondly,  the  great  plain  of  Nicosia,  which  stretches  right  across  the  middle  of 
the  island  from  east  to  west.  Thirdly,  the  chain  of  volcanic  mountains  on  the  north,  which 
extend  from  Chirigna  to  Cape  Saint-Andre. 

My  observations,  made  with  success  at  different  times  at  Limassol,  gave  the  latitude  of 
that  town  34°  42'  14"  N. :  and  longitude  30°  36'  30"  E.  of  Paris.  Magnetic  declination 
11°  26'  14"  W. 

I  wished  to  continue  my  pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  and  availed  myself  of  the  first  opportunity 
to  cross  to  Alexandria.  I  found  a  small  Greek  brigantine,  and  hired  the  cabin  for  myself 
and  places  for  my  servants.  The  remembrance  of  the  storms  I  had  already  experienced  was 
ever  present  with  me,  and  I  was  not  particularly  pleased  to  cross  to  Egypt  in  so  small  a 
vessel,  but  I  decided  at  last,  and  embarked  on  the  evening  of  May  7.  A  strong  gale  from  the 
west  obliged  me  to  land  again  the  next  morning,  and  I  stayed  another  two  days  at  Limassol. 
I  re-embarked  in  the  night  of  May  9 — 10,  and  a  few  houi-s  later  we  set  sail  with  a  favourable 
wind  which  lasted  until  the  niglit  of  the  11th,  when  we  had  the  wind  ahead.  It  soon  shifted, 
and  we  continued  our  course  on  the  morning  of  Maj'  12,  1S06. 


To  Ali  Bey — most  wise  and  illustrious  Sir, 

We  received  with  great  joy  your  illustrious  letter,  written  fn.in  Limassol,  We  rejoice  to 
hear  that  your  health  is  such  as  wi'  would  tlesirc:  may  fiod  preserve  it  to  you  through  a  long 
life,  confirm  you  in  prosperity,  and  grant  all  your  lawful  desires. 

We  perused  in  its  turn  the  memorandum  you  enclosed  as  to  the  way  to  destroy  the 
locust,  that  destructive  scourge  of  our  island.  We  admired  the  wonderful  elaboration  of  this, 
as  we  admire  all  you  do,  and  the  zeal  too  which  you  show  in  working  for  our  unhappy 
country,  though  we  have  done  nothing  in  return  worthy  of  your  admirable  person,  nor  have 
even  shown  the  devotion  which  was  due  to  you.  We  felicitate  indeed  those  who  begot  so 
wise  a  man,  we  deem  them  happy,  and  we  congratulate  those  who  will  enjoy  the  company  of 
a  hero  in  all  respects  like  our  Greek  forefathers.  So  much  at  present.  May  heaven  grant 
you  the  years  of  Methusalah. 

Ijeucosia,  iMOt),  May  13, 

of  your  illustrious  person 
the  devoted  friend 
Chrysantlios  (Archbishop)  of  Cyprus. 

Soc^ajTOTf  Kai  iKXa/xirpoTaTt  Kvpi€   AXi  MTre't. 

'EXafiofifv  TTtptxapoJs  TO  tKXafiirpoi'  av-nj<;  ypdfifjia,  y€y pa fi/if vol'  diro  A€/xe<rov,  i$  ov  rijv  i<t>€Ti]V  i]fJ.iv 
iyuiav  tt;?  V7r€p€xdpy]ix(v,  ddf  to  Otiov  vd  rrji  X"P'^T/  p^aKpojiiov,  pi  dyaOyv  (TTtpiuxTiv,  (cai  ruiv  oawv 
(tftUraL  a-diTrjpioii'  KaTaOvixlmv.     EtSo/xti'  €7ro/x<io)?  Kai  ri]v  iixirtpuxofxiinqv  KaTaypa<i>iiv  jrtpi  Tov  7ro»s  8«i 


412 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


d(f>avicrai  rrjv  aKpiSa,  rrjv  <f>6opoTroibv  TrXrjyrjv  rrj^  vrjaov  /xa?.  Tavr-qv  Trpos  tois  dWois  crov  e^av/xaaa/iev 
V7rep<f>vij)?  <^i\oTr ovqOtio'av,  in  Be  Koi  tov  ^ijXov  ottov  cXa^ere,  trvfiTrovovfifvoi  avTrjv  rrjv  BvcTTv^rj  /xas 
TrarpiBa,  KaLroi  ■qp.ei';  ovBkv  dvrd^iov  Trotrjaavres  tov  d^iayacrrov  vTroKfifjLevov  ttjs,  ovBk  d(f>ocn(j)(Tdp.evot  ocrov 
w(f)eLXafi€v.  'EfiUKapicrafxev  dXr]6w<;  tous  yewTjaavra^  eva  rotovrov  crot^ov  dvBpa,  ciSat/xovtVajntv  tovs 
ytvvrj(Tavra%,  crvy^aipofLtv  8c  tois  fiiWovcriv  dTToXavcrai  iva  rjpo)a  Kara  iravra  ofioiov  tois  Trpoydvois  -qp-uiv 
"EXXtjo-iv.     Tavra  iv  tovtu)-  to.  Bi  iry]  tt/s  eirjcrav  6e66(v  /laOovcrdXia. 

'Ek  t^s  AevKocrcas,  1806,  Maiov  13, 
T17S  'EKXa/aTrpoTT^Tos  ttjs, 

<I>tXos  npoOvfjLoraTos 

'O  KYnPOY  XPY2AN0O2. 


KINNEIR. 

John  Macdonald  Kinneir,  "  Captain  in  the  service  of  the  Honourable  East  India  Company :  Town 
Major  of  Fort  St  George,  and  Pohtical  Agent  at  the  Durbar  of  His  Highness  the  Nabob  of  the  Carnatic," 
pubhshed  in  London  in  1818  his  Journey  through  Asia  Minor,  Armenia  and  Koordintan.  He  visited 
Cyprus  between  January  2  and  24,  1814,  having  travelled  from  Constantinople  through  Eastern  Asia 
Minor,  and  returned  through  Western  Asia  Minor  to  Constantinople,  and  thence  to  Mosul  and  Baghdad. 

Our  transcript  is  from  pp.  176 — 196.  A  note  on  p.  185  is  interesting  in  itself,  and  may  be  compared 
with  the  playful  prophecy,  written  in  1847,  to  be  found  in  Tancred,  by  B.  Disraeli,  M.P.,  Book  iv.  Ch.  i. 
"  The  Enghsh  want  Cj^rus,  and  they  will  take  it."    It  runs  thus : — 

"  The  possession  of  Cyprus  would  give  to  England  a  preponderating  influence  in  the  Mediterranean, 
and  place  at  her  disposal  the  future  destinies  of  the  Levant.  Egypt  and  Syria  would  soon  become  her 
tributaries,  and  she  would  acquire  an  overawing  position  in  respect  to  Asia  Minor,  by  which  the  Porte 
might  at  all  times  be  kept  in  check,  and  the  encroachments  of  Russia,  in  this  cjuarter,  retarded,  if  not 
prevented.  It  would  increase  her  commerce  in  a  very  considerable  degree ;  give  her  the  distribution  of 
the  rich  wines,  silks  and  other  produce  of  that  fine  island ;  the  rice  and  sugar  of  Egypt,  and  the  cotton, 
opium  and  tobacco  of  Anatolia.  It  is  of  easy  defence ;  and  under  a  liberal  government  would,  in  a  very 
short  space  of  time,  amply  repay  the  charge  of  its  own  establishment,  and  afford  the  most  abundant 
supplies  to  our  fleets  at  a  trifling  expense." 

At  Latakia  I  hired  a  boat  to  carry  us  to  Famagusta,  in  the  island  of  Cyprus,  where. we 
landed  on  the  second  of  January,  1814,  after  a  voyage  of  fifteen  hours.  The  entrance  into  the 
harbour  is  not,  I  should  suppose,  more  than  eighty  or  a  hundred  yards  wide,  defended  on  one 
side  by  a  bastion  of  the  works,  and  on  the  other  by  a  ruined  tower.  This  port  could  once 
admit  vessels  of  a  considerable  draft  of  water ;  but  since  the  conquest  of  the  Turks,  sand  and 
rubbish  have  been  suffered  to  accumulate  in  such  a  degree,  that  none  but  small  vessels  can 
now  enter  it  with  safety.  I  had  scarcely  put  my  foot  upon  the  shore,  before  I  was  beset 
by  a  tribe  of  Custom-house  officers  and  other  vagabonds,  imperiously  demanding  buckshish ; 
but,  without  attending  to  their  clamours,  I  entered  the  sea-gate,  and  walked  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  through  deserted  streets  and  decayed  churches,  to  a  small  coffee-house  in  the 
inhabited  part  of  the  town.  Famagusta,  which  is  said  to  have  derived  its  name  from  Cape 
Ammochostos,  is  situated  above  five  miles  to  the  S.  of  the  ancient  Salamis,  now  called  Eski 
Famagusta,  and  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  a  colony  from  Constantia,  fortified  by  Guy 
of  Lusignan,  and  afterwards  embellished  by  the  Venetians.  It  stood  a  long  and  memorable 
siege  against  Sultan  Selim,  and  appears  to  have  been  a  fortress  of  considerable  strength ;  its 


ALI  BEY.  KIXXKIR. 


413 


works,  which  are  now  dismantled,  cover  a  circumference  of  about  two  miles,  and  consist  of 
a  rampart  and  bastions,  defended  on  the  land  side  by  a  broad  ditch  hewn  out  of  the  rock.  In 
the  centre  of  the  town,  which  is  inha])ited  by  a  few  Turkish  families,  and  which,  for  the 
number  of  its  decayed  churches,  might  be  compared  to  old  Goa,  although  not  on  so  superb 
a  scale,  stand  the  remains  of  the  Venetian  palace  near  the  cathedral  of  St  Sophia,  a  respect- 
able Gothic  pile,  now  in  part  converted  into  a  mosque. 

As  I  could  not  procure  a  lodging  within  the  walls  I  hired  a  snuill  room  in  a  (xreek  village, 
about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  off,  and  in  the  morning  went  to  look  at  the  ruins  of  Salamis,  or 
rather  of  Constantia ;  for  the  former  was  entirely  overwhelmed  by  an  inundation  of  the  sea. 
These  ruins  consist  of  the  foundation  of  the  ancient  walls,  about  three  or  tour  miles  in  circuit; 
old  cisterns  for  collecting  rain  water,  broken  colunuis  and  foundations  of  buildings,  which  lie 
scattered  along  the  seashore  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Pedaea,  the  ancient  Pedaeus.  The 
country  around  Famagusta  and  the  ruins  of  Constantia  is  sandy,  bleak  and  rocky,  for 
the  most  part  uncultivated  and  overspread  with  a  small  weed  resembling  the  camel's  thorn  on 
the  deserts  of  Arabia. 

January  4th.  I  hired  one  horse,  four  mules  and  a  jackass  to  carry  myself  and  attendants 
to  Larnica;  but  it  had  rained  with  such  violence  the  preceding  day  and  night,  that  I  would  not 
have  quitted  Famagusta  had  I  not  found  myself  most  uncomfortably  situated  in  a  miserable 
hut,  scarcely  waterproof,  and  filled  with  fleas,  l)ugs  and  vermin  of  every  kind.  The  morning 
was  fine  and  we  mounted  about  eleven  o'clock,  but  we  had  not  gone  a  couple  of  miles  before 
the  rain  again  fell  in  torrents.  It  blew  a  furious  gale  from  the  west ;  the  roads  were  so  deep 
and  slippery  that  the  cattle  were  stumbling  at  every  step ;  and  the  surrounding  country  was 
so  bare  and  desolate,  that  there  was  not  a  single  (jbject  on  which  the  ej'e  luiglit  repose  with 
pleasure.  I  saw  neither  villages  nor  trees,  nor  even  shrubs,  excepting  tlie  small  thorn  before 
mentioned,  which  covered  a  vast  and  dreary  fiat,  over  which  we  travelled  for  thirteen  miles  to 
the  village  of  Ormidia.  It  being  reported  to  me,  when  we  had  gone  al)out  half  way,  that  one 
of  my  servants,  who  was  mounted  on  a  jackass,  had  disappeared,  I  despatched  the  muleteer 
in  search  of  him,  but  he  was  nowhere  to  be  found,  and  did  not  again  join  us  until  the  next 
morning.  He  had  lost  his  way  on  the  heath,  and  as  his  poor  beast  was  too  jaded  to  proceed, 
he  had  been  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  passing  the  night  in  the  fields.  Thoroughly  drenched 
to  the  skin  I  took  shelter  in  a  Greek  house  in  the  valley  of  Ormidia,  and  as  it  was  now  nearly 
dark,  and  the  storm  continued  to  rage  with  increa.sed  violence,  I  resigned  all  thought  of 
reaching  Jjarnica  that  night.  In  the  house  where  I  halted,  several  Greek  mariners  were 
making  merry  round  a  large  fire  in  the  middle  of  the  hall,  and  on  our  entering  opened 
their  ring  to  afford  room  for  us  near  the  fire ;  but  as  this  apartment  was  the  only  accommoda- 
tion the  house  afforded  I  incjuired  whether  or  not  it  were  possible  to  hire  a  rot)Tn  in  some  other 
part  of  the  village,  which  consisted  of  a  number  of  scattered  huts  built  along  a  range  of 
heights  overlooking  a  bay  of  the  sea.  I  was  informed  that  there  was  at  some  distance,  close 
to  the  seashore,  an  old  house  belonging  to  the  Knglish  dragoman,  where  the  (ireek  believed 
I  might  be  accommodated,  as  it  was  only  inhabited  by  a  man  and  his  wife,  who  had  the  care 
of  it.  I  sent  for  this  man  who  said  I  was  welcome  to  pass  the  night  in  the  house,  and  that  he 
would  show  me  the  way.  It  was  excessively  dark,  but  after  following  him  for  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile,  through  pools  of  water  and  over  hedges  and  ditches,  we  entered  the  hall  of  a  large 
and  ruinous  building,  filled  with  broken  chairs  and  tables,  worm-eaten  couches,  and  shattered 
looking  glasses.  In  this  uncomfortable  place  I  settled  myself  for  the  night,  and  notwith- 
standing my  carpet,  as  well  as  my  clothes,  was  quite  wet,  lay  down  to  rest,  and  slept  soundly 
until  break  of  day. 


414 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


January  5.  In  the  morning  we  pursued  our  journey  along  the  shore,  and  through  a  flat 
and  marshy  country,  rendering  the  approach  to  Larnica  difficult  on  this  side.  I  saw  but  one 
village,  situated  close  to  a  range  of  low  hills,  running  from  W.  to  E.,  and  distant  about  four 
miles  from  the  sea.  I  remained  nine  days  at  Larnica,  at  the  house  of  M.  Vondesiano,  the 
British  Consul  in  Cyprus,  and  during  that  period  made  several  short  excursions  into  the 
neighbourhood,  although  there  was  but  little  to  attract  admiration  or  call  forth  remark. 

The  island  is  140  miles  in  length  and  63  in  breadth ;  at  the  widest  part  a  range  of  moun- 
tains intersects  it  from  E.  to  W.,  terminating  towards  the  E.  in  a  long  pi'omontory  called  Cape 
St  Andrew  (ancient  Denaretum)  and  rising  in  a  lofty  peak  called  St  Croix  (Mount  Olympus) 
bearing  nearly  N.W.  of  Larnica.  The  soil  is  naturally  fruitful,  and  although  a  very  small 
proportion  of  the  land  is  under  cultivation,  the  merchants  of  Larnica  annually  export  many 
cargoes  of  excellent  wheat  to  Spain  and  Portugal.  The  population  does  not  exceed  70,000 
souls,  and  is  said  to  be  daily  decreasing ;  half  of  this  number  are  Grreeks  under  their  Ai-cli- 
bishop,  and  the  remainder  Turks,  with  the  exception  of  the  Franks  at  Larnica.  The  e\'il 
consequences  of  the  Turkish  system  of  government  are  nowhere  more  apparent  than  in 
Cyprus,  where  the  Governor,  who  is  appointed  yearly  by  the  Capudan  Pasha,  the  ex-officio 
proprietor  of  the  island,  has  recourse  to  every  method  of  extortion ;  so  that  the  Turks  would 
labour  under  the  same  grievances  as  the  Christians,  were  not  the  latter,  in  addition  to  the 
demands  of  the  government,  compelled  to  contribute  towards  the  support  of  a  number  of 
lazy  and  avaricious  monks.  All  affairs  connected  with  the  Greeks  are  under  the  superintend- 
ence of  the  Archbishop  and  Dragoman  of  Cyprus  (an  officer  appointed  by  the  Porte)  who  ai'e 
accountable  to  the  Mutesellim  for  the  contributions,  miri,  &c.  The  most  fertile  as  well  as  the 
most  agreeable  parts  of  the  island  are  in  the  vicinities  of  Cerina  and  Baffo,  the  ancient 
Paphos,  where,  according  to  Tacitus,  Venus  rising  from  the  waves  was  wafted  to  the  shore. 
Here  we  find  forests  of  oak,  beech  and  pines,  groves  of  olives  and  plantations  of  mulberries. 
Cyprus  is  remarkable  for  the  fineness  of  its  fruits,  wine,  oil  and  silk ;  the  oranges  are  as 
delicious  as  those  of  Tripoli,  and  the  wine,  which  is  of  two  kinds,  red  and  white,  is  sent  down 
the  Levant,  where  it  is  manufactured  for  the  English  market.  The  silk  is  also  of  two  kinds, 
yellow  and  white,  but  the  former  is  preferred.  The  wheat  is  of  a  superior  quality,  and  rice 
might  be  cultivated  in  several  parts  of  the  island,  were  the  agriculturist  permitted  to  accumu- 
late a  sufficient  capital  to  enable  him  to  clear  and  prepare  the  land ;  but  the  Greek  peasantry, 
who  are  the  only  industrious  class,  have  been  so  much  oppressed  by  Turks,  monks  and 
bishops,  that  they  are  now  reduced  to  the  extremity  of  indigence,  and  avail  themselves  of 
every  opportunity  to  emigrate  from  the  island.  The  Governor  and  Archbishop  deal  more 
largely  in  corn  than  all  the  other  people  of  the  island  put  together;  they  frequently  seize 
upon  the  whole  yearly  produce,  at  their  own  valuation,  and  either  export  or  retail  it  at 
an  advanced  price ;  nay  it  happened  more  than  once  during  the  war  in  Spain,  that  the  whole 
of  the  corn  was  purchased  in  this  manner  by  the  merchants  of  Malta,  and  exported  without 
leaving  the  lower  orders  a  morsel  of  bread.  The  island  abounds  in  game,  such  as  partridges, 
quails,  woodcocks  and  snipes ;  there  are  no  wild  animals  excepting  foxes  and  hares,  but  many 
kinds  of  serpents,  and,  amongst  others,  that  of  the  asp,  which  is  said  to  have  caused  the  death 
of  the  renowned  Cleopatra.  All  sorts  of  domestic  fowls,  as  well  as  sheep  and  cattle,  are  bred 
in  Cyprus,  where  it  is  the  boast  of  the  natives,  that  the  produce  of  every  land  and  climate 
will  not  only  flourish  but  even  attain  the  highest  point  of  perfection. 

Larnica  is  situated  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Citium,  the  native  city  of  Zeno,  the 
philosopher,  and  at  the  head  of  a  bay,  constituting  the  best  roadstead  in  the  island.  It  is  the 
second  town  in  Cyprus,  the  emporium  of  its  commerce  and  the  residence  of  innumerable 


KIXNEIK. 


415 


consuls  from  the  different  European  powers,  who  parade  the  streets  with  as  much  self-import- 
ance as  if  they  were  ambassadors.    Larnica  consists  of  an  upper  and  a  lower  town,  both 
together  containing  a  populaticni  of  five  thousand  souls;  of  which  number  forty  families  are 
Franks,  and  the  remainder  (ireeks  and  Mahomedans.    The  houses  being  built  of  mud  are 
mean  in  the  extreme,  but  those  of  the  Franks  are  comfortable  within,  and  most  of  them  are 
adorned  by  a  lofty  flag-staff,  where,  on  Sundays  and  holidays,  they  hoist  the  colours  of  their 
respective  nations.    'J'he  upper  town  contains  the  convent  and  cathedral  of  St  Saviour,  the 
residence  of  the  l>ishop;  and  the  Marino  or  Port  the  chapel  of  St  Lazarus,  a  very  old 
structure,  without  beauty  or  magnificence,  but  consecrated  by  the  Greeks,  as  the  s\wt  to  which 
Lazarus  fled  for  refuge  from  the  rage  of  the  Jews.    A  stone  coffin  or  sarcophagus,  in  a  vault, 
is  said  to  have  once  contained  his  aslies  until  they  were  carried  oft"  by  the  French  to 
Marseilles.    At  a  short  distance  from  the  chapel  of  St  Lazarus  stands  the  castle,  an  edifice 
originally  erected  by  the  Princes  of  the  House  of  Lusignan,  but  now  crumbling  to  ruins.  The 
exports  are  wheat,  barley,  cotton,  silk,  wine  and  drugs  ;  the  imports  rice  and  sugar,  from 
Egypt,  and  cloth,  hardware  and  c(jlonial  produce  from  Malta  and  Smyrna.    This  traffic  is 
carried  on  by  Levantine  ships  under  English  colours;  there  is  no  harbour,  consequently  the 
ships  lie  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  shore,  but  the  anchorage  is  tolerably  good,  and 
accidents  seldom  happen.    The  prevailing  winds  blow  from  the  N.E.  and  S.W.;  the  latter 
being  in  general  accompanied  by  heavy  falls  of  rain.    An  adjacent  cape  is  still  denominate 
Chitti,  whilst  the  ruins  of  Citium  are  recognized  in  heaps  of  tumuli  and  hillocks  of  rubbish; 
from  which  bricks  <jf  a  superior  quality  and  medals  are  frequently  dug  up  by  the  natives. 
Between  the  upper  and  the  lower  town  is  an  elevated  spot,  on  which  a  building  appears 
to  have  been  erected,  and  immediately  at  tlie  foot  of  this  mount  is  the  ancient  basin  of 
the  Port,  the  mouth  of  which  is  now  bhjcked  up  with  .sand  and  gravel  ;  so  that  the  water 
becomes  stagnant  in  the  summer.    Traces  of  the  fcsse  as  well  as  of  the  aqueduct  may  be 
discovered  ;  for  Larnica  has  no  good  water  iti  itself,  and  is  still  supplied  from  a  distance  by 
an  aqueduct  constructed  by  a  Turkish  emir  about  half  a  century  ago.    The  military  force  of 
Cyprus  amounts  to  three  hundred  men  immediately  about  the  person  of  the  Grovernor,  and 
four  thousand  janissaries,  without  courage,  arms  or  discipline,  dispersed  over  the  different 
parts  of  the  island. 

I  bade  adieu  to  Larnica,  and  its  motley  inhabitants  without  a  sigh  (jf  regret,  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  14th  of  January  set  out  for  the  capital.  For  the  fii*st  three  miles  I  travelled 
through  a  dreary  and  uncultivated  plain,  having  the  bay  on  my  right  hand,  and  the  mountain 
of  St  Croix,  with  the  ridge  of  Olympus,  to  the  N.W. ;  cros.sing  at  the  fourth  mile  a  streamlet, 
I  entered  a  range  of  low  rocky  hills,  and  at  the  ninth  mile  saw  the  lofty  chain  which  bounds 
the  plain  of  Nicosia,  on  the  N.  This  range  branches  from  Olympus,  fii-st  towards  the  N.,  and 
then,  turning  towards  the  E.  and  W.,  terminates  on  the  W.  at  ("ai)e  Epiphany,  and  on  the  E. 
at  Cape  St  Andrew.  At  the  twelfth  mile  descended  into  a  noble  plain,  bounded  on  the  N.  by 
a  low  branch  of  Olympus ;  and  at  the  fourteenth,  halted  to  refresh  our  horses  at  the  Greek 
village  of  Atteno.  If  we  except  a  few  fields  in  the  innnediate  vicinity  of  Larnica,  the  country, 
during  the  whole  of  the  journey,  was  in  a  state  of  nature;  the  soil  was  marly,  and  covered 
with  the  weed  so  often  mentioned  before.  After  an  hour's  repose  we  again  mounted  our 
horses,  directing  our  course  across  a  i)lain,  thickly  overspread  with  large  pebbles ;  which 
1  was  informed  increased  the  fertility  of  the  land  by  preserving  a  certain  degree  of  moisture, 
and  at  the  same  time  protecting  the  rising  grain  from  a  blighting  wind  common  to  this 
island.  At  the  fourth  mile  crossed,  on  a  stone  bridge,  the  southern  branch  of  the  Pedio, 
flowing  gently  through  a  valley  interspersed  with  groves  of  olive  trees;  the  first  we  have  seen. 


416 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


From  the  bridge  we  ascended  an  eminence,  and  entered  upon  an  extensive  tableland,  inter- 
sected with  low  hills,  of  a  singular  appearance  and  formation ;  they  are  composed  of  a  gravelly 
substance,  some  of  them  square  and  others  round,  vnth.  flat  summits  and  vertical  sides ;  the 
nature  and  appearance  of  the  country,  in  other  respects,  the  same  as  that  between  Larnica 
and  Atteno.  At  the  tenth  mile  was  a  small  hamlet;  and  at  the  fourteenth,  the  city  of 
Nicosia,  the  ancient  Tamasis,  broke  upon  the  view,  at  no  greater  distance  than  five  or  six 
hundred  yards  :  it  made  a  fine  appearance,  and  bore  a  striking  resemblance  to  Shiraz  in 
Persia,  when  that  beautiful  city  is  first  seen  on  issuing  from  the  gorges  of  the  mountains 
behind  the  tomb  of  Hafiz.  Like  the  capital  of  Fars,  it  is  situated  in  a  noble  plain,  bounded 
by  the  lofty  mountains  tipped  with  snow,  whilst  its  numerous  spires  and  minarets  are  seen 
to  rise  in  the  same  manner  above  the  branches  of  the  trees ;  but  the  fine  cathedral  of 
St  Sophia,  towering  over  the  heads  of  all  the  other  buildings,  combined  with  the  extent 
and  solidity  of  the  walls  and  bastions,  give  an  air  of  grandeur  to  Nicosia  which  Shiraz  cannot 
emulate. 

I  entered  the  city  by  the  gate  of  Larnica,  and  was  conducted  to  the  episcopal  palace 
through  a  number  of  narrow  lanes,  where  my  horse  was  nearly  buried  in  mud  and  filth.  The 
Archbishop,  dressed  in  a  magnificent  purple  robe,  with  a  long  flowing  beard,  and  a  silk  cap 
on  his  head,  received  me  in  the  vestibule,  and  ordered  an  apartment  to  be  prepared  for  me  in 
the  palace,  a  large  and  straggling  building,  containing  upwards  of  a  hundred  chambers. 
These  are  all  required  for  the  accommodation  of  the  bishops,  priests,  and  their  attendants ; 
for  the  Archbishop,  both  in  power  and  affluence,  is  the  second  personage  on  the  island.  All 
alTairs  connected  with  the  Greeks  are  under  his  immediate  cognizance  and  management ;  and 
consequently  when  the  Governor  is  desirous  of  making  a  new  arrangement  regarding  that 
class,  or  of  levying  contributions,  he  has  recourse  to  the  Archbishop,  who  has  lately  usurped 
the  whole  authority,  and  seldom  even  deigns  to  consult  the  dragoman.  From  the  humble 
situation  of  an  obscure  deacon  he  raised  himself,  by  extraordinary  means,  to  the  episcopacy  : 
he  borrowed  immense  sums  of  money  from  the  rich,  which  he  lavished  on  the  poor ;  securing 
in  this  manner  the  votes  of  his  creditors,  that  they  might  be  repaid,  and  those  of  the  others  in 
expectation  of  future  reward.  He  pressed  me  to  remain  with  him  for  a  short  time,  promising 
on  this  condition  that  he  would  procure  the  Mutesellim's  boat  to  transport  me  from  Cerina  to 
Kelendri ;  and  as  he  was  prepossessing  in  his  manners,  and  far  superior  to  the  generality  of 
Greek  priests,  I  consented  to  postpone  my  departure  for  a  couple  of  days.  At  seven  o'clock 
supper  being  announced,  he  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  led  me  through  a  gallery  into  the 
refectory,  a  long  and  dirty  hall :  about  thirty  priests  and  bishops  sat  down  to  table.  The  wine 
and  provisions  were  excellent  and  abundant,  and  the  bread  which  was  white  as  snow,  and 
baked  with  milk  instead  of  water,  was  the  best  I  remember  to  have  tasted. 

During  my  stay  at  Nicosia  I  visited  everything  worthy  the  attention  of  a  traveller; 
amongst  the  rest  the  cathedrals  of  St  Sophia,  St  Nicolas,  St  Catherine  and  St  Dominique : 
the  former  is  a  handsome  Gothic  structure,  but  the  others  are  small,  and  do  not  merit  any 
particular  description.  Three  of  them  are  now  mosques;  that  of  St  Nicolas  is  converted 
into  the  Bezistan,  and  that  of  St  Dominique  contains  the  tombs  of  many  princes  of  the  house 
of  Lusignan,  who  held  their  court  at  Nicosia.  The  Mutesellim  resides  in  the  ancient  palace 
of  the  Kings  of  Cyprus ;  but  it  is  now  so  much  altered  and  disfigured,  that  it  is  not  possible 
to  form  any  idea  of  its  original  appearance :  the  gate  is  however  entire,  and  over  the  arch,  in 
basso  relievo,  is  the  figure  of  a  griffin,  the  crest,  I  believe,  of  Lusignan.  From  the  palace 
I  directed  my  course  to  the  ramparts,  round  which  I  walked  in  about  an  hour  and  a  quarter ; 
they  are  built,  or  probably  only  faced,  with  hewn  stone,  flanked  with  large  oblong  bastions  : 


KINNEIH. 


417 


the  ditch  is  dry  and  shallow,  but  so  broad  that  it  now  yields  a  considerable  quantity  of  corn  ; 
the  rampart  is  also  in  some  parts  cultivated,  and  of  great  breadth,  as  all  the  earth  and 
rubbish  from  the  interior  of  the  town  appears  to  have  been  transported  thither  in  order  to 
add  to  its  solidity.  The  batteries  are  en  barbette,  and  I  counted  but  four  small  pieces  of 
artillery  without  carriages  and  completely  honeycombed,  a  matter  however  of  no  consequence, 
ias  this  city  could  never  stand  a  siege,  being  entirely  commanded  by  the  heights  to  the  S.  of 
it.  Nicosia,  or,  as  the  Turks  call  it,  Licosia,  contains,  according  to  the  account  of  the  Arch- 
bishop, two  thousand  families  of  Mahoinedans,  half  that  number  of  (rreeks,  forty  of 
Armenians,  and  twelve  of  Maronite  Catholics,  four  public  baths,  eight  mosques  (all  of  which 
were  once  churches),  six  Greek  chapels,  and  one  Catholic  convent,  besides  the  episcopal 
palace,  and  a  large  caravanserai  now  falling  to  decay.  The  remaining  part  of  the  town 
consists  of  brick  and  nuid  huts,  many  of  whicli  have  been  erected  on  the  foundations  of  the 
old  edifices.  The  bazar,  although  tolerably  well  supplied,  is  not  even  arched,  but  roofed  with 
reeds  and  mats,  which  admit  the  rain  in  all  directions.  The  city  is  entered  by  three  gates, 
namely,  thost?  of  Larnica,  Cerina,  and  Paplios,  of  which  tlie  latter  is  most  deserving  of  notice; 
the  circumjacent  plain  is  filled  with  Greek  convents,  and  the  white  peak  of  Mount  Olympus 
bore  about  S.W.  by  W.  10th. 

In  the  moniing  the  dragoman  paid  ine  a  visit,  and  in  the  t'vcning  I  returned  it:  he  was  a 
Greek  of  a  good  family  at  Constantinople,  and  formerly  attached  to  the  P^nglish  army  in 
Egypt.  It  was  not  difficult  to  perceive  that  a  jealousy  subsisted  between  him  and  the 
Archbishop,  whom  he  accused  of  avarice  and  ambition,  and  a  desire  of  intermeddling  in 
Tnatters  that  did  not  concern  him.  On  tlie  I'Jth  I  bade  adieu  to  Nicosia,  and  set  out  for 
Cerina,  where  I  intended  to  embark  for  the  opposite  coast  of  Caramania.  I  directed  my  course 
through  the  plain  in  a  N.W.  direction,  and  about  a  mile  and  a  half  beyond  the  city  wall, 
crossed  the  northern  branch  of  the  I'cdio,  a  small  stream  Howing  to  the  K.  At  the  fourth 
mile  we  entered  a  range  of  low  brown  hills,  through  which  we  travelled  until  the  ninth  mile, 
when  we  descended  into  a  narrow  fiat,  running  along  the  foot  of  the  lofty  chain  of  mountains 
before  inentioned  :  this  Hat  had  the  apjjearance  of  great  fertility,  but  it  was  neither  inhabited 
nor  cultivated.  At  the  eleventh  mile  wu  n-ached  the  foot  of  the  range;  when  changing  the 
direction  ot  our  course  to  the  N.K.  wi>  entered  a  cleft  or  opening  in  the  mountains,  the  sides 
of  which  were  clothed  with  myrtle,  a  variety  of  other  evergreens,  and  sweet-scented  Howers. 
Our  route  for  about  three  miles  led  through  this  defile;  when,  on  turning  the  point  of  a  rock, 
we  had  a  view  of  the  distant  coast  of  Cilicia,  and  the  finest  part  of  Cyprus  I  have  yet  seen  :  a 
narrow  belt  of  land,  covered  with  shrubs  and  trees,  confined  on  one  side  by  the  sea,  and  on 
the  other  by  the  mountains,  extended  to  the  K.  and  \V.  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  The 
little  town  of  Cerinia,  or,  as  the  Turks  call  it,  Gerinia,  with  its  ancient  chateau,  was  discerned 
immediately  under  us  reflected  in  the  water ;  and  on  the  right  hand  the  stately  towers  of  the 
convent  of  Bella  I'aisa  rose  amidst  the  wooded  clitt's  of  the  mountains:  we  were  nearly  an 
hour  in  descending,  and  at  three  in  the  afternoon  reached  Cerinia,  the  whole  distance  being, 
according  to  my  computation,  about  eighteen  miles. 

I  had  no  sooner  arrived  than  I  was  informed  by  the  Zabit  that  the  boat  had  sailed  only 
a  few  hours  before  for  the  opposite  coast,  and  was  not  expected  back  for  two  or  three  days; — 
a  circum.stance  which  occasioned  me  some  uneasiness,  as  I  foresaw  that  I  should  be  detained 
in  a  place  where  it  was  impossible  to  procure  even  a  habitable  apartment.  I  had  brought  a 
letter  of  introduction  to  Signor  Loretti,  the  captain  of  the  boat;  but  he  was  gone  in  command 
of  the  vessel,  and  I  was  therefore  necessitated  to  cultivate  the  accpiaintance  of  the  Zabit,  who 
invited  me  to  dinner,  and  regaled  me  with  abundance  of  wine  and  a  Cyprian  concert, 
consisting  of  two  blind  fiddlers,  accompanied  by  a  boy  who  sang  and  played  upon  the  lute. 

c.  53 


418 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


In  tlie  morning  the  Signora  Loretti,  an  old  dame  with  a  very  long  waist,  entered  the  court  of 
the  hovel  where  I  resided ;  and  dismounting  from  her  mule,  observed  that  she  was  come  to 
carry  me  to  her  country-house,  where  I  could  remain  until  her  husband  returned  from 
Kelindri.  I  accepted,  with  gratitude,  her  kind  invitation ;  and  promising  to  be  at  her  house 
in  the  evening,  she  departed,  saying  that  she  would  go  and  make  preparations  for  my 
reception. 

Ibrahim,  who  had  never  perfectly  recovered  from  the  effects  of  the  Latakia  fever,  was 
once  more  taken  ill,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  reduced  to  extreme  weakness.  I  left 
him  under  the  care  of  the  Zabit,  and  set  out  with  a  guide  to  look  at  the  old  and  magnificent 
monastery  of  Bella  Paisa,  situated  on  the  declivity  of  the  mountains,  about  four  miles  S.E.  of 
Cerinia ;  from  the  town  to  the  monastery,  which  was  founded  by  a  princess  of  the  house  of 
Lusignan,  I  passed  under  the  shade  of  olive,  myrtle,  and  orange  trees.  A  Greek  priest  stood 
at  the  gate  to  shew  me  the  ruins.  Several  cows  were  grazing  in  the  outer  court,  from  which 
we  passed  into  a  decayed  cloister,  and  thence  into  the  chapel ;  which,  for  the  lightness  and 
elegance  of  its  architecture,  might  be  compared  to  the  cathedral  of  Salisbury :  it  has  six 
windows  facing  the  north,  and  commanding  a  delightful  prospect  of  the  adjacent  country, 
sea,  and  coast  of  Caramania :  it  is  forty-three  paces  in  length,  and  fourteen  in  breadth ;  but 
of  all  its  ornaments  a  stone  pulpit  alone  remains.  On  the  B.  side  of  the  cloister,  the  ceilings 
of  two  Gothic  chambers  have  fallen  in ;  and  immediately  above  there  appears  to  have  been  a 
hall  of  the  same  length  as  the  chapel,  decorated  with  six  handsome  pilasters  on  either  side 
and  two  noble  Gothic  windows  opening  towards  the  sea :  there  are  several  other  apartments 
in  ruins ;  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  cloister,  another  Gothic  hall  has  been  converted  into 
a  Greek  chapel.  Above  are  the  cells  of  the  monks,  and  beneath  the  monastery  is  a  prodigious 
subterraneous  cavern,  completely  arched,  and  now  used  as  a  cowhouse  and  stable.  The 
ground,  for  some  distance  round  the  monastery,  is  covered  with  the  remains  of  other  buildings, 
appendages  no  doubt  to  the  former  establishment,  which  has  more  the  appearance  of  a 
prince's  palace  than  a  place  of  religious  retirement.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  situation 
more  convenient  or  delightful;  lofty  mountains  and  hanging  cliffs,  clothed  with  wood  and 
verdure,  rise  immediately  behind,  and  continue  to  extend  in  successive  ridges  both  to  the  E. 
and  W.  A  fertile  plain  spreads  to  the  channel,  formerly  called  Anion  Cilicius,  which  is  bounded 
by  the  rocks  of  Mount  Taurus,  mantled  with  snow.  I  quitted  this  pleasing  spot  with  regret; 
and  bending  my  course  along  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  reached,  at  four  in  the  evening,  the 
habitation  of  Signora  Loretti,  a  neat  little  cottage,  standing  on  an  eminence  about  three 
miles  to  the  S.W.  of  Cerina.  The  old  lady  was  ready  to  receive  me  at  the  door,  and 
conducted  me  to  my  apartment,  which  was  distinct  from  the  other  part  of  the  cottage,  and 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  garden.  Captain  Loretti  had  purchased  this  estate,  consisting  of 
several  hundred  acres  of  excellent  land,  for  twenty  piastres,  or  about  a  pound  sterling,  and 
had  amused  himself  in  improving  it,  by  planting  olive  trees,  which  yield  a  large  profit  in  a 
short  time. 

The  town,  or  rather  village,  of  Cerina,  the  ancient  Cerinia,  was  formerly  defended  by  a 
strong  wall;  but  the  greater  part  of  it  has  fallen  down,  and  the  port  has  been  nearly  filled  up 
by  the  ruins.  On  the  east  side  of  the  harbour  stands  the  castle,  a  fortress  erected,  it  is  said, 
by  the  Venetians ;  it  is  of  a  square  form  flanked  at  each  corner  with  round  towers,  washed  on 
the  N.  and  E.  by  the  sea,  and  defended  on  the  S.  and  W.  by  a  deep  ditch :  the  walls  are  lofty, 
and  built  of  an  excellent  kind  of  stone;  it  has  one  gate  in  the  west  face  and  there  are, 
I  believe,  four  small  brass  swivels  mounted  in  the  works.  The  harbour,  which  is  small,  is 
exposed  to  the  north  wind,  and  cannot  admit  a  vessel  of  more  than  a  hundred  tons  burthen ; 
but  the  trade  is  inconsiderable,  there  not  being  above  fifteen  families  in  the  place. 


KINXEIH.  LI(;HT. 


419 


LIGHT. 

Henry  Light,  "  Captain  of  the  Royal  Artillery,  was  in  garrison  at  Malta  in  tlie  year  1814,  and  obtained 
leave  to  travel  in  the  countries  lie  describes."  He  was  absent  between  February  14  and  November  2, 
visited  Egypt,  exploring  the  Nile  to  Philae,  Jerusalem  and  its  neighbourhood,  parts  of  the  Lebanon,  and 
Cyprus.  His  journal  and  memoranda  wore  sumptuously  published  under  the  title  Travels  in  Eijypt, 
Nubia,  Holy  Land,  Mount  Libanou  and  Cyprun,  4to,  London,  1818. 

His  stay  in  Cyprus  was  short,  and  he  seems  to  have  been  more  anxious  to  find  a  way  to  leave  it,  than 
to  observe  very  closely  what  was  going  on  around  him.  Still  on  some  points  his  notes  are  interesting. 
Wliere  the  author  writes  nharuweel  and  cadesquiere,  we  have  corrected  shalwar  and  qai'maqam. 

I  landed  at  Larnica  on  the  26th  of  September  (1814),  having  seen  the  shore  appearing 
on  the  east  in  a  tract  of  low  land,  and  in  the  west  in  a  range  of  high  nioutitains,  the  evening 
before. 

Here,  in  expectation  every  day  of  obtaining  a  passage  in  a  vessel  where  the  accom- 
modations would  be  better,  I  was  detained  three  weeks:  and  was  at  last,  from  so  much  time 
having  elapsed,  oljliged  to  give  np  the  thoughts  of  my  e.\pedition,  and  determine  on  taking 
the  first  conveyance  to  Malta. 

My  residence  at  Larnica  was  not  uninteresting.  I  had  apartments  in  a  detached 
pavilion  of  the  vice-consul's,  who  was  a  Zantiot,  and  had  amassed  a  considerable  fortune 
from  his  office  during  the  latter  periods  of  the  war,  when  every  vessel  coming  to  Cyprus  bore 
the  British  flag. 

Though  Larnica  gives  the  name  to  the  road  in  which  vessels  anchor,  yet  it  is  distant  from 
the  shore  nearly  a  mile,  and  is  detached  to  the  east  from  the  town  which  may  be  called  the 
port,  and  bears  the  name  of  La  Scala,  about  the  same  distance.  This  place  contains  the 
custom-house,  and  is  the  mart  for  trad(>.  It  consists  of  a  long  street,  chiefly  a  bazar,  where 
common  necessaries  of  life  and  articles  of  dress  are  sold;  is  inhabited  by  Greeks  and  Turks; 
the  latter  commonly  employed  in  the  affairs  of  the  custom-house,  the  former  in  trade.  The 
houses  are  low,  built  partly  of  mud  and  partly  of  stone,  whitewashed.  The  space  between 
La  Scala  and  Larnica  is  barren,  as  indeed  is  the  greatest  part  of  the  plain  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  which  for  several  miles  east  and  west  of  La  Scala  is  either  uncultivated  or  marshy 
land,  intersected  by  salt  lakes.  The  foundations  of  an  ancient  towti  are  often  found  between 
La  Scala  and  Larnica.  The  effects  of  the  marshy  land  are  evinced  in  the  countenances  of 
the  natives,  who  suffer  every  year  from  agues  and  fevers,  that  diminish  the  pcjpulation,  and 
regularly  appear  in  the  hot  months  of  June,  July,  August  and  September.  When  the 
Venetians  had  posses.sion  of  the  island,  care  was  taken  to  dr<ain  the  marshes  and  confine  the 
water  to  the  salt  lakes,  wliich  produced  an  immense  revenue;  but,  like  all  other  sources  of 
riches  of  the  Turks,  are  neglected,  though  still  productive  enough  to  be  a  considerable  article 
of  trade. 

Tliongh  the  language  of  Cyprus  is  said  to  be  more  corrupt  than  of  any  other  part  of  the 
east  where  Greek  was  once  spoken,  yet  I  could  not  but  be  pleased  to  hear  ancient  Greek  words 
used  for  flgs,  chee.se  and  milk  by  the  market  people  who  passed  me ;  and  I  was  conducted 
to  the  vice-consul's  house  by  a  Cypriot,  to  whom  I  made  use  of  an  ancient  (rreek  phrase, 
pronounced  as  the  modern  Romaic.  On  my  arrival  1  was  showTi  into  a  house  fitted  up  in  the 
European  manner,  though  built  partly  in  the  Eastern  style ;  and  on  presenting  my  letter  of 

53—2 


420 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


recommendation  from  Colonel  Misset,  and  stating  my  determination  to  wait  for  another 
opportunity  for  Constantinople,  was  settled  in  the  apartments  I  have  before  alluded  to :  they 
had  been  occupied  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Rooke,  who  had  died  at  Baffa,  the  ancient  Paphos, 
a  few  days  before ;  a  gentleman  whose  memory  seemed  to  be  held  in  great  respect  at  Cyprus, 
and  whose  inclination  for  travel  had  kept  him  for  a  long  time  in  the  east,  where  he  lavished 
large  sums  in  objects  of  research  and  in  acts  of  generosity,  endearing  him  to  the  natives  of 
the  countries  he  visited. 

Thus  settled  at  Cyprus,  I  was  left  to  my  own  resources  for  employment,  and  obliged  to 
remain  at  Larnica  for  the  chance  of  any  unforeseen  occasion  to  quit  it.  I  became  one  of  the 
family  of  the  vice-consul,  and  conformed  to  the  unwholesome  custom  of  making  a  heavy  meal 
at  mid-day.    The  mornings  and  evenings  I  passed  alone. 

I  was  often  amused  by  the  assumed  dignity  of  the  different  representatives  of  European 
nations  at  Larnica,  where  the  Austrian,  Neapolitan,  French  and  Spanish  consuls  had  their 
residence,  and  where  etiquette  of  precedency  was  pushed  to  a  degree  not  known  in  our  own 
country;  all  except  the  French  consul  were  engaged  in  trade;  and  of  course  their  own 
interest  prevailed  over  that  of  the  country  they  represented.  The  only  English  merchant  on 
the  island  resided  at  La  Scala :  he  had  to  contend  with  the  united  phalanx  of  Levantines, 
who  had  no  inclination  to  admit  a  competitor  in  trade.  An  Englishman  wishing  to  settle 
there  will  be  exposed  to  much  opposition,  and  will  only  succeed  by  having  large  funds  to 
meet  every  exigency  to  which  he  is  liable.  Much  of  the  trade  is  contraband,  particularly 
corn :  and  it  is  necessary  to  keep  on  good  terms  with  the  aga  and  officers  employed  at  the 
custom-house  by  presents,  the  best  and  only  means  of  ensuring  favour  in  any  competition 
with  Levantines. 

In  the  cemetery  of  the  convent  of  St  Lazarus  at  La  Scala  I  saw  the  tombstones  of 
English  who  formerly  resided  at  Larnica;  but  their  date  is  not  later  than  1750. 

The  sickness  that  exists  in  the  country  during  the  hot  weather  caused  the  presence  of  a 
large  number  of  medical  men,  whose  abilities  may  be  appreciated  when  the  reader  hears  that 
one  of  the  most  eminent  of  them  took  me  on  one  side  to  question  me  relative  to  the  effects  of 
James'  powder,  which  I  had  recommended  and  given  in  a  slight  case  of  fever.  I  was  asked 
with  great  seriousness,  whether  it  was  not  composed  of  pulverised  cranium  of  the  human 
head.    It  was  a  medicine  not  known  except  by  report  amongst  them. 

To  guard  against  the  effects  of  the  malaria  a  European  must  leave  the  plains  in  the 
month  of  June,  seek  the  mountains  and  not  quit  them  till  October:  without  this  precaution 
he  must  inevitably  be  seized  with  illness,  and  often  is  carried  off  by  the  fevers  that  rage  with 
great  violence  during  the  hot  months. 

The  superstition  of  the  Levantines  of  this  island  may  be  imagined  by  my  mentioning  that 
I  observed  the  nurse  who  attended  the  consul's  children  burn  incense  under  their  nose  every 
evening  at  sunset,  to  prevent  the  effects  of  the  evil  eye.  On  my  smiling  at  this  ceremony, 
I  was  told  it  was  common ;  perhaps  indeed  my  presence,  as  a  stranger,  rendered  it  essential. 

Larnica  contains  two  or  three  wide  streets,  and  has  one  mosque.  The  principal  Levan- 
tines and  Franks  inhabit  large  houses  in  the  outskirts  of  the  town :  amongst  the  most 
considerable  is  a  palace  of  the  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  where,  during  my  stay  at  Larnica,  I 
went,  on  the  occasion  of  some  particular  ceremony,  to  pay  my  respects  to  the  Archbishop.  All 
the  Franks  and  Levantines,  under  their  respective  consuls,  were  assembled ;  the  canons  of  the 
church  received  them  in  an  antechamber.  Coffee  and  refreshments  were  handed  about,  and 
as  the  Archbishop  had  been  taken  suddenly  ill  only  a  few  of  the  principal  visitors  were 
introduced  to  him,  amongst  whom  I  was  one.    He  was  lying  on  a  crimson  bed  of  state,  in  full 


LIGHT. 


421 


costume;  and  if  the  length  of  beard  was  intended  to  add  to  dignity,  his  must  have  been 
increased  for  that  purpose.  He  only  spoke  Rcuuaic,  but  asked  me  some  few  questions  bj'  the 
help  of  his  nephew  who  had  been  studying  medicine  at  Padua  for  some  years,  and  seemed  an 
intelligent  young  man,  ardent  in  the  pursuit  of  science,  and  apparently  very  little  pleased  at 
being  doomed  to  bury  himself  in  such  a  place  as  Cyprus;  where,  he  told  me  with  a  sigh,  he 
should  be  obliged  in  a  year  or  two  to  fix  his  residence. 

The  costume  of  the  Franks  is,  for  the  men,  generally  that  of  Europe.  The  consuls  have 
an  uniform,  which  they  make  as  rich  as  possible  with  embroidery.  I  saw  them  all  in  grand 
gala  on  the  birthday  of  the  P]mperor  of  Austria,  whose  consul  received  a  visit  of  ceremony 
from  all  the  others.  The  costume  of  the  women  is  Greek,  and  almost  similar  to  that  which 
the  late  travels  in  Greece  have  rendered  s(j  familiar  to  all  readers.  The  descendants  of  the 
Venetians  still  preserve  their  dialect,  though  purer  Italian  is  spoken  by  many  of  the  Franks. 

This  island,  which  is  said  to  have  been  divided  in  former  days  into  nine  populous 
kingdoms,  is  now  reduced  to  between  eighty  aiul  ninety  thousand  inhabitants:  which 
according  to  common  report  is  daily  diminishing.  The  produce  of  the  island  is  still  consider- 
able in  corn,  wine,  oil  and  silks,  notwithstanding  its  neglected  state.  A  considerable  quantity 
of  salt  is  collected  in  the  neighbourhood  of  La  Scala,  in  an  extensive  lake  into  which  the  sea 
water  passes.  The  salt  is  produced  by  simple  evaporation  from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and 
collected  in  heaps  at  the  east  end.  The  north  side  is  confined  by  rising  ground,  where  is  a 
beautiful  mosque,  built  in  honour  of  one  of  Mahomet's  relations.  Tlie  mountains  of  the  Holy 
Cross  appear  to  rise  behind  it.  Towards  sunset  its  rays  verging  on  the  lake  produce  a  bright 
red,  on  which  were  reflected  the  figures  of  the  carts,  horses  and  passengers  traversing  it :  this 
combining  with  the  mosque  and  the  tints  on  tiie  overhanging  mountains,  produced  a  beautiful 
picture. 

The  government  is  an  ap[)eiulage  to  the  Captain  I'asha,  who  vests  it  in  the  person  of  a 
Mosallem  or  governor,  noniiiudiy  appointed  for  three  years;  the  present  one  had  however 
contrived  to  remain  longer.  The  seat  of  government  is  at  Nicosia,  where  the  chief  Turkish 
poi)ulation  resides.  The  island  is  divided  into  sixteen  districts,  each  under  a  lieutenant,  who 
Itears  the  title  of  (iai'ina([am.  'i'he  (Jraud  Signor,  at  the  coiniiu'ncement  of  a  war,  demands 
four  hundred  men  from  Cyprus,  who  form  part  of  the  Timariots.  'I'he  (ireeks  are  as  usual 
oppressed.  The  dignitaries  of  the  church  are  protected  by  the  governor,  who  obtains  con- 
tributions easily  through  their  inHiu-iuc.  They  consist  of  one  Archbishop  and  three  bishops, 
the  former  with  an  income  of  forty  thousand  dollars;  the  latter  have  nuich  less,  and  in  an 
excursion  I  made  for  a  day  in  the  mountains,  a  return  of  money  for  hospitality  shown  was 
thankfully  received  by  one  of  them. 

Tlu!  Koman  Catholics  have  a  considerable  establishnu'nt  at  Laruica.  The  convent  of  the 
Propaganda  is  a  large  building,  where  I  should  recommend  travellers  to  endeavour  to  gain 
admission,  as  they  will  be  more  independent,  and  enabled  by  payment  to  make  a  recompense 
for  the  treatment  they  receive;  which,  however  freely  granted  by  the  Levantine  agents,  yet 
is  con.sidered  a  tax  on  theni;  and  they  take  care  to  let  you  understand  tlu-  l?ritish  government 
does  not  pay  for  it. 

Unfortunately  for  nie,  so  few  military  men  had  been  seen  as  travellers  in  the  east,  that 
I  was  supposed  employed  by  my  government.  1  became  an  object  of  suspicion  to  the  Franks 
and  Turks,  and  of  extortion  to  the  Levantines.  From  this  latter  circumstance,  I  lost  two 
opportunities  of  leaving  Cyprus,  by  not  acceding  to  the  enormous  demands  made  for  juy 
passage,  and  began  to  feel  the  effect  of  malaria.  To  counteract  this  I  joiiunl  a  party  on  the 
8th  of  October,  in  an  excursion  into  the  mountains  west  of  Lamica.  The  road  lay  at  first 
through  a  plain  in  a  dry  gravelly  soil,  producing  only  olives,  growing  to  a  larger  size  than 


422 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


those  I  had  seen  in  other  parts  of  the  Mediterranean :  after  continuing  in  the  plain  for  three 
hours  we  ascended  very  gently  for  three  more  to  the  convent  of  Sta  Thecla,  where  I  slept 
during  the  night.  I  had  in  vain  looked  for  cultivation :  briers  and  olives  were  the  only 
produce  of  the  ground.  A  few  rhododendrons  flourished  in  the  watercourses  we  passed.  A 
miserable  stone  cottage  now  and  then  showed  itself,  where  fig  trees  and  vines  were  to  be  seen. 

The  peasantry  is  ill  looking.  The  men  were  dressed  in  a  white  canvass  vest  over  a  waist- 
coat of  the  same  material,  and  a  white  linen  turban  on  their  heads.  They  wore  the  Albanian 
petticoat,  similar  to  the  Highland  kilt,  or  the  usual  shalwar  or  breeches  of  the  Turks,  and 
high  boots,  used,  as  I  understood,  to  avoid  the  fatal  venom  of  the  serpents  of  the  island. 

I  found  only  an  old  Greek  priest  at  the  convent  of  Sta  Thecla,  who  from  his  dress  I 
imagined  was  a  peasant :  he  had  two  or  three  attendants  with  him.  The  convent  was  under- 
going a  repair,  for  the  reception  of  an  additional  number  of  priests,  and  for  a  feast  that  was 
to  take  place  in  a  few  days  in  honour  of  the  saint.  I  had  supplied  myself  with  provisions,  and 
therefore  did  not  intrude  on  him.  He  was  an  old  man,  of  about  sixty  years  of  age,  perfectly 
ignorant  of  all  except  his  missal,  which  he  could  not  read ;  he  had  learnt  it  by  heart,  it  was 
all  that  was  necessary.  He  was  proud  of  his  chapel,  and  pointed  exultingly  to  the  wretched 
daubs  that  adorned  it.  He  left  his  pipe  to  repeat  evening  prayers,  and  having  finished  them 
took  to  it  again.  This  seemed  his  only  occupation.  Though  I  had  an  interpreter  with  me 
I  could  gain  no  information  as  to  the  state  of  the  peasantry  in  his  neighbourhood :  Avhat  I  saw 
was  wretched. 

Our  party  slept  on  boards:  we  rose  early,  continued  our  excursion  towards  the  summit  of 
the  chain  we  had  proposed  to  reach.  In  a  short  time  we  were  amongst  myrtles  in  full  bloom, 
and  fir  trees ;  there  was  nothing  else  to  interest  me  for  two  hours  till  we  arrived  at  a  space  of 
ground  cleared  of  wood,  where  was  a  square  range  of  buildings  belonging  to  one  of  the 
bishops,  who  literally  kept  a  table  d'hote  for  some  of  the  rich  inhabitants,  who  had  left  the 
unwholesome  plains  to  breathe  the  pure  air  of  the  hills.  I  was  introduced  to  him,  was  invited 
to  remain,  and  I  dined  with  his  party  at  twelve  o'clock,  without  anything  worthy  of  remark 
passing.  After  which  our  party  was  increased  by  some  of  his,  and  we  ascended  to  the  summit 
of  the  mountain  of  the  Holy  Cross,  where  stood  a  small  convent  shut  out,  as  it  were,  from  the 
rest  of  the  world ;  inhabited  by  two  or  three  monks,  who  seemed  to  have  no  other  occupation 
beyond  saying  their  mass  and  watching  the  precious  deposit  of  a  small  piece  of  the  cross  on 
which  our  Saviour  was  crucified.  From  the  terrace  of  a  small  garden,  in  the  rear  of  this 
convent,  is  an  extensive  view  of  part  of  the  south  side  of  the  island,  seen  as  a  map,  broken  on 
all  sides  into  gentle  undulations  of  ground,  highly  appropriate  to  the  growth  of  vines. 

The  capability  of  cultivation  is  easily  observed ;  but  large  tracts  remain  neglected.  My 
attention  was  directed  towards  Limason,  where  the  richest  wines  are  made,  and  I  was  led  to 
understand  that  the  thinking  part  of  the  population  looked  forwards  to  the  remainder  of  the 
island  becoming  equally  fertile,  by  the  presence  of  some  European  government,  who  would  at 
least  abstain  from  oppression,  if  it  did  not  encourage  industry. 

Having  showed  my  respect  for  the  relic,  which  was  uncovered  in  honour  of  my  arrival,  by 
a  small  present  to  one  of  the  monks,  I  returned  to  the  bishop's  house,  where  I  slept  more 
luxuriously  than  on  the  preceding  night;  and  having  given  a  suitable  remuneration  in  money, 
returned  homewards,  where,  to  my  great  delight,  I  found  a  small  schooner  bound  to  Malta, 
freighted  by  some  Moorish  merchants ;  on  board  which,  as  the  stormy  season  of  the  year  was 
approaching,  I  took  my  passage,  being  without  chance  of  proceeding  to  Constantinople  except 
by  land,  first  to  the  coast  of  Cyprus  opposite  Asia  Minor,  and  thence  again  proceeding  by 
land.......    I  went  on  board  on  October  15,  and  on  November  2  anchored  in  Marsamuscetta 

harbour  at  Malta. 


LIGHT. 


423 


Military  defences  and  political  remarks. 

Pp.  266 — 268.  Lamica.  A  small  casemated  battery,  level  with  the  water,  defends  the 
approach  to  the  beach  of  La  Scala.  Of  the  other  parts  of  the  island  that  are  fortified,  I  am 
not  able  to  speak.  Famagusta  is  celebrated  for  the  siege  it  stood  against  the  Turks,  and  for 
the  barbarous  treatment  its  governor  endured  from  them  after  its  surrender.  It  is  still  called 
a  fortified  town.  Nicosia  the  capital  is  walled  round,  but  neither  would  stand  a  regular  siege. 

Before  I  conclude  this  chapter  I  shall  add  a  few  words  on  the  political  state  of  the 
possessions  of  the  Turks  in  this  quarter  of  the  world.  Could  the  interests  of  Great  Britain  be 
ensured,  the  delivery  of  Syria  and  Cyprus  from  the  Turkish  rulers  by  any  European  power 
would  be  an  advantage  to  the  world :  that  power  is  now  looked  for  in  the  shape  of  Russia. 
Prophecy,  still  existing  in  the  east  in  full  force,  bids  the  Mahometan  beware  of  Russia,  who  is 
to  swallow  up  all  that  the  Turkish  government  possesses,  and  to  plant  its  colonies  in  Syria. 
The  jealousies  and  fears  of  all  the  chiefs  in  that  country  are  directed  against  Russia;  and  they 
appeared  to  dread  the  overthrow  of  the  French  ruler,  whose  power  prevented  her  from  turning 
her  arms  against  the  Turks.  Lord  Bacon,  in  his  Essay  on  Prophecies,  says,  "the  spreading  or 
publishing  of  them  is  in  no  sort  to  be  despised,  for  they  have  done  much  mischief."  \Vhen 
he  wrote  the  state  of  Europe  was  not  so  enlightened  as  it  now  is:  he  considered  it  involved  in 
ignorance,  and  subject  to  enthusiasm.  In  that  condition  Syria  remains.  If  the  Emir  of 
Mount  Libanon  be  not  first  induced  to  become  a  tributary  to  Russia,  it  might  be  possible  to 
assist  him  in  such  a  manner  as  to  induce  all  the  Christians  to  flock  to  his  standard ;  and  by 
enabling  him  to  become  a  powerful  and  independent  prince  the  Turkish  power  might  be 

greatly  reduced  in  that  quarter.    Of  the  consequences  I  cannot  presume  to  judge   The 

possession  of  Cyprus  might  easily  be  acquired  by  any  government  having  a  navy.  If  it  were 
wrested  from  the  Turks,  with  a  certainty  of  not  being  given  up  at  a  peace,  it  would  .soon 
become  a  flourishing  country :  the  population  would  be  increased  by  swarms  of  Greek 
enngrants  from  Asia  Minor,  who  would  gladly  fly  fo  an  asylum  froui  the  tyrannj'  of  their 
oppressors;  and  if  their  industry  weiv  encouraged,  woidd  soon  fertilize  the  barren  waste 
overrunning  one  half  the  island.  The  unwholesomeness  of  the  air  may  be  remedied  by 
draining  the  marshes  that  cause  it.  In  the  tiiue  of  the  Venetians  this  was  done,  and  the 
'malaria  was  not  felt.  Circumstances  may  hereafter  oblige  Great  Britain  to  strengthen 
herself  in  the  Mediterranean;  and  for  the  richness  of  soil  and  general  advantages  to  be 
derived  from  it,  Cyprus  may  be  considered  more  valuable  to  her  than  either  Syria  or  Egj'-pt. 


424 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


TURNER. 

William  Turner,  Esquire,  was  attached  in  1812  to  the  staff  of  Sir  Robert  Listen,  His  Majesty's 
Ambassador  to  the  Porte,  who  had  been  despatched  "  to  secure  and  hasten  the  signature  of  peace  between 
the  Porte  and  Russia."  But  the  treaty  had  been  concluded,  before  the  arrival  of  the  Embassy,  by  Sir 
Stratford  Canning,  and  Mr  Turner  soon  obtained  permission  "to  change  his  official  labours  for  the 
pleasures  of  travelling."  He  explored  Greece  and  Albania,  with  the  adjacent  islands,  and  on  February  20, 
1815,  again  left  Constantinople  in  a  small  Turkish  vessel,  and  sighted  Cyprus  on  March  22,  travelled  in 
Palestine,  visited  M.  Sinai,  and  returned  to  Larnaca  on  October  3,  sailing  again  on  November  16  for 
Rhodes. 

His  Journal  of  a  Tour  in  the  Levant,  dedicated  to  Mr  Canning,  was  published  by  John  Murray  in 
3  vols.  8vo,  London,  1820,  "  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  form  in  which  it  was  originally  written."  It  gives 
us  the  straightforward  notes  of  a  plucky,  persevering  and  intelligent  traveller.  We  transcribe  from  vol.  ii. 
pp.  31—52  and  528  584. 

The  current  value  of  the  Turkish  piastre  between  1812  and  1816  varied  from  P.  17  to  P.  30  to  the 
pound  sterling.    The  intrinsic  value  of  the  coin  was  ninepence  halfpenny. 

Saturday,  March  11,  1815.  At  daylight,  to  our  indescribable  happiness,  we  found  we 
were  close  to  Cyprus.  It  was  nearly  calm  in  the  early  part  of  the  morning.  At  ten  o'clock 
we  were  under  the  south-west  coast  of  the  island,  gazing  on  the  celebrated  Paphos,  which 
now  bears  the  name  of  Baffo,  though  there  are  no  remains  of  it  but  the  small  hill  on  which  it 
stood  and  (I  was  afterwards  told)  sixty-two  subterraneous  chambers,  probably  of  the  temple, 
not  yet  filled  up,  as  are  a  great  number  of  others  near.  In  the  afternoon  there  sprung  up  a 
breeze,  which  carried  us  at  six  knots  an  hour  along  the  coast ;  it  is  much  lower  land  than  I 
was  used  to  see,  and  very  marshy,  which  in  the  heat  of  summer  produces  fevers,  and  renders 
the  island  a  very  dangerous  residence.  I  did  not  see  the  coast  to-day  in  its  beauty,  as  it  was 
raining  very  hard  ashore.  In  the  evening  it  began  to  blow  very  strong,  and  all  night  there 
was  quite  a  gale,  from  which  we  sought  shelter  in  the  large  bay  of  Limesole,  where  we 
anchored  at  half-past  six,  too  late  to  enjoy  the  prospect  of  the  village  and  its  environs,  which 
the  last  glimpse  of  daylight  just  enabled  us  to  perceive. 

Sunday,  March  12.  Three  hours  after  midnight  we  weighed  and  left  Limesole.  When 
I  went  on  deck  at  eight  o'clock  I  found  we  were  but  just  turned  round  a  point  which  hid  that 
village  from  our  view,  and  were  in  a  dead  calm.  The  whole  of  the  coast  that  we  passed 
to-day  was  very  verdant,  and  varied  by  moderate  mountains  and  rich  valleys,  which  at 
intervals  contained  most  delicious  meadows.  At  eleven  o'clock  a  breeze  sprung  up,  that 
carried  us  first  at  three,  and  afterwards  increasing,  at  five  and  seven  knots  an  hour.  In  the 
afternoon  we  passed  Cape  Citti,  whence  we  saw  the  pretty  village  of  the  same  name  (built,  it 
is  said,  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Citium),  and  at  ten  miles  distance  the  Marina  of  Larnaca, 
before  which  we  anchored  just  at  sunset,  and  were  delighted  vnth  the  neat  appearance  of  its 
houses,  with  its  verdure  and  its  palm  trees.  We  went  immediately  ashore,  and  I  was  pleased 
on  landing  to  be  accosted  by  a  Turk,  who  spoke  a  little  English,  which  he  had  picked  up 
when  a  boy  from  the  ships  employed  on  the  expedition  to  Egypt  that  anchored  here.  We 
walked  immediately  to  Larnaca,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distance  from  the  marina,  where 
I  went  to  the  house  of  the  English  consul,  to  whom  I  delivered  despatches  from  Mr  Listen, 
and  who  received  me  with  the  greatest  hospitality,  and  put  me  into  a  very  neat  room,  where 
I  soon  forgot  the  fatigues  of  my  voyage  in  a  good  bed,  which  was  the  more  acceptable, 


TURNER. 


425 


as  1  had  slept  on  boards  in  the  boat  without  pulling  off  my  clothes.  Mr  Vondiziano,  my  host, 
is  a  man  in  easy  circumstances  (a  native  of  Cephalonia),  whose  family  consists  of  a  wife  and 
five  daughters. 

And  most  heartily  glad  we  were  to  escape  from  a  boat,  in  which  there  was  no  subordina- 
tion, and  each  man  had  equal  command :  and  besides  the  danger  from  their  ignorance,  most 
of  them  were  Candiotes,  which  is  saying  all  that  is  bad  of  them,  as  the  Candiotes  are,  without 
any  exception  (if  the  palm  be  not  disputed  with  them  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  Seven  Islands), 
the  most  atrocious  scoundrels  of  the  Levant,  so  fruitful  in  villany... 

Monday,  March  13.  When  I  rose  in  the  morning  I  was  happy  to  find  myself  in  the  house 
of  a  British  consul,  who  keeps  up  the  dignity  of  his  character.  He  has  the  King's  Arms  over 
the  door  of  his  house,  at  which  two  janizaries  are  stationed. 

From  the  13th  to  the  16th  I  employed  myself  in  writing  with  ink  my  journal,  whicli 
I  kept  in  pencil  as  I  came  along.  Indeed  the  streets  of  Larnaca,  being  unpaved,  are  so  miry 
that  there  was  little  temptation  to  walk.  From  my  window  I  had  a  view  of  a  flat  plain, 
bounded  by  Tnouutains,  which  being  all  marsh  land  must  bo  fatally  unwholesome  in  summer. 
I  was  glad  to  make  acquaintance  with  Mr  H.,  an  English  merchant,  living  in  the  Marina, 
who  introduced  me  to  his  wife,  a  native  of  the  island ;  he  strolled  with  me  about  the  bazaars, 
which  are  mean  and  unprovided ;  and  showed  me  the  Greek  Church,  a  hea\'y  building  of  the 
Low  Empire,  and  the  English  burying-ground,  where  are  interred  many  Englishmen,  some  of 
whom  have  handsome  tombstones  over  them,  dated  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  when 
the  English  factory  here  consisted  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  houses.  The  burying-ground  is  now, 
however,  falling  to  decay,  as  the  (ireeks  also  are  interred  there,  and  many  ma.soiis  have  been 
working  on  the  tombs,  by  which  they  have  quite  effaced  the  inscriptions  of  the  flat  ones.  The 
Marina  consists  of  warehouses,  and  a  few  houses  and  huts,  in  which  live  some  merchants, 
Europeans  and  flreeks,  porters  and  boatmen. 

Friday,  March  17.  Cyprus,  Mr  V.  tells  me,  is  nearly  600  miles  in  circumference,  an 
extent  which  would  require  at  least  a  population  of  a  million  to  cultivate  it  so  well  as  the 
excellency  of  th(>  soil  deserves :  especially  as,  unlike  the  other  islands  of  these  seas,  it  is  chiefly 
laid  out  in  fine  plains,  a  very  small  part  of  it  being  mountainous. 

'^i^he  population  has,  however,  been  reduced  by  the  tyranny  of  the  government  to  between 
60,000  and  70,000  souls,  of  whom  about  40,000  are  Greeks:  of  these  there  are  in  Larnaca, 
including  the  Marina,  between  five  and  six  thousand;  and  in  Nicosia,  which  under  the 
Venetians  contained  80,000,  15,000.  These  are  the  only  populous  towns  of  the  island,  the 
others  being  almost  desert.  Imperfectly  as  it  is  cultivated,  it  abounds  in  every  production  of 
nature,  and  boars  great  (piantities  of  corn,  figs,  olives,  oranges,  lemons,  dates,  and  indeed  of 
every  fruit  seen  in  these  climates  :  it  nourishes  great  numbers  of  goats,  sheep,  pigs  and  oxen, 
of  which  latter  it  has  at  tiui(>s  exported  supplies  to  Malta.  Its  principal  commerce  consists  in 
cotton,  wool,  provisions  (of  which  it  sends  sujjplies  to  Syria  and  Egypt,  and  particularly  did 
so  to  our  expedition  there)  and  silk,  of  which  latter  the  trade  was  loO  years  ago  so  consider- 
able as  to  attract  here  an  English  factory.  The  following  is  the  state  of  its  commerce, 
delivered  from  the  Custom-house  about  ten  years  ago :  being  the  annual  amount  of  the 
exportation : — 

Cotton — average  quantity  3000  cantars  (one  cantar  here  is  180  okes,  four  times  that  of 
Constantinople) ;  average  price  280  piastres  a  cantar :  nearly  all  this  goes  to  Europe. 

White  Silk — average  quantity  10,000  okes  of  400  drachms  each;  average  price  15  piastres 
an  oke :  nearly  all  goes  to  Egypt. 

Yellow  Silk — average  quantity  5000  okes ;  average  price  31  piastres :  nearly  all  goes  to 
Egypt. 

c.  54 


42G 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Wool— average  quantity  600  cantars ;  average  price  90  piastres :  formerly  all  went  to 
Europe,  latterly  all  to  Syria. 

Cattle  and  Sheep— from  8000  to  10,000  head. 

Corn — in  an  abundant  harvest,  from  200,000  to  250,000  kilos  of  Constantinople  (our 
Winchester  bushel) ;  average  price  from  2^  to  3  piastres  a  kilo :  all  goes  to  Europe  and  Turkey, 

Barley — in  a  good  harvest  300,000  or  350,000  kilos;  average  price  from  35  to  40  paras 
a  kilo :  all  goes  to  Europe  and  Turkey.  Double,  or  even  treble  this  quantity  would,  it  is  said, 
be  produced,  but  for  the  mischief  done  by  cattle  and  horses. 

Oil — some  years  it  is  imported,  there  not  being  enough  in  the  island  for  its  own  con- 
sumption ;  in  other  years  there  is  enough  and  to  export :  average  price  from  32  to  40  paras 
an  oke. 

Caroba  (called  by  us  the  locust  tree,  and  producing  a  sort  of  bean) — average  quantity 
6000  cantars ;  average  price  9  paras  the  cantar :  most  part  goes  to  Egypt,  some  to  Syria  and 
Constantinople. 

Wine — of  a  year  old,  average  quantity  65,000  couzai  (a  couza  is  eight  okes) ;  average 
price  from  two  to  three  paras  the  couza :  most  part  goes  to  Venice,  some  to  the  Black  Sea. 
Old  Wines — from  ten  to  twelve  paras  the  couza. 

Commonest  Red  Wine — average  quantity  40,000  couzai :  great  part  is  consumed  in  the 
island,  for  drinking  raki ;  the  rest  supplies  European  ships  touching  here,  and  is  sent  to 
Turkey :  average  price  40  to  50  paras  the  couza. 

Raki — weak  white  brandy :  from  100,000  to  200,000  okes ;  average  price  85  to  20  paras 
the  oke  :  great  quantity  is  drank  in  the  island,  the  rest  is  sold  to  European  ships  and  sent  to 
Turkey. 

Coloquintida — the  bitter  apple,  from  30  to  40  cantars;  average  price  from  180  to  200 
paras  the  cantar :  all  goes  to  England. 

Madder— average  quantity  600  cantars  ;  average  price  from  80  to  100  paras  the  cantar  : 
nearly  all  goes  to  Europe,  very  little  to  Turkey;  sometimes  it  will  sell  at  130  paras  the  cantar; 
in  1803  it  sold  from  200  to  230  paras  the  cantar,  being  a  bad  crop. 

Terra  d'ombra — an  earth  used  by  painters,  immeasurable  quantity ;  average  price  two 
paras  the  cantar.  There  is  a  green  earth  found  in  Cyprus,  which  with  very  little  preparation 
makes  a  dye  of  that  colour,  and  is  used  for  colouring  the  walls  of  rooms :  it  is  not,  however, 
an  article  of  commerce. 

Salt — There  are  two  considerable  salt-pits,  one  near  Larnaca  (the  best  in  quality),  and 
one  near  Limesole.  These  produce  annually  4  or  5000  araba  (a  measure  of  1000  okes  each), 
which  are  sold  from  ten  to  fifteen  paras  an  araba.  It  is  sent  to  Syria  and  Constantinople,  but 
there  is  not  a  market  for  the  whole. 

There  is  besides  a  quantity  of  Sesame,  from  which  is  extracted  an  oil,  consumed  in  the 
island.  Of  wax  and  honey  there  is  hardly  enough  for  the  island,  which  imports,  in  case  of 
necessity,  a  small  quantity  from  Caramania. 

Such  is  the  state  of  an  island,  which  under  the  ancients,  and  even  under  Venetian 
oppression,  was  so  rich  and  flourishing.  The  consul  tells  me  that  its  whole  trade  now  does 
not  clear  it  above  two  millions  of  piastres.  It  diminishes  yearly,  because  the  population  is 
yearly  diminished,  and  it  was  lately,  like  Rhodes,  or  even  more  because  nearer,  ruined  by  the 
Turkish  fleet  and  army  off  Satalia,  the  Captain  Pasha  who  commanded  forcing  the  island  not 
only  to  furnish  him  gratis  with  all  sorts  of  provisions  and  fruits,  and  even  to  pay  the  freight 
of  them,  but  to  buy  the  ships  he  took  at  his  own  price. 

It  is  the  property  of  the  Captain  Pasha,  and  is  governed  by  a  Musellim  appointed  by 
him.    (There  were  formerly  three  Pashas  in  Cyprus ;  one  of  three  tails  at  Nicosia,  and  two 


TURNER 


427 


of  two  tails  at  Famagusta  and  Lamaca;  but  seventy  years  ago  the  inhabitants  wrote  to 
Constantinople  that  the  island  every  day  became  poorer,  and  that  the  expense  of  these 
Pashas'  establishment  was  too  heavy  on  it :  the  Porte  attended  to  their  complaint,  and  gave 
the  island  as  an  appendage  to  the  dignity  of  Captain  Pasha,  who  keeps  a  Musellim  in  it  to 
govern  in  his  name. 

The  peasants  of  Cyprus  work  only  for  themselves,  there  being  superabundance  of  land 
for  the  population  in  the  island  since  its  decline.  Those  who  cultivate  the  Sultan's  farms 
have  no  other  pay  than  their  food,  and  exemption  from  the  miri  or  land  tax.) 

The  Musellim  farms  it,  and  of  course  squeezes  it  more  than  it  can  bear.  He  resides  in 
Nicosia  (called  by  the  Greeks  AevKoxrta),  but  comes  annually  to  Lamaca  to  receive  the  visit  of 
the  consuls,  when  it  is  the  custom  of  them  to  present  him  with  gifts  to  the  amount  of  TjOO 
piastres,  in  return  for  which  he  gives  an  old  benish  (outer  robe)  to  the  dragoman,  and  an 
embroidered  handkerchief  of  Constantinople,  valued  at  20  piastres,  to  the  consul.  His 
administration  is  very  strict,  and  keeps  in  good  order  the  Turks  who,  as  they  drink  very  hard, 
would  otherwise  be  very  di.sorderly;  but  Signor  V.  very  earnestly  absolved  them  from  the 
charge  of  being  so  bad  as  the  Candiotes,  which  I  had  heard.  The  Greeks  are  better  than  the 
Turks,  and  the  latter  have  no  greater  privileges  than  the  former,  at  which  they  are  constantly 
expressing  great  discontent. 

The  cheapness  of  living  in  Cyprus  is  extraordinary,  considering  the  declining  state  of 
the  island.  Mr  Vondiziano,  with  all  the  expenses  of  the  consulate,  a  wife  and  five  children, 
a  large  house,  six  servants,  two  janizaries,  a  carriage,  horse  and  mule,  spends  only  5000 
piastres  a  year.  vServants'  wages  (men-servants  the  dearest)  a  few  years  ago  were  onlj'  from 
fifty  to  sixty  piastres  a  year;  but  now  they  are  generally  ten,  and  sometimes  even  twenty, 
piastres  a  month. 

In  the  morning  I  went  with  Signor  Vondiziano  (who  put  himself  in  grand  state,  with 
a  large  cocked  hat  which  he  always  wears,  even  in  the  house,  a  gold-headed  cane,  and 
preceded  by  a  janizary)  to  vi.sit  the  Austrian  consul,  who  lived  in  a  good  hou.se  near  us.  He 
has  lately  married  a  young  lady  of  the  country,  who  was  tolerably  pretty.  He  was  now  much 
frightened  by  a  report  brought  two  or  three  days  ago  by  a  ship  from  Constantinople,  that 
Austria,  in  conjunction  with  Russia,  had  declared  war  against  the  Porte;  from  which  fear 
I  delivered  him.  1  afterwards  walked  to  the  Marina,  where  I  bought  two  or  three  little 
triHes  of  which  I  stood  in  need,  as  almost  all  the  magazines  and  bazaars  are  there.  Being 
caught  here  in  a  most  furious  storm  of  hail  and  rain,  I  ran  for  shelter  to  the  house  of  Mr  How, 
but  it  lasted  so  long  that  I  staid  and  dined  with  him  (the  consul's  hour  Vieing  past)  on  some 
salt  fish,  and  some  delicious  small  artichokes;  for  as  it  was  the  Greek  Ijent  no  meat  could 
easily  be  had.  As  I  saw  there  was  no  chance  of  the  storm  ceasing,  I  was  forced  to  walk  to 
Larnaca  in  the  middle  of  it,  and  went  to  call  on  Dupont,  whose  house,  after  a  long  search, 
I  found :  he  was  not  at  home,  but  I  was  very  civilly  received  by  his  mother  and  sister,  the 
latter  of  whom  I  thought  very  pretty,  perhaps  because  she  was  like  an  Knglish  woman, 
having  light  hair  and  blue  eyes.  Both  of  them  were  ill  with  the  fever,  from  which  they  said 
they  had  never  been  totally  free  for  four  years  past.  Indeed  I  cannot  wonder  at  it,  for 
besides  the  marshes  and  the  mud  in  the  streets,  which  is  so  deep,  and  smells  so  offensively, 
that  it  is  hardly  possible  to  pass,  the  room  where  they  sat,  as  is  the  case  in  all  the  houses  here, 
was  paved  with  stones  about  four  feet  long,  and  two  and  a  half  broad,  through  some  of  whose 
crevices  water  was  coming  up.  In  the  evening,  the  rain  being  moderated,  I  returned  to 
Signor  V.'s  house. 

March  18.    (Thermometer  61.)    The  traveller  certainly  sees  in  Cyprus  that  he  is  in 

54—2 


428 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  more  civilized  spot  than  he  must  often  expect  to  find  in  Tm-key.  Larnaca,  the  second  city  of 
the  island,  contains  about  1000  houses,  and  the  Marina  consists  of  about  700  more.  Though 
the  streets  by  the  depth  of  mud  which  they  present  evidently  show  themselves  to  be  Turkish, 
yet  one  meets  in  them  carts  drawn  by  oxen  of  a  much  better  construction  and  workmanship 
than  I  have  hitherto  seen  in  the  Ottoman  dominions ;  and  every  family  in  tolerable  circum- 
stances keeps  a  calesh,  like  our  one-horse  chaise  when  the  covering  is  up,  but  not  quite 
so  high,  drawn  by  a  single  horse,  which  they  bring  from  Tuscany.  The  country  is  so  flat, 
that  they  can  go  with  these  as  far  as  the  capital,  Nicosia,  though  as  the  roads  are  bad,  and  the 
Cypriote  race  of  horses  small  and  not  strong,  this  journey,  between  seven  and  eight  houi's, 
requires  one  change  of  the  horse.  In  the  morning  I  went  with  Signor  V.  to  visit  the  Spanish 
consul,  a  man  respectable  for  having  resisted  all  the  temptations  and  threats  held  out  to  him 
to  declare  himself  a  partisan  of  Joseph  Buonaparte ;  and  who  having  in  the  earlier  part  of  his 
life  been  in  London,  still  speaks  tolerable  English.  Though  he  lived  only  a  few  doors  off,  it 
required  a  pretty  long  walk  to  reach  him,  for  the  houses  in  Larnaca  ai'e  so  far  asunder,  that 
in  spite  of  the  fewness  of  their  number,  it  is  a  three  miles'  walk  round  the  city.  We  did  not 
find  him  at  home,  but  we  saw  his  wife,  a  fat  dame,  who  being  near  fifty,  last  year  brought 
him  a  son.  One  would  think  there  was  something  prolifick  in  the  air  of  Cyprus,  for  the 
Russian  and  English  consuls  are  in  the  same  circumstances,  though  the  Greek  women  are 
generally  old  at  thirty  and  thirty-five.  After  dinner  I  went  with  the  consul  in  his  carrozza, 
again  in  consular  state,  to  visit  M.  Peristiani,  the  Russian  consul,  who  was  also  Swedish 
(a  precaution  that  saved  him  from  the  necessity  of  flying  during  the  last  Russian  war),  who 
lives  on  the  Marina.  On  our  way  I  observed  among  the  marshes  through  which  we  passed 
many  pools  of  water  of  some  depth,  which  being  close  to  the  sea  I  thought  were  filled  from  it; 
but  Signor  V.  told  me  that  they  were  all  rain-water,  and  being  of  considerable  extent  were 
formerly  joined,  and  formed  a  small  port  for  boats,  to  which  was  cut  a  communication  with 
the  sea,  now  choked.  How  poisonous  must  their  exhalations  be  in  summer,  and  in  a  soil  that 
would  so  well  pay  the  labour,  how  easy  would  it  be  to  drain  them  under  any  other  govern- 
ment than  that  of  the  Turks.  We  found  the  Russian  consul  at  home,  in  a  good  house, 
crammed  vdth  the  arms  of  Russia ;  he  received  us  in  a  very  large  apartment  well  furnished, 
and  introduced  us  to  his  wife,  a  comely  matron  of  no  common  size.  I  had  seen  M.  Peristiani 
two  years  ago,  when  he  visited  Constantinople  on  consular  business.  In  the  room  was  an  old 
deaf  Greek  priest,  who  kissed  me  very  affectionately,  and  who  I  was  told  was  the ' Apxi-iJ.av8pLTr}<; 
(Archimandrite),  second  in  clerical  authority  to  the  Archbishop  of  the  island,  who  is  in  fact 
the  governor,  having  by  ancient  privilege  great  power,  and  keeping  the  public  treasure, 
which  it  is  his  business  to  supply.  By  the  bye,  his  financial  talents  will  now  be  exercised,  for 
a  letter  is  to-day  arrived,  by  an  express  Tatar,  from  the  Porte  to  the  Musellim,  peremptorily 
demanding  50,000  piastres  as  the  contribution  of  Cyprus  for  repairing  the  fortifications  of 
Constantinople ;  and  the  Tatar  says  that  messengers  are  going  over  all  the  country  to  collect 
troops,  so  that  M.  P.  is  afraid  of  a  Russian  war ;  but  I  should  rather  suppose  that  it  is 
designed  against  the  Wahabis,  who  it  is  reported  (falsely)  lately  defeated  the  Pasha  of 
Egypt  with  great  slaughter.  This  Tatar  brought  an  account  of  the  suppression  of  the  late 
tumult  among  the  janizaries,  at  which  the  Musellim  (who  is  a  creature  of  the  Captain  Pasha, 
and  must  fall  with  him),  was  so  delighted  that  he  invested  the  Tatar  with  Caftan  (robe 
of  honour).  After  stopping  an  hour  with  Signor  P.  we  returned  home.  The  west  wind  blew 
tremendously  all  day,  and  at  night  brought  the  croaking  of  the  frogs  in  the  marshes,  always 
excessively  loud,  to  my  window,  with  such  incessant  noise,  that  it  required  the  exertion  of  all 
my  great  talents  of  sleeping  to  save  me  from  being  disturbed  by  them. 


TURNER. 


429 


March  19.  (Thermometer  66.)  In  the  morning  the  Russian  consul  and  his  wife  came 
to  visit  me  in  all  consular  glory.  He  was  glittering  in  an  embroidered  coat,  and  the  largest 
possible  cocked  hat :  he  apologized  for  having  been  prevented  by  severe  cold  and  swelled 
face  (flussione)  from  paying  me  a  visit  before ;  and  in  answer  I  assured  him,  very  sincerelj', 
that  I  regretted  his  having  had  the  trouble  now.  He  was  accompanied  by  the  Greek  priest 
whom  I  saw  at  his  house,  and  whom  I  supposed  to  be  the  spiritual  comforter  of  the  family, 
as  Madame  was  very  assiduous  in  brushing  dust  off  his  robes,  &c.  This  priest  was  to  return 
to-day  to  the  Archbishop  at  Nicosia.  I  found  him  by  far  the  most  candid  Greek  ecclesiastic 
I  have  seen,  as  he  confessed  to  me  that  he  did  not  think  there  was  any  spiritual  use  in  the 
numerous  fasts  of  the  Greeks,  but  held  them  sacred  rather  from  custom  than  from  religious 
motives.  He  told  me  that  the  Turks  here  are  much  more  mild,  and  less  bigoted,  than  in 
other  parts  of  Turkey,  many  of  them  in  private  even  eating  pork,  and  all  of  them  being  very 
sociable  and  friendly  to  the  Christians.  As  I  certainly  did  not  come  to  Cyprus  to  pay  or 
receive  visits,  I  was  glad,  when  the  Russian  consul  was  gone,  that  all  such  ceremonies  are 
past,  I  being  under  no  obligation  to  call  on  the  French  consul,  as  he  has  shown  me  no  civility 
since  my  arrival,  and  is  moreover  a  great  Buonapartist  (having  accompanied  his  idol  to 
Egypt)  and  consequently,  even  declaredly,  no  great  lover  of  the  Bourbons  or  the  English. 
At  nocm  I  went  with  the  consul  in  his  carrozza  to  dine  with  Mr  How  at  the  Marina,  where 
we  fared  sumptuously,  in  company  with  three  Maltese  captains.  There  are  now  in  the  road 
here  (for  there  is  no  port)  seven  Maltese  and  five  French  vessels.  These  bring  here  articles 
of  English  or  German  manufacture  (the  greater  part  of  which  go  to  Syria)  and  carry  back 
the  productions  of  the  island.  The  roadsted  is  defended,  or  rather  pretended  to  be  .so, 
a  small  Venetian  castle,  now  falling  to  ruins;  of  which  the  only  interest  is  Shakspeare's 
having  suppo.sed  it  to  be  the  post  of  Othello.  To-day  being  Sunday,  the  consuls'  flags  were 
all  flying.  f)n  our  return  from  the  .Miirina  we  .saw  numbers  of  female  Christian  pilgrims 
from  the  Archipelago  and  Caramania,  on  their  waj''  to  Jerusalem,  wIid  are  distinguished  by 
a  large  linen  veil  that  covers  their  whole  body.  I  paid  a  visit  to-day  to  the  Franciscan  friars, 
offering  to  carry  any  letters  for  them  to  the  Holy  Land.  I  entered  while  they  were 
performing  service  in  a  small  neat  church,  where,  on  pretence  of  its  being  i'ahn-Sundaj-,  the 
French  and  Austrian,  the  only  Catholic,  consuls,  were  stuck  up  in  state.  There  is  not  near 
such  a  passion  for  full  dress  at  Constantinople  as  here;  the  imif'orm  is  mounted  on  every 
trivial  occasion. 

March  20.  Mr  H.  having  been  kind  enough  to  lend  me  his  horse,  a  small  grey  of  the 
country,  with  an  English  saddle,  at  a  (juarter  before  seven  I  set  off  with  Ibrahim,  one  of 
Mr  V.'s  janizaries,  mounted  on  a  small  mule,  to  visit  the  site  of  the  ancient  Idalium,  famous 
for  the  death  of  Adonis.  It  is  now  a  small  village,  five  leagues'  (hours')  distance  from 
Lariiaca,  a  little  more  than  half-way  between  that  town  and  Nicosia.  Our  road  lay  through 
an  extensive  plain  of  a  dry  but  fruitful  soil,  not  one-tenth  part  of  which  was  cultivated,  ami 
that  by  a  miserable  wooden  plough,  drawn  bj'  two  o.xen  or  mules.  Tlu>  plain  is  bordered  by 
mountains  very  insignificant  in  height,  which  bore  a  singular  appearance  from  their  tops 
being  naked  and  of  a  sandy  white,  while  their  base  was  covered  wTth  brown  moss.  Along 
the  road,  which,  however,  was  in  general  too  stony  to  need  or  admit  any  care,  I  observed 
some  remains  of  a  brick  pavement,  probably  Venetian.  In  an  hour  we  came  to  the  village 
of  Aracipou,  consisting  of  about  twenty-five  houses ;  and  we  passed  two  others,  Gotzi,  con- 
taining about  ten,  and  Looritzena,  about  thirty  houses.  Near  (Jotzi  was  a  mountain  in  shape 
a  complete  sugar-loaf,  which  contained  on  its  peak  a  small  Greek  church,  of  the  Lower 
Empire  (of  which  construction  there  are  several  Greek  churches  about  the  island),  that  had 


430 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


a  very  picturesque  effect.  At  half  past  ten  we  arrived  at  Idalium  (a  small  village  of  a  hundred 
houses,  still  to  my  great  dehght  called  Thali)  which  is  situated  in  a  plain  better  cultivated 
than  the  surrounding  country,  being  very  fruitful  in  corn,  grapes  (whence  they  make  the 
common  red  wine  of  the  country,  sold  for  eight  paras  an  oke),  beans  and  cotton,  and 
surrounded  by  small  mountains  near  it,  Avhence  perhaps  issued  the  boar  fatal  to  Adonis. 
"W  e  went  to  the  house  of  a  peasant,  who  admitted  us  very  cordially,  and  his  wife  shook  hands 
with  us  on  our  entering,  contrary  to  the  custom  of  countries  in  the  Levant,  which  is  either 
to  kiss  hands,  or  to  carry  the  hand  to  the  forehead.  They  gave  us  some  eggs,  which  with 
bread  and  cheese  and  wine  brought  by  Ibrahim,  made  me  a  good  dinner.  The  master  of  the 
house  and  his  family  made  themselves  so  serviceable,  and  were  so  civil,  that  I  supposed  them 
Greeks,  and  was  astonished  when  he  told  me  he  was  a  Musulman,  as  well  as  his  wife  and 
six  children.  He  went  to  Constantinople  four  years  ago,  he  said,  to  fight  against  the 
Russians;  and  after  serving  six  months  in  the  Turkish  army  received  70  piastres  as  pay. 
His  wife  was  weaving  cotton,  which  in  its  raw  state  sells  here  for  3i  piastres  an  oke.  His 
cottage  was  neat  and  clean,  and  consisted  of  only  one  room  with  mud  walls  and  a  mud  floor, 
of  which  one  half  was  raised  above  the  other.  After  dinner  the  peasant  oifered  to  conduct 
me  to  a  very  fine  antique  building  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  on  my  assenting  led  me  about 
two  miles  through  rich  fields  full  of  the  productions  before-mentioned,  and  shaded  by  long 
rows  of  olive  trees,  and  watered  by  a  small  river :  the  tout  ensemble,  with  the  mountains  round, 
made  a  pleasing  prospect.  On  my  way  my  guide  complained  bitterly  of  the  tyranny  of  the 
government,  who  exacted  from  each  cottager  150  piastres  yearly.  When  we  came  to  the 
antique  he  had  boasted  of,  I  found  it  was  a  small  Venetian  building,  on  which  I  left  it 
immediately,  and  he  led  me  to  the  site  of  the  ancient  Idalium,  which  is  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  to  the  north  of  the  village,  between  two  small  mountains,  part  of  which  it  covered :  here, 
he  said,  according  to  a  tradition  in  the  village,  stood  a  large  city  formerly,  and  though  there 
were  no  walls  standing,  yet  the  tradition  was  supported  by  an  amazing  number  of  stones 
scattered  about  the  fields  and  the  mountains,  and  by  two  small  water  troughs  that  appeared 
ancient.  I  had  not  been  able  to  borrow  at  Larnaca  any  volume  containing  Bion's  Idyll  on  the 
death  of  Adonis,  but  fortunately  my  pocket  Anacreon  contained,  among  some  few  pieces  of 
other  poets,  Theocritus,  XXX,  "  The  dead  Adonis,"  which  I  read  on  the  spot  with  enthusiastic 
pleasure.  From  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  I  had  a  very  advantageous  view  of  the  modern 
village,  with  its  small  mountains,  behind  which  were  others  in  the  distance  of  a  considerable 
height :  but  it  is  infested  by  the  curse  of  modern  Cyprus,  pools  of  stagnant  water,  which  were 
drying  and  brewing  fevers  apace.  At  a  quarter  past  three  I  left  Thali,  rather  disappointed  at 
not  having  been  able  to  find  a  single  antique.  We  met  several  peasants  on  the  road  driving 
large  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats :  their  prevailing  dress  was  a  white  turban,  white  jacket  and 
white  shalivar  (trousers)  :  that  of  the  women  was  the  common  Greek  dress,  with  a  large  white 
vest  to  shade  them  from  the  sun.  When  we  were  about  half-way,  Ibrahim  made  me  turn 
aside  from  the  road,  a  narrow  pass  between  two  rocks,  to  look  at  the  tomb  of  a  poor  Greek, 
who  had  been  found  dead  on  the  road,  having  been  ill  with  the  fever,  and,  it  is  supposed, 
drank  too  copiously  of  a  pool  of  water  near  which  his  body  was  found.  The  rocks  that  we 
passed  were  very  white,  and  scooped  out  into  natural  basins  by  the  rains.  We  passed  a  little 
after  sunset  the  village  of  Aracipou,  where  I  got  some  delicious  milk,  warm  from  the  goat,  the 
flocks  being  just  returned.  Hence  we  proceeded  by  glimpses  of  the  moonlight,  which  was  at 
intervals  obscured  by  clouds.  When  we  were  drawing  near  Larnaca  we  met  four  Greek 
peasants  on  donkies ;  as  the  first  in  passing  us  saluted  us  with  "  Good  evening,"  Ibrahim 
struck  him  with  the  switch  in  his  hand,  returning  his  salute  with  "  anasiny  siqdim "  (the 


TURNER. 


common  Turkish  expression  of  anger  or  contempt)  :  immediately  he  and  the  other  three 
alighted  with  great  exjjedition :  when  I  asked  Ibrahim  why  he  struck  the  man,  he  said  it  was 
because  he  had  not  alighted  in  passing  me ;  and  I  found  on  enciuiry  that  every  Rayah  here  is 
forced  to  alight  whenever  he  meets  a  Turk  of  rank.  I,  of  course,  charged  Ibrahim,  who  had 
insisted  on  the  same  respect  being  paid  to  me,  not  to  be  so  punctilious  on  my  account  in 
future.  At  half  past  seven  we  reached  Signor  Vondiziano's  house.  I  could  not  observe  my 
thermometer  at  noon  to-day,  but  at  nine  in  the  evening  it  was  at  56.  We  passed  on  the  road 
several  camels,  which  attain  here  their  full  size  and  perfection :  my  horse  was  not,  like  the 
Grecian  hoi'ses  of  old,  either  frightened  or  disgusted  by  them. 

March  21.  (Therm.  78°.)  Cyprus  is  no  longer  famous  for  the  beauty,  or  infamous  for  the 
immodesty,  of  its  women.  The  Turkish  women  of  Nicosia  are,  I  am  told,  in  general  prettj', 
but  not  to  any  extraordinary  degree;  and  one  half  of  their  charms  is  destroye<l  by  the 
relaxation  of  the  system  consequent  on  their  frequent  use  of  the  bath,  the  enemy  of  female 
attractions  throughout  the  Levant.  But  after  seeing  the  rigour  with  which  they  are  gtiarded 
at  Constantinople,  I  was  astonished  to  .see  the  familiarity  with  which  they  enter  the  houses 
here,  even  of  the  Franks,  divested  of  either  ferajt'i  or  yashmaq.  The  winds  that  blow  most 
commonly  in  the  island  are  the  west  and  south-west  during  summer,  and  the  north  in  the 
months  of  December  and  January.  The  best  white  wine  in  the  island  is  made  on  the 
mountains  near  Limesole.  Cotton  is  cultivated  in  the  greatest  plenty  in  the  north  of  the 
island.  In  the  morning  there  came  in  here  a  small  S.  Mauriote  vessel,  of  about  twenty  tons, 
put  in  here  on  her  way  from  Alexandria  home,  owing  to  tempests,  by  which  she  had  been  very 
roughly  handled,  having  lost  her  nuists,  and  been  forced  to  throw  her  cargo  overboard.  In 
the  evening  I  went  to  call  on  Mr  How,  whom  1  found  heartily  tired,  having  been  up  half  the 
night  loading  wheat,  which  though  permitted  by  the  government  here,  must  be  done  secretly, 
owing  to  the  severe  orders  of  the  Sultan  that  no  corn  should  be  exported  except  to 
Constantinople.  H.  told  me  that  the  island,  after  supplying  its  own  p<jpulation,  can  furnish 
com  enough  to  load  sixty  or  seventy  ves.sels.  I  walked  to  the  Marina  to  look  for  a  ship,  and 
found  a  large  three-masted  one  going  for  Jaffa  as  soon  as  the  wiTid  should  clumge,  which, 
sijice  my  arrival,  has  blown  so  strong  on  the  west  and  south-west,  that  no  shij)  has  vt'iitmcd 
to  leave  the  island. 

[Mr  Turwr  left  Laniaca  on  March  22,  awl  after  visiting  the  Lebanon,  Syria,  Valentine, 
Egypt  and  M.  Sinai,  returned  thUher  on  October  .'i,  1816.] 

Monday,  October  2.    At  sunset  we  were  fifteen  miles  S.E.  of  Cape  Gatta. 

October  3.  All  night  a  dead  calm.  All  the  morning  light  l)reezes  from  the  N.E.  till 
eleven  :  from  eleven  to  two  again  dead  caliii.  We  then  got  a  light  breeze,  which  carried  us 
along  the  shore,  and,  freshening  at  three,  brought  us  to  an  anchor  in  the  roadsted  of  Laniaca 
at  five.    I  went  immediately  ashore,  and  found  all  my  Cyprus  friends  quite  well.    I  stationed 

myself  again  in  the  house  of  the  consul   There  has,  I  am  glad  to  Hud,  been  very  little 

fever  in  Cyprus  this  year. 

October  t.  (Therm.  82°.)  This  being  tlie  fete  day  of  the  Emperor  Francis,  I  went  with 
Signor  Vondiziano  and  the  few  English  subjects  here  to  pay  a  visit  in  form  to  the  Austrian 
consul,  and  to  the  monks  of  the  convent  of  Terra  Santa... 

October  6.  (Therm,  at  6.30  a.m.  66".)  This  being  the  fete  day  of  S.  Thecia,  to  the  village 
bearing  whose  name  the  Greek  peasants  flock  from  all  parts  of  the  island,  I  was  glad  to 
accept  an  invitation  from  Sigjior  Peristiani,  the  Russian  consul,  to  dine  with  him  iit  his 
country-house  there,  and  .see  the  amusements  of  the  festival.  I  .set  off  at  seven  with  Mehmed, 
the  same  janizary  that  accompanied  me  seven  months  ago  to  Thali.    For  the  first  hour  and  a 


432 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


half  we  rode  over  a  higli  plain,  covered  with  heath  and  thistles,  and  entirely  uncultivated, 
having  our  road  now  and  then  varied  by  a  stony  path  lying  between  low  heath  hills.  Our 
last  two  hours  lay  over  low  mountains  of  naked  sandy-coloured  earth,  in  part  clothed  with 
heath,  and  through  valleys  of  rich  soil  utterly  uncultivated,  but  full  of  heath,  wild  flowers 
and  thistles.    What  little  cultivation  there  was  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  village,  was  only 
that  of  vines,  with  a  very  few  olive  trees,  and  there  were  scattered  along  our  road  some  few 
bushes  of  laurel.    We  passed  three  villages  on  the  road,  Kalon  Khourgon,  S.  Anna,  and 
Psefgas.    Through  the  latter  lay  the  passage  of  a  considerable  mountain-stream,  now  dry, 
there  having  this  year  been  very  little  rain  in  the  months  of  April  and  May,  fortunately  for 
Cyprus,  as  its  fevers  proceed  from  the  exhalations  of  the  marshes  filled  by  those  rains.  Owing 
to  the  Avant  of  rain,  all  the  land  (which,  when  I  saw  it  in  February,  was  quite  green)  is  now 
burnt  up  by  the  sun.    At  eleven  we  reached  Thecla,  where  I  was  heartily  welcomed  by 
Signer  P.  into  the  Greek  convent,  in  which  I  found  also  the  old  deaf  Greek  priest,  whom  I 
saw  at  Signor  P.'s  house  at  the  Marina,  seven  months  ago,  and  all  Signor  P.'s  family,  wife,  two 
sons  and  two  daughters,  dressed  out  in  gala.    This  convent  was  built  by  S.  Helena,  but  has 
been  renewed  and  repaired  several  times  since  its  original  construction.    The  country  round 
Thecla  was  beautiful ;  it  was  a  valley  full  of  olive,  fig  and  mulberry  trees,  and  laid  out  in 
gardens,  through  which  ran  a  small  mountain-stream,  whose  banks  were  everywhere  covered 
with  oleanders  in  flower.    The  mountains  around  of  grey  rock  and  earth,  of  different,  and 
some  of  very  lofty  height,  were  well  clothed  with  brushwood,  and  plentifully  scattered  with 
wild  pines.    This  rural  amphitheatre  was  crowded  with  Greek  peasants,  about  1500,  in  their 
best  clothes  of  different  colours,  sitting  to  dine  and  drink,  playing  on  their  mandolina  (a  sort 
of  guitar),  singing,  and  dancing.  About  500  were  gone  to  their  houses  this  morning,  of  whom 
we  met  many  on  the  road.  One  of  these  peasants  had  taken  such  ample  and  repeated  draughts 
of  raki  (white  brandy  of  the  country)  that  it  gave  him  an  oppression  which  his  friends  round 
thought  betokened  death ;  and  by  making  him  swallow  a  draught  of  warm  water,  which 
greatly  relieved  him,  I  got  the  reputation  of  being  a  learned  doctor.    After  dining  at  the 
convent  and  taking  an  hour's  sleep,  I  set  off  Avith  Signor  P.  and  his  family  for  the  convent  of 
S.  Barbara,  which  was  higher  up  the  mountain,  on  the  road  to  the  summit  of  Santa  Croce,  the 
mount  of  Olympus.    We  reached  it  at  a  quarter  past  five,  after  just  an  hour's  riding  through 
a  fine  hilly  road  covered  with  wild  pine  bushes,  tamarisk  bushes,  and  brushwood,  but  very 
little  cultivated,  and  that  only  in  vines,  of  which  there  wei"e  but  few  fields.    S.  Barbara  is  a 
recently  built  convent,  small,  but  beautifully  situated  at  the  foot  of  S.  Croce,  and  surrounded 
by  the  richest  land,  which  the  caloyers  cialtivate  and  lay  out  in  vineyards.    I  ascended  the 
mountain  immediately,  being  decided  to  return  to  Larnaca  to-morrow  morning.  The  road  was 
steep  and  abounded  in  precipices,  but  wildly  beautiful,  being  covered  with  pine  bushes  and 
brushwood ;  and  the  valley  below,  which,  in  the  rainy  season,  is  the  bed  of  a  stream,  abounds 
in  laurel  and  oleander:  it  produces,  too,  many  wild  herbs  which  in  any  other  country  would  be 
of  medical  utility.    I  reached  the  top  in  three-quarters  of  an  hour.    On  the  summit  stands  a 
convent  built  with  great  solidity,  though  small,  by  S.  Helena.    Under  it  are  subterraneous 
chambers,  of  which  three  have  been  opened  and  found  to  contain  rich  priestly  habits;  of  these 
the  Turks  took  possession ;  there  remains  a  fourth  unopened,  of  which  the  priests  conceal  their 
knowledge  till  they  shall  find  an  opportunity  of  opening  it  unknown  to  their  tyrants.  The 
door  of  the  convent  is  guarded  by  a  portcullis;  the  church  is  small  and  mean.    I  found  it  full 
of  about  150  Greek  peasants,  who  were  bowing  and  praying  to  a  cloth  on  which  was 
embroidered  a  cross.    One  of  the  women  fell  down  in  a  fit,  which  she  was  in  the  habit  of 
doing,  and  the  foolish  Greeks  laid  her  down  in  the  church  before  the  picture  of  a  saint,  stuifed 


TURNER. 


433 


the  cross  into  her  moutli,  and  su  pi-essed  round  her  that  1  wonder  she  was  not  stifled  by  the 
heat.  All  remonstrances  were  in  vain,  for  the  only  answer  that  1  could  get  was  that  the  cross 
would  certainly  cure  her.  The  terrace  of  the  convent  commands  a  fine  view,  extending  about 
twenty  miles  on  every  side.  The  evening  was  rather  misty,  but  I  could  with  my  glass  plainly 
discover  Larnaca  to  the  east,  six  hours  distant,  and  Nicosia  (called  by  the  inhabitants 
Levcosia)  eight  hours  ofF,  lying  north  by  east.  The  sea  lay  visible  to  the  east,  south-east  and 
south  ;  Limesol  is  visible  in  clear  weather.  The  view  consisted  of  plains,  burnt  up  by  the  sun, 
interrupted  by  low  round  hills,  and  bounded  by  high  pointed  mountains.  Very  little 
cultivation  was  visible,  and  that  only  of  olive  trees  and  vines.  The  mountains  were  generally 
naked,  but  those  round  S.  Croce  were  clothed  \vith  pine  bushes,  and  other  wild  verdure  :  the 
convent  is  built  on  an  isolated  precipice  of  grey  rock,  which  overhangs  the  mountains  below. 
I  descended  the  mountain  after  sunset,  and  amused  myself  asking  questions  of  my  peasant 
guide,  who  inveighed  bitterly  against  his  Mahometan  oppressors,  whom  he  named  "  the  dog  of 
a  Turk."  I  reached  S.  Barbara  by  mocjiilight,  and  there  found  a  good  supper  prepared  for  us 
by  the  caloyers,  and  slept  in  a  tcjli-rable  bed  provided  for  me  by  Signor  Peristiani. 

October  7.  (Therm.  Ho  .)  .Mehmed  and  I  set  off  at  daylight,  and  rode  with  a  guide 
through  the  delicious  countrj'  at  the  foot  of  S.  Croce,  of  which  the  wild  beauty  that  appears 
in  precipitate  crags  of  grey  rock,  in  pine  bushes,  tamarisks  and  brushwood,  is  occasionally 
contrasted  with  a  few  cultivated  vineyards,  and  a  small  grove  of  olive  trees.  At  the  foot  of 
the  mountain  near  S.  Barbara  is  the  small  village  of  Stavros  (the  Cross).  We  dismissed  our 
guide  at  Psefgas,  whence  we  returned  by  our  yesterday's  road  to  Larnaca,  which  we  reached 
at  ten  o'clock. 

October  9.  (Therm.  83'.)  1  passed  all  the  morning  writing  in  my  room,  and  in  the 
evening  went  with  my  friends  to  the  fete  of  a  Catholick  marriage  at  the  Marina,  where  we 
remained  dancing  till  near  eleven  ;  most  of  the  better  class  of  iidiabitants  were  there,  all 
dressed  a  la  yrccqut;,  witliout  any  variation  from  the  common  costume.  The  K(^maika  was 
danced,  not,  as  I  have  usually  seen  it,  in  a  ring,  but  by  two  only,  who  .scarcely  moved  from 
one  place,  but  confined  thcii-  activity  to  raising  and  Ijcnding  their  arms,  making  des  petUs  pan 
with  more  voluptuousness  than  graci-. 

Oct.  10,  Therm.  89°.  Oct.  11,  Therm.  88°.  Oct.  i  J,  'I'herm.  96°.  Having  arranged  this 
morning  .in  excursion  to  Famagosto,  1  set  ott'  at  seven  o'clock  with  Ismail,  the  brother  of 
Mehmed  who  had  accompanied  nu-  to  S.  Tliecla,  and  wiio  found  himself  ill  in  consequence,  he 
said,  of  the  violent  exertion  of  that  five  hours'  journey.  In  two  hours  we  reached  the 
mountiiins  (not  veiy  high  to  the  east)  that  l)ounil  the  plain  on  which  stands  Larnaca.  This 
plain  though  of  the  richest  land  is,  except  in  the  imnu'diate  environs  of  the  town  or  of  the 
neighbouring  villages,  utterly  uncultivated,  but  covered  with  rich  long  grass,  heath,  palm,  and 
tamarisk  bushes.  We  then  rode  an  hour  close  to  the  sea,  having  to  our  left  low  rocks  which 
overhang  the?  sea,  and  are  perforated  by  time  and  weather,  and  naturally  formed  into  stalactite 
shapes.  The  land  round  us  through  the  whole  of  the  journey  was  of  the  same  description  as 
the  plain  of  Larnaca,  displaying,  that  is,  the  greatest  richness  in  its  abundance  of  brushwood, 
and  the  length  of  its  grass ;  but  I  do  not  believe  that  in  the  whole  of  our  ride  there  were  fifty 
acres  of  cultivated  land,  and  that  was  all  laid  out  in  vineyard.s.  I  have  as  yet  seen  little  or  no 
corn  in  Cyprus.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  a  village  one  sees  a  few  olive  trees  and  vines,  but 
beyond  its  precincts  all  is  barrenness.  We  saw  but  four  villages  on  the  road.  The  first  of 
these  was  Ormithia. 

When  Cyprus  was  yet  con.siderable  in  the  hands  of  the  Turks,  and  an  Lnglish  factory 
resided  here,  Ormithia  was  their  favourite  village,  at  which  most  of  them  had  their  villas,  and 


434 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


it  owed  this  distinction  to  its  situation  on  the  banks  of  the  sea,  and  the  consequent  salubrity 
of  its  air.  Between  Ormithia  and  Avgorou  is  the  convent  of  S.  Nappa  (this  is  the  name  of  the 
spot,  the  convent  is  devoted  to  the  worship  of  the  Virgin).  This  convent  is  remarkable  for 
having  a  large  church  cut  out  of  a  grotto  in  the  rock,  but  as  I  have  seen  several  of  these 
grotto  churches,  and  it  was  two  hours  out  of  my  road,  I  did  not  turn  off  to  visit  it.  I  saw  on 
the  road  two  or  three  isolated  G-reek  churches,  which  from  the  clumsy  solidity  of  their 
construction,  appeared  to  be  of  Byzantine  date,  but  they  were  small  and  insignificant.  The 
distant  view  of  Famagosto,  which  we  first  saw  about  an  hour  off,  is  strikingly  pretty.  The 
ruins  in  the  city,  particularly  the  high  one  of  the  church  of  S.  Sophia,  the  high  mountains 
behind,  the  capacious  bay,  on  whose  banks  stand  the  city,  and  the  gardens  near  it,  form  in 
their  combination  a  fine  cowp  d'oeil.  Near  the  city  is  a  village  inhabited  by  Christians,  who 
are  not  excluded  from  the  city,  but  prefer  living  in  the  village  of  which  each  house  has  its 
garden.  This  village  contains  about  100  low  houses,  mostly  of  mud,  but  some  of  stone.  I 
went  to  the  house  of  Signer  Beneducci,  a  Greek  merchant  there,  to  whom  Mr  How  had 
promised  me  a  letter,  but  forgot  to  send  it  to  me.  I  did  not  however  feel  the  want  of  it,  for 
he  received  me  with  the  readiest  hospitality.  I  arrived  at  half  past  one,  and  after  dinner  went 
with  Signer  B.  to  the  city  which  is  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  N.E.  of  the  village.  Famagosto 
was  the  strongest  place  the  Venetians  had  in  Cyprus,  and  was  the  ^residence  of  most  of  the 
nobles.  Its  importance  is  well  attested  by  its  amazing  strength.  It  then  contained  from 
15,000  to  20,000  houses,  and  the  extraordinarily  disproportionate  number  of  365  churches. 
The  siege  was  most  obstinate  and  bloody,  and  at  last  want  of  provisions  only  caused  its  fall. 
It  was  accordingly  most  terribly  battered  in  the  attack,  and  its  ruin  was  completed  by  an 
earthquake  (to  which  this  part  of  the  island,  I  am  told,  is  very  subject)  in  1735.  The  walls, 
which  remain  uninjured,  are  immensely  thick  and  strong,  and  are  fortified  by  a  fosse,  in  many 
parts  hewn  from  the  rock,  about  eighty  feet  wide  and  twenty-five  deep,  into  which  the  sea 
was  formerly  admitted,  but  it  is  now  dry.  The  only  gate  is  defended  by  a  drawbridge  and 
portcullis.  Three  years  ago  the  Turks  would  allow  no  Christian  to  enter  it  but  on  foot,  but 
they  have  lately  abated  this  insolence,  though  I  was  assured  that  I  should  have  found  a 
difficulty  in  riding  in  if  I  had  not  had  a  janizary  with  me. 

From  the  gate  to  the  port  there  is  a  subterraneous  passage  which  the  Turks  leave 
unexplored.  I  rode  through  streets  of  levelled  palaces,  choked  up  with  ruins  and  rubbish  to 
the  house  of  the  Agha,  of  which  one  half  was  choked  up  by  the  fallen  stones  of  the  other. 
He  was  a  meanly  dressed  Turk,  who  received  me  very  civilly,  and  sent  a  chawush  with  me  to 
show  me  the  place.  I  first  entered  the  principal  church  of  S.  Sophia,  now  converted  into  a 
mosque,  and  surmounted  by  a  broken  minaret.  It  is  very  large,  and  built  in  the  Gothick  style, 
mixed  with  Venetian  ornament,  the  arches  of  the  door  and  window  being  overtopped  by  a 
large  triangle  sculptured  in  high  relief.  I  found  a  small  stone  at  the  door  with  a  Greek 
inscription,  of  which  I  made  out  some  words.     [See  Boeckh.  C.  I.  No.  2634.] 

The  interior,  which  is  about  120  feet  by  90,  and  about  80  high,  is  disposed  in  three  aisles, 
divided  by  thick  round  columns,  which  rise  into  arches.  The  windows  were  neatly  fretted, 
and  a  recess  for  the  altar  was  made  at  the  top  of  the  middle  aisle.  As  is  usual  in  Turkish 
mosques  its  walls  are  now  entirely  naked,  and  it  is  furnished  only  with  a  few  lamps  and  mats, 
and  a  small  pulpit.  On  the  floor  are  a  few  tombs  with  inscriptions  written  in  a  language 
which,  though  to  me  illegible,  I  believe  to  be  Gothick... From  S.  Sophia  I  walked  to  the 
citadel,  which  is  at  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  city  on  the  seashore,  and  is  immensely 
strong,  being  surrounded  by  the  thickest  wall,  and  defended  by  a  separate  fosse,  a  drawbridge 
and  portcullis.    Over  the  entrance  were  the  arms  of  Venice  (which  are  very  fi'equent  in  the 


TURNEli. 


city)  and  the  inscription  NiCOLAO  FOSCARENO  Cypri  Praefecto.  MCCCCLXXXll.  in 
Roman  letters.  On  crossing  the  drawbridge,  we  ascended  by  a  stone  staircase  to  a  defended 
passage  leading  to  the  sea,  at  the  end  of  which  was  a  strong  tower  overlooking,  and  completely 
commanding,  the  port.  The  thickness  of  the  walls,  and  their  domineering  situation,  show 
this  passage  and  tower  to  have  been  formerly  of  prodigious  strength,  but  there  now  remain 
on  it  only  eight  bronze  guns  (the  rest  were  carried  to  Constantinople)  which  are  almost 
rusted,  and  without  serviceable  carriages.  The  port  was  admirable,  being  al;out  one  quarter 
of  a  mile  in  length,  and  something  less  in  breadth.  It  is  sheltered  by  low  rocks,  connected 
where  necessary  by  a  strong  mole.  It  has  only  one  entrance,  about  sixty  feet  wide,  close 
under  the  tower,  from  the  bottom  of  which,  to  the  opposite  extremity  of  the  mole,  crossed  a 
strong  chain  upon  occasitm.  The  port  is  now  mostly  choked  up,  nor  will  the  Turks  clear  it,  or 
permit  it  to  be  cleared  (the  Franks  once  offered  tf)  do  it  at  their  own  expense),  suspecting,  as 
usual,  that  the  bottom  contains  treasures,  of  which  they  may  be  cheated. 

From  the  citadel  I  walked  to  another  massy  round  tower  near  it,  from  which  a  gate 
opened  on  the  scala  of  the  port.  This  gate  was  guarded  by  a  portcullis,  and  over  it  are  the 
arms  of  Venice,  and  the  inscription  in  Roman  characters  of  NiCOLAO  Priolo  Prefecto. 
MCCCCLXXXXVI. 

There  were  five  boats  of  a  large  size  in  tlie  port,  which  are  employed  in  canying  corn 
from  Famagosto  to  the  ships  at  Larnaca.  But  ships  that  stop  during  the  winter  in  Cyprus  still 
come  for  safety  to  anchor  in  Famagf)sto.  There  is  another  gate  opening  to  the  port  which 
the  Turks  have  closed  u\).  The  Ducal  palace  was  near  S.  Sophia,  and  is  now  completely 
crumbled  to  ruins.  Under  it  are  some  subterraneous  chambers,  full  of  cannon-shot.  There 
is  here  too  one  chamber  in  which  are  deposited  some  old  sabres,  guns  and  armour,  taken  with 
the  city,  but  this  is  guarded  most  rigorously,  and  no  Frank  is  permitted  to  enter  it.  It  is, 
said  the  chawush,  under  the  care  of  twenty-eight  all  of  whom  must  be  united  to 

open  it,  and  this  is  only  done  twice  a  year  at  i^aniadan  and  Hairanu  It  is  hardly  credible  that 
a  city  so  lately  Hourishing  should  be  so  completely  ruined  as  is  Famagosto:  of  its  numerous 
palaces  and  churclu's  not  one  remains  entire.  It  is  now  inhabited  by  not  more  than  one 
hundred  souls,  almost  all  Turks,  for  there  are  only  three  (ireek  families.  These  live  in 
crumbling  palaces,  which  they  patch  up  to  make  habitable,  and  the  only  room  in  which  tliey 
can  live  is  blocked  up  by  the  fallen  materials  of  the  rest.  The  streets  are  in  many  places 
hardly  passable,  from  the  iieaps  of  stones  that  ciioke  them.  Hut  the  city  might  easily  be 
restored,  for  the  walls  and  fortifications  yet  remain  entire.  To  walk  round  the  outside  of 
them  reciuires  a  littU?  more  than  an  hour.  A  few  fig,  olive  and  nndberry  trees,  are  the  only 
vegi'tation  witliin  the  walls,    'i'lie  ruins  have  the  same  yellow  hue  as  those  of  Athens. 

As  there  are  no  hands  to  cultivate  it,  the  tine  plains  which  surround  Famagosto  present 
on  ev(My  side  nothing  but  a  scene  of  heathy  barrenness.  The  gates  being  regularly  and 
rigoi'ously  shut  at  suns(;t,  I  returned  in  the  evening  to  the  house  of  Signor  Mcni'tlucci,  where 
I  found  a  good  supper  and  bed.    The  next  day  I  returned  to  Larnaca  by  the  same  road. 

Oct.  13,  Therm.  89°.  Oct.  14,  95°.  Oct.  15,  di".  In  the  evening  I  went  to  the  fete  of  a 
marriage  (of  which  there  are  three  here  to-day)  at  which  I  danced  till  nine  o'clock.  I  went 
also  to  pay  a  visit  to  a  lying-in  Cypriote  lady.  We  found  her  sitting  uj)  in  bed,  and  in  good 
health  and  spirits,  though  it  is  only  the  second  day  since  her  delivery.  She  was  gaily  and 
spleiulidly  dressed,  and  wore  a  garland  of  Howers  round  her  cap  (at  Constantinople  the 
costume  in  these  cases  is  a  small  embroidered  white  handkerchief  on  the  head):  the  oidy  sign 
of  her  indisposition  was  the  room  being  darkened. 

Oct.  16,  Therm.  94°.  Oct.  17,  90°.    At  half  past  seven  I  set  off  on  a  pony  of  Mr  How, 

55—2 


436 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


with  my  companion,  the  Maltese  flag  captain  of  the  vessel  which  brought  me  here  from 
Alexandria,  and  Ismail,  on  two  excellent  mules  of  the  country,  whose  owner  accompanied  us 
as  guide  on  a  donkey.  In  an  hour  and  a  quarter  we  passed  the  northern  extremity  of  the 
plain  of  Larnaca  which  was  covered  with  heath  and  brushwood  and  burnt  grass.  We  then 
rode  over  and  between  round  hills,  naked  and  white,  in  general  like  sandhills,  in  the  valley 
of  which  we  followed  for  an  hour  the  course  of  a  mountain-stream,  now  dry,  and  covered 
with  the  finest  oleanders  and  cistus,  and  large  ti'ees  of  brushwood,  but  beainng  no  marks  of 
cultivation.  After  leaving  these  hills  we  came  to  a  plain,  on  the  beginning  of  which,  at 
half  past  ten,  we  stopped  at  the  village  of  Athiainou,  consisting  of  a  few  houses  of  mud,  and  a 
neat  Greek  church.  It  is  four  hours  (of  distance)  from  Larnaca  and  half-way  to  Nicosia. 
Round  it  are  a  few  fields  of  corn,  and  some  insignificant  gardens  of  olives  and  mulberry  trees. 
This  being  the  village  of  our  guide,  we  dined  here  off  some  eggs  cooked  for  us  by  his  wife, 
and  at  noon  set  off  again,  our  haste  not  permitting  us  to  consult  our  comfort,  which  was 
attacked  by  a  burning  sun.  All  the  rest  of  our  road  to-day  lay  along  a  very  rich  plain 
entirely  uncultivated  (except  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  a  village),  covered  with  long 
grass,  brushwood,  heath  and  thistles,  and  occasionally  varied  by  low  round  whitish  hills, 
sometimes  of  earth,  and  sometimes  of  stone.  At  one  we  crossed  a  mountain-stream,  now  dry, 
but  in  winter  considerable,  over  which  lay  a  good  stone  bridge  of  six  arches,  built  by  the 
Venetians,  and  to  the  left  of  which  was  the  village  of  Beroi,  and  to  the  right  (in  going)  that 
of  Margon.  At  half  past  three  we  entered  Nicosia,  round  which,  in  sight  of  it,  are  the 
villages,  all  inconsiderable,  of  Athalassa,  Aklangiar,  Palgiogothizar,  Kaimaklee,  Aimalouthaeis, 
S.  Themeetrie,  Mayionissa  and  Strovilion. 

Nicosia  (which  has  been  supposed  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  ancient  Tremitus)  is  situated 
in  a  low,  rich,  extensive  plain,  of  which  the  moisture  is  shown  by  the  quantity  of  rushes  it 
bears,  and  which  accordingly  causes  constant  fevers  in  summer.  Behind  (to  the  north  of)  the 
city  is  a  line  of  high,  brown  pointed  mountains  which  completely  domineer  it;  and  all  round 
it,  on  the  plain,  are  a  number  of  low  round  hills ;  the  city  must  therefore  have  been  either 
formidably  strong  or  ridiculously  weak ;  strong  if  the  Venetians  had  forts  on  these  hills  and 
mountains,  which  would  command  the  plain,  and  assure  a  constant  supply  to  the  city ;  and  in 
the  contrary  case  absolutely  untenable  for  any  length  of  time :  I  rather  believe  the  latter, 
as  I  saw  no  remains  of  forts  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  surrounded  by  walls  which  form  (as  far  as 
I  could  see,  and  as  I  was  told)  a  hexagon  :  they  are  very  broad,  being  double,  and  having  the 
middle  space  filled  with  trodden  earth ;  the  upper  half  slopes  like  a  pyramid,  and  at  intervals 
some  parts  project  to  defend  the  other :  they  are  of  unequal  height,  in  some  part  of  thirty, 
and  in  some  of  forty,  feet,  are  irregularly  built,  as  the  pyramidical  slope  is  often  continued  to 
the  bottom  (where  it  was  so  I  saw  dogs  running  down  them)  and  have  no  fosse.  A  few 
Venetian  cannon  remain  on  the  ramparts,  and  these  are  immoveable  from  the  ruined  state  of 
their  wooden  carriages.  The  ground  of  the  city  is  very  unequal,  being  in  some  parts  elevated 
to  the  height  of  the  walls  within,  and  in  some  a  deep  valley :  this  is  perhaps  caused  by  the 
earth  taken  out  to  fill  up  the  space  between  the  walls.  As  every  house  has  a  large  or  small 
garden  attached  to  it,  the  first  view  of  the  city  is  very  pleasing  from  the  contrast  which  this 
cultivation  affords,  with  the  dark  mountains  behind.  The  Grreeks  told  us  that  to  encompass 
the  city  requires  an  hour  and  a  half  on  horseback,  which  would  give  it  the  not  impi-obable 
circuit  of  four  and  a  half  miles.  The  gardens  within  the  walls  are  well  cultivated,  and 
abound  in  fig,  olive,  mulberry,  orange,  lemons  and  pomegranate  trees. 

Immediately  on  arriving  we  rode  to  the  Greek  convent,  which,  though  irregularly  built, 
is  large  and  commodious,  and  delivered  a  letter  with  which  Mr  Vondiziano  had  furnished  us 


TURNER 


to  the  Archbishop,  who  received  us  very  hospitably :  ht-  is  the  primate  of  the  island,  and  is  so 
respected  by  the  Greeks  that  he  shares  the  supreme  power  with  the  Agha.  His  enemies  in 
Constantinople  having  declared  that  his  tyranny  and  rapacity  rendered  his  name  odious  to 
the  Cypriotes,  the  Porte  has  sent  two  Turks  (whom  we  found  with  him)  to  inquire  into  the 
affair:  but  he  has  escaped  from  the  snare  by  procuring  a  declarati(m  from  the  (xreeks  that 
they  are  content  with  him,  and  by  giving  presents  (without  which  no  declaration  would  avail 
him)  to  the  messengers.  He  told  me  that  he  was  entirely  independent  of  all  the  four 
patriarchs,  for  the  following  cause : — 

In  the  time  of  the  lattei-  Byzantine  Emperors  of  Constantinople  the  cliui-ch  there  having 
no  authentic  copy  of  the  Gospel  of  S.  Matthew,  issued  orders  for  the  seeking  of  one  through- 
out the  Empire.  The  priest  of  a  convent  near  Pamagosto  dreamed  that  if  he  dug  under  his 
church  in  a  spot  pointed  out,  he  should  Knd  it.  Xe.xt  day  he  obeyed  the  injunctions  of  the 
Angel  who  had  appeared  to  him  in  a  vision,  and  found  the  tomb  of  S.  Barnabas,  with  the 
Gospel  of  S.  Matthew  laid  on  the  bosom  of  the  dead  saint.  The  Archbishop  wrote  this  to 
Constantinople,  whence  the  royal  galleys  were  immediately  sent,  on  board  of  which  he 
carried  the  treasure  to  the  capital,  and  in  return  for  his  present  he  was  made  independent, 
and  presented  with  a  red  vest,  which  he  still  has  the  prerogative  of  wearing,  and  allowed  the 
pi-ivilege  of  writing  with  red  ink,  which  he  has  ever  since  continued.  He  has  a  third 
privilege,  that  of  bearing  the  arms  (jf  the  Greek  Church  (very  like  the  Russian  Eagle)  on  his 
chair,  like  a  Patriarch.  After  sitting  and  smoking  half  an  hour  with  the  Archbishop,  we 
went  to  look  at  the  church  of  S.  Sophia,  built  by  the  V  enetians,  and  now  converted  into  a 
mosque,  which  stands  about  the  centre  of  the  citJ^  It  is  built  in  the  (rothick  style  (corrupted 
by  the  same  triangular  ornaments  as  1  observed  in  that  of  Famagosto)  in  an  oblong  form, 
with  a  pentagonal  projection  at  the  end  opposite  the  entrance,  and  the  Turks  have  broken 
the  wall  in  three  or  four  places,  to  make  doors.  The  interior  is  laid  out  in  three  aisles, 
divided  by  clumsj-  whitewasiied  Corinthian  columns. 

There  is  another  insignificant  \  (MU'tiau  cliurcli  in  the  city,  also  converted  into  a  mosque. 
It  is  astonishing  how  few  Venetian  reinains  theii'  aic  in  Nicosia.  .\  few  foundations,  and 
half  walls  of  palaces,  over  which  the  'i'urks  have  raise<l  their  wretched  houses,  are  all  entire. 
All  the  present  hou.ses  are  of  mud,  which  (like  tho.se  of  Larnaca)  require  yearly  reparation  to 
keep  out  the  rain.  On  the  two  belfries  of  S.  Sophia  the  Turks  have  built  two  high  and 
handsome  minarets.  We  then  walked  round  part  of  the  walls,  which  are  .still  entire  ami 
.strong.  The  streets  of  the  city  are  without  pavement,  and  in  general  between  ten  and  fifteen 
feet  broad :  they  are  now  decently  clean,  but  in  winter  are  almost  impassable.  We  returned 
to  the  convent  and  supped  with  the  .Vrchbishop,  whom  1  was  astonished  to  see,  contrary  to 
the  custom  of  the  east,  sit  himself  at  the  head  of  a  long  table  in  a  great  armchair  covered 
with  red  cloth.  He  said  that  there  are  .")()00  houses  in  the  city,  but  we  were  not  inclined  to 
believe  there  are  more  than  ^oOO,  and  many  of  these  are  so  wretchedly  small  as  to  be  little 
better  than  hovels.  All  the  information  we  got  however  agreed  that  two-thirds  of  these  iirc 
Turks.    We  slept  well  on  the  divan,  which  the  (J reeks  madi-  into  a  tolerable  bed  for  us. 

October  18.  Therm.  88°.  After  loading  the  mules  and  charging  them  with  some 
provision.s,  with  which  the  Archbisho|)  had  been  good  enough  to  furnish  us,  we  left  the  city 
at  seven,  by  the  westc>rn  gate :  it  has  three  gates. 

The  porter  at  first  would  not  let  us  pa.ss,  alleging  that  he  had  orders  to  .stop  iill  the 
Greeks  to  work  at  the  clearing  of  a  mountain-stream,  for  which  service  he  wanted  to  press 
our  guide.  I  tried  fair  words  and  pleaded  my  firman,  as  long  as  my  patience  lasted,  but 
finding  them  of  no  avail,  1  forciblj'  pushed  aside  the  young  .soldier  who  opposed  our  pas.sage. 


438 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


who  forthwith  ran  away ;  and  as  the  porter  himself  sat  all  the  while  quietly  smoking  his  pipe 
while  be  issued  his  decrees,  Ave  met  with  no  further  obstacle.  We  rode  in  a  northerly 
direction  over  the  plain  of  Nicosia,  which  extends  on  this  side  to  the  sea.  The  land 
immediately  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  is  sown  with  corn — we  have  as  yet  seen  no  vines  on 
our  road — and  the  flatness  of  the  plain  is  occasionally  interrupted  by  low  hills  sometimes  of 
earth  and  sometimes  of  rock.  At  half  past  ten  we  alighted,  and  dined  under  a  few  mulberry 
trees,  near  which  were  the  ruins  of  an  arched  cistern,  whose  water  flowed  in  small  streams 
over  the  plain.  Leaving  this  pretty  spot,  we  proceeded  at  eleven  along  the  plain,  and  at 
noon  saw  the  sea  to  the  north  of  the  island,  having  to  our  left  a  high  ridge  of  brown 
mountains,  and  behind  us  those  of  Nicosia.  At  half  past  twelve  we  crossed  a  mountain- 
stream,  considerable  in  winter,  though  now  almost  dry :  and  at  one  stopt  to  dine  at  the 
village  of  Kakotopia.  Except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Nicosia,  and  of  one  or  two  villages 
which  we  had  passed,  the  plain  was  utterly  uncultivated,  and  overgrown  with  heath,  brush- 
wood and  long  grass,  though  the  land  was  of  the  richest  nature  and  frequently  of  a  reddish 
colour.  Our  road  had  been  frequently  either  a  sheet  of  rock  or  masses  of  stone  fixed  in  the 
ground.  At  Kakotopia  (translated,  it  means  "  an  unlucky  spot ")  we  stopped  in  a  mud 
cottage,  which  we  left  at  half  past  three,  after  devouring  a  couple  of  fowls.  Just  as  we  set 
off  we  were  attacked  by  a  tornado,  which  covered  us  with  dust  and  thistles,  and  was  so 
violent  that  we  found  it  impossible  to  face  it  but  turned  our  backs  to  it,  and  even  then  could 
hardly  keep  our  seats :  this  lasted  an  hour  and  was  attended  with  a  very  little  rain.  From 
Kakotopia  we  rode  to  the  sea  for  three  hours  over  a  beautiful  plain  of  the  richest  and  best 
cultivated  land  I  have  seen  in  Cyprus,  owing  to  there  being  a  greater  number  of  villages  than 
usual  collected  together.  It  was  laid  out  in  continued  fields  of  maize,  corn  and  vines.  At 
half  past  six  we  arrived  by  moonlight  at  a  Greek  convent  on  the  banks  of  the  sea,  dedicated 
to  SS.  Sergias  and  Vaccha.  It  was  very  large,  but  consisted  of  a  quadrangle  of  miserable 
low  mud  buildings.  The  small  church  appeared  Byzantine :  on  one  side  of  it  lay  a  large 
stone,  with  a  Venetian  inscription  in  Greek.  It  contained  twenty  or  twenty-five  monks,  who 
could  give  us  only  accommodations  much  inferior  to  what  we  should  find  in  an  English  stable; 
and  this  being  one  of  their  banyan-days  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  we  could  induce 
them  to  kill  a  fowl  for  us.  However,  we  made  the  best  of  our  situation,  and  contrived  to  sup 
and  sleep  tolerably.  The  villages  we  saw  on  our  road  to-day  were  lerolakos,  Marmari, 
Thainia,  Argatzi,  Menikon,  Zothia,  Kakotopia,  Nitzeta,  Prassion,  Morphon,  Kazivera,  Elea, 
Petra,  and  Sirleenkhori. 

October  19.  Therm.  92°.  At  a  quarter  past  six  we  mounted  and  set  olf.  For  one  hour 
and  a  half  we  continued  on  the  same  plain  along  the  sea-coast.  It  was  everywhere  rich  and 
cultivated,  abounding  in  corn,  melons,  some  few  vines,  olives,  mulberries  and  figs,  which  were 
growing  close  down  to  the  sea.  To  our  right  we  had  the  bay,  and  to  our  left  the  large 
Turkish  village  of  Levka.  In  the  bay  were  anchored  three  large  boats,  which  came  here  for 
the  facility  of  smuggling  corn.  We  crossed  a  broad  though  dry  bed  of  a  mountain-stream, 
filled  with  the  finest  oleanders  and  cistus,  from  which  the  spot  derives  the  name  of  the 
Xeropotamos,  dry  river.  At  eight  o'clock  we  ascended  the  mountains,  which  showed  us  by 
far  the  most  beautiful  scenery  I  have  seen  in  Cyprus.  They  were  very  high,  sometimes  of 
earth  and  sometimes  of  stone  (which  latter  had  a  red  volcanick  appearance),  covered  above 
with  pines,  oaks,  caroba  trees,  all  of  the  largest  dimensions,  except  the  oaks  which  were 
dwarf,  and  brushwood,  and  with  the  richest  verdure.  In  the  deep  valley  below  ran  a 
considerable  mountain-stream,  which  was  crowded  with,  and  frequently  hidden  by,  immense 
plane  trees,  oleanders,  cistus  and  brushwood,  among  which  latter  were  great  quantities  of 


TURNER. 


439 


blackhc'i  ry  bushes :  our  road  sometimes  lay  along  the  top  of  these  uiountains  on  roads  over- 
hanging tremendous  precipices,  whose  abrupt  fall  was  softened  by  the  trees  growing  out  of 
their  sides,  and  sometimes  along  the  banks  of  the  stream  below,  whose  murmuring  was  an 
agreeable  accompaniment  to  the  beauty  of  the  prospect.  Many  burnt  trees  were  Ijnng  alontf 
the  mountains  and  across  the  valleys,  of  which  the  peasants  make  great  quantities  of  charcoal, 
and  this  forms  a  considerable  branch  of  commerce  between  Cyprus  and  Alexandria.  At  a 
quarter  past  ten  we  stopped  under  a  large  plane  tree  by  the  side  of  the  stream,  where  we 
dined,  and  repaired  our  last  night's  bad  rest  by  a  two  hours'  sleep.  At  half  past  twelve  we 
set  forward  again,  not  fearing  the  sun,  as  our  road  was  completely  shaded  and  frequently 
darkened  by  the  copiou-sness  of  the  foliage  around  it.  At  two  o'clock  we  came  to  a  part  of 
the  mountains  which  was  cultivated,  where  we  found  superlatives  wanting  to  express  our 
admiration.  The  whole  valley  and  the  rise  of  the  mountains,  covered  with  rich  reddish 
mould,  were  everywhere  crowded  with  vines,  mulberries,  olives,  tigs,  planes,  oaks,  bru.shwood 
and  fern.  This  continued  for  the  rest  of  to-day's  journey,  and  a  considerable  (juantity  of 
wine  is  made  here.  The  villages  in  the  neiglil)ourhood  (except  Levka,  all  we  saw  to-day) 
were  Morgon,  Xakithira,  and  Ampeli.  The.se  (though  small,  yet  all  built  of  stone)  formed  a 
pretty  addition  to  the  sceiieiy,  whether  perched  (»n  the  top  of  the  mountains,  or  half  hid  by 
foliage  at  the  bottom  of  the  valley.  'I'he  inhabitants  were  all  black  witii  the  juice  of  grapes, 
which  they  were  washing  in  the  stream  below.  At  half  past  four  we  saw  the  bay  of  Levka 
behind  us:  for  the  last  hour  we  rode  along  the  tops  of  high  mountains  on  roads  that  overhung 
tremendous  precipices,  whose  pine-clothed  rock  formed  a  magnitici-nt  contrast  with  the 
luxuriant  cultivation  of  the  valley  below.  At  five  we  stopped  at  the  convent,  dedicated  to 
the  Virgin,  of  Kikkos,  the  largest  in  Cyprus.  It  is  Vjuilt,  though  irregularly,  after  the 
European  fashion,  and  being  on  the  toj)  of  a  height,  connnands  a  sujierb  view  that  extends  on 
a  clear  day  to  the  coast  of  Caranmnia.  It  is  built  of  stone,  but  we  found  carpenters  at  work 
in  it,  all  the  interior  having  been  l)urnt  two  years  ag(j,  when  a  considerable  number  of 
manuscripts  which  it  contained  were  all  lost.  It  is  manned  by  above  two  hundred  priests  and 
caloj'ers,  but  as  it  possesses  a  great  number  of  farms  tlirougiiout  the  island,  particularly  an 
extensive  one  near  Nicosia,  the.se  are  distributed  among  tlu-m,  and  there  were  now  not  above 
sixty  at  Kikkos.  Here  we  were  very  hospitably  received,  and  supped  and  slept  well.  There 
were  a  number  of  cottages  round  the  convent,  which  1  took  for  a  village,  but  was  told  tliev 
were  a  farm  belonging  to  the  convent.  VV'e  saw  in  the  mountains  to-diiy  a  gn'at  many  large 
spreading  trees,  with  red  bark  luid  a  bi-oad  leaf,  called  by  the  natives  (intr<mhlia  (arbutus 
andrachne). 

October  20.  Therm.  81'.  .\t  seven  we  left  Kikkos,  and  for  Hve  hours  i)as.sed  over  and 
between  very  high  mountains,  adorned  with  the  same  natural  jjroductions  as  tho.se  of 
yesterday,  the  rocks  still  bearing  a  strong  appearance  of  being  volcanick,  but  \v\\\\  less 
cultivation.  Among  these  mountains  we  saw  three  villages,  Melikhori,  Trei.selees,  and 
levrekou.  One  of  these  consisted  of  three  hou.ses,  and  another  of  Hve.  At  half  past  twelve 
we  descended  into  a  beautifid  part  of  the  valley,  through  which  ran  a  crystal  stream,  shaded 
by  all  the  trees  named  before,  whose  verdure  was  a  delightful  contrast  to  the  grey  rock 
hanging  over  it.  Here  we  found  a  small  farm  belonging  to  Kikkos,  inhabited  by  six  or  seven 
priests,  provided  with  a  good  corn-mill  turned  by  the  mountain-stream,  and  with  a  large 
garden  plentifully  stocked  with  olives,  figs,  pomegranates,  nndberries  and  vines,  from  which 
the  caloyers  made  silk,  oil  and  wine.  Here  we  made  a  tolerable  dinner,  and  rested  two 
hours,  which  we  should  not  have  done  had  not  our  guide  deceived  us  as  to  its  distance  from 
Paphos,  in  the  hope  (as  we  paid  him  by  the  day)  that  he  should  prevent  us  arriving  there 


440 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


to-niglit.  We  left  this  delightful  spot  at  half  past  two,  guided  by  one  of  the  priests,  for  our 
guide  did  not  know  the  road,  and  proceeded  along  the  banks  of  the  stream  in  the  valley. 
The  farm  is  very  considerable  and  is  joined  by  another  no  less  so,  belonging  to  another 
convent.  At  four  we  reached  the  village  of  Sinti  situated  in  the  valley,  here  abounding  in 
olive  trees,  of  which  much  oil  is  made  in  the  village.  Here  we  changed  our  guide,  finding 
luckily  a  Greek  just  setting  off  for  Paphos,  and  proceeded  immediately.  The  mountains  here 
and  henceforward  were  lower  and  more  naked  than  those  we  had  passed,  but  the  bed  of  the 
mountain-stream,  though  nearly  dry,  was  from  sixty  to  eighty  feet  broad,  and  everywhere 
filled  with  foliage ;  half  an  hour  after  sunset  we  passed  the  village  of  Nata,  when  the  evening 
became  dark,  and  the  road  difficult  and  stony.  Near  this  village,  on  the  east,  we  passed  a 
small  ruined  Venetian  church.  We  now  ascended  low  mountains,  over  which  we  clambered 
for  nearly  an  hour  through  terrible  roads.  On  the  other  side  of  these  mountains  we  came  to 
a  low  plain  watered  by  a  considerable,  though  half  dry,  mountain-stream,  which  we  crossed 
from  time  to  time.  On  the  beginning  of  it  we  passed  the  small  village  of  S.  Barbara,  whose 
inhabitants  were  everyone  of  them  swept  off  by  the  plague  two  years  ago.  On  this  plain,  of 
which  the  road  was  stony  and  difficult,  we  continued  two  hours.  The  moon,  on  whose  aid  we 
had  calculated,  was  completely  hidden  by  thick  clouds  which  poured  on  us  a  little  rain,  and 
we  were  mortally  tired ;  the  more  so  as  for  the  last  three  hours  our  Greek  companion 
constantly  assured  us  we  had  only  half  an  hour  to  go,  fearing  that  if  we  knew  the  real 
distance,  we  should  push  on  and  leave  him  behind. 

At  length,  to  our  great  delight,  we  reached  at  ten  o'clock  the  village  of  leros  Kypos. 
We  went  immediately  to  the  house,  or  rather  cottage,  of  Signer  Andrea,  an  old  Zantiote,  who 
has  for  many  years  been  English  consular  agent  for  Baffo,  and  who  asked  me  after  Sir  Sidney 
Smith  with  great  earnestness.  He  gave  us  a  supper  of  delicious  fish,  and  a  room  in  which 
were  made  up  for  me  two  tolerable  beds,  on  which  we  slept  like  tired  people. 

October  21.  Therm.  86°.  leros  Kypos  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  site  of  the  gardens  of 
Venus,  whence  it  derives  its  name.  There  are  no  remains  of  antiquity  in  it,  and  it  is  now 
only  a  miserable  village,  containing  about  thirty  stone  houses.  As  it  is  built  on  an  elevated 
hill,  which  is  one  entire  rock,  it  is  not  probable  that  the  sacred  gardens  were  on,  but  near,  its 
site  on  the  plain  below.  At  nine  we  mounted  donkeys,  and  went  to  Baffo,  which  is  at  one 
hour's  distance,  and  this  hour  we  rode  over  a  rich  plain,  in  some  parts  well  tilled  and  laid  out 
in  fields  of  corn,  but  in  general  barren  and  uncultivated.  The  town,  now  on  or  near  the  site 
of  New  Paphos,  is  divided  into  three  quarters.  The  metropolis,  where  live  the  Turks,  which 
contains  about  150  houses :  the  Greek  quarter,  which  is  called  Ktema,  containing  about  fifty 
houses :  and  the  Marina  retaining  the  ancient  name  of  Baffo,  and  containing  about  eighty 
families,  Greeks  and  Turks.  The  metropolis  and  Ktema  form  a  continued  town,  and  are 
built  on  a  low  hill  of  rock  about  half  a  mile  from  the  sea.  These  houses  are  all  built  of  rough 
unformed  stone.  We  went  first  to  the  Greek  convent  of  Ktema,  and  afterwards  called  on  the 
Khoja-bashi  of  the  Agha,  who  lived  in  the  same  quarter,  with  whom  we  took  pipes  and  coffee. 
This  man  is  paid  one  piastre  a  year  by  every  peasant  in  his  master's  jurisdiction;  this  would 
give  him  about  1500  piastres  a  year,  but  by  fraud  and  tyranny  he  increases  it  to  10,000  piastres 
a  year ;  he  was  a  complete  Levantine,  fat,  lazy,  ignorant  and  proud.  Near  his  house,  in  the 
Greek  quarter,  were  some  large  square  caves,  cut  in  the  rock,  which  apparently  were  tombs, 
as  they  lead  to  caverns  now  choked  up,  and  there  are  several  small  squares  cut  in  them,  like 
the  ground  of  a  basso-relievo,  three  or  four  feet  square.  From  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
cut,  it  appears  that  the  materials  of  ancient  buildings  were  hewn  out  of  them.  We  walked 
Avith  the  Khoja-bashi  to  the  Agha,  who  had  a  wretched,  half-ruined  house  in  the  Turkish 


TURNER. 


441 


quarter.  I  showed  him  my  firman,  which,  as  he  could  not  read,  he  handed  to  his  secretary, 
who  went  right  through  it.  The  Turks  have  built  a  mean  insignificant  castle  on  the  beach 
at  the  Marina;  and  he,  supposing  it  was  this  I  came  to  see,  hummed  and  hawed,  said  I  should 
have  done  well  to  bring  an  order  from  the  governor  at  Nicosia,  and  (by  the  suggestion  of  his 
secretary)  added  that  ray  firman  only  said  I  was  to  pass  through  Cyprus,  and  not  to  inspect 
it.  To  this  I  answered  that  of  course  my  object  in  passing  was  to  see;  that  I  would  not  give 
a  para  to  see  the  castle,  which  was  as  wretched  a  building  in  the  way  of  fortification  as  I  ever 
remembered  to  have  set  ray  eyes  on.  That  my  only  object  in  visiting  the  Agha  was  to  pay 
him  a  compliment,  as  I  was  only  come  to  see  the  antiquities  which  he  could  not  prevent  me 
from  doing,  or  if  he  did  try  to  do  so,  I  should  then  know  how  to  act :  he  replied  that  he  had 
no  intention  of  preventing  me,  and  we  left  him. 

The  metropolis  is  composed  of  half-ruined  houses  of  stone,  and  in  a  stony  valley  below 
the  hill  on  which  it  is  built  are  a  few  gardens,  which  being  in  the  middle  of  the  town  have  a 
very  pretty  effect:  as  we  passed  through  the  Turkish  burying-ground,  Signor  Andrea  (these 
people  think  all  stones  an  object  of  curiosity  to  Franks)  made  me  observe  two  stones  now 
covering  the  tombs  of  Turks.  One  contained  a  Gothick  inscription,  and  on  the  other  were 
engraved  three  jiimrH  de  lys,  which  seem  to  carry  it  back  at  least  to  the  date  of  the  French 
Kings  of  Cyprus,  possibly  to  the  time  of  the  Arabs.  We  returned  to  the  convent  of  the 
Bishop  of  Baffo,  for  whom  Mr  Vondiziano  had  given  me  a  letter,  but  he  was  at  a  \nllage  two 
hours  distant,  where  we  made  a  bad  dinner  off  onions  and  cheese,  after  which  we  mounted  our 
donkeys  and  rode  to  the  ruins  of  New  Faphos.  We  first  visited  those  most  to  the  west,  which 
are  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south  of  the  rock  f)n  which  stands  Ktema  and  the  metropolis 
(the  rock  runs  east  and  west)  utkI  are  close  to  the  sea,  on  the  low  plain.  These  ruins  are 
called  by  tlu*  general  name;  of  Palaio  Castro,  and  their  apj)earance  is  most  e.xtraordinary. 
They  occupy  a  spot  of  ground,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  and  very  nearly  as  much 
broad,  which  is  covered,  except  in  a  few  spots  where  the  communication  is  broken,  by  a  mass 
of  solid  rock,  more  or  less  high  ])ut  seldom  more  than  forty  feet,  and  hewn  into  numerous 
caves,  which  appear  to  have  been  catacombs,  but  are  now  so  choked  up  that  it  is  imjx)ssible 
to  see  whether  they  all  communicate  with  each  other. 

These  caves  are  more  or  less  large,  and  within  then>  an-  others  cut  of  a  shape  e\ndently 
meant  for  tombs,  about  ten  feet  long,  three  broad,  and  four  high,  ^\'e  entered  most  of  these 
caves,  and  found  them  of  varicnis  sizes,  some  about  twenty  feet  squai'e,  but  in  general  they 
were  smaller,  i.e.  those  above  ground,  for  there  are  some  subterraneous  ones  which  Signor 
Andrea,  who  probably  was  a  better  fisherman  than  anticpiary,  did  not  advise  us  of. 

Sometimes  the  rock  was  so  low,  and  the  ceiling  consequently  so  thin,  that  the  excavated 
part,  to  prevent  its  falling  in,  was  supported  by  Dorick  fluted  columns,  ten  feet  high,  hewn 
out  of  the  rock,  which  the  Turks  have  broken  off  and  ciirried  away  to  adorn  their  mosques, 
leaving  however  frequently  enough  of  the  capital  and  shaft  to  see  what  was  there.  There  are 
many  small  excavations,  one  or  two  feet  deep,  and  three  or  four  feet  square,  like  the  ground 
of  a  basso-relievo,  which  were  proliably  devoted  to  the  reception  of  images:  over  the  entrance 
to  many  of  the  caves  are  carved  architraves,  slightly  adorned  in  various  ways. 

Many  stairs  are  cut  on  and  towards  the  top  of  the  rocks.  The  rock  is  of  a  very  soft 
grey  sandstone,  and  the  ruinous  state  in  which  it  now  is  must  have  been  produced  by  some 
earthquake  or  tremendous  convulsion  of  nature,  as  immense  masses  of  it  are  severed,  and 
lying  at  some  distance  from  the  main  body.  On  the  top  of  the  rock  nothing  is  visible.  The 
excavated  caves  are  on  every  side  of  it.  There  are  above  fifty  of  the  larger  ones,  and  above 
100  of  them  in  all.    As  their  floor  is  generally  of  earth,  much  I  have  no  doubt  might  be 

c.  56 


442 


EXCERPTA  ClYPRIA. 


discovered  by  exploring  and  digging  them,  but  tlie  watchful  jealousy  of  the  Turks  being 
carried  in  Paphos  to  a  most  rigid  excess  their  passages  are  blocked  up  by  dirt  and  dust  and 
they  serve  as  stables  to  the  donkeys  of  the  neighbourhood ;  we  dislodged  at  least  a  hundred 
of  these  animals,  nor  did  we  observe  any  other  cattle  among  the  ruins.  On  leaving  these 
ruins  we  rode  about  half  a  mile  along  the  plain,  which  was  badly  cultivated,  and  stopped  at 
some  other  ruins,  situated  exactly  S.E.  by  E.  of  Palaion  Castron,  named,  I  could  learn  no 
reason  why,  Afrikee.  The  spot  at  which  we  stopped  was  a  low  rock,  about  200  paces  long, 
and  150  broad.  Round  the  sides  of  this  rock  were  hewn  out  numbers  of  caverns,  mostly 
larger  than  those  of  Palaion  Castron ;  some  of  these  were  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  square,  but 
differing  from  them  in  that  there  were  no  tombs  cut  Avithin  them  except  in  one  chamber, 
which  was  about  thirty-five  feet  long,  and  thirty  broad.  Of  these  caves  I  counted  about 
thirty,  all  cut  in  the  sides  of  the  rock  below.  On  its  top  there  is  little  to  be  seen,  except  three 
ruined  arched  chambers,  and  these  I  should  suppose  to  be  Venetian.  These  chambers  are 
about  sixty  feet  long,  fifteen  high.  The  breadth  of  the  chamber  is  the  span  of  the  arch  which 
roofs  it,  and  the  three  chambers  and  arches  join  each  other.  They  are  built  of  stones  of 
unequal  size,  but  none  of  them  more  than  four  feet  long,  and  eight  inches  high.  On  the  hill 
are  to  be  seen  some  marks  of  foundations  of  buildings,  but  not  sufficiently  clear  to  enable  one 
to  trace  out  chambers.  The  hill  commands  an  extensive  view  of  the  plain  of  Paphos,  which 
is  very  rich  land,  and  in  some  parts  tolerably  cultivated,  and  of  the  low  brown  mountains 
that  bound  it.  As  the  sun  set  while  I  was  examining  the  remains  at  Afrikee,  I  could  only 
take  a  hasty  walk  round  Baffo,  the  Marina,  which,  having  been  under  the  Venetians  a 
considerable  town,  is  full  of  ruined  houses  and  churches.  During  this  walk  Signer  A.  showed 
me  a  small  hill,  on  which  were  some  granite  columns,  and  under  which  he  told  me  were 
subterraneous  chambers.  This  spot  he  told  me  was  called  by  the  inhabitants  the  tomb  of 
Venus :  as  it  was  quite  dark  when  we  came  to  it,  we  deferred  our  departure,  which  had  been 
fixed  for  daylight  to-morrow,  another  day.  At  seven  we  returned  over  the  plain,  which,  for 
the  hour  we  rode  back,  was  covered  with  thistles,  to  leros  Kypos. 

October  22.  Therm.  92°.  At  eight  we  rode  on  donkeys  to  the  Marina,  over  the  same 
plain,  cultivated,  but  covered  with  thistles,  as  we  returned  by  last  night.  Baffo,  formerly  a 
Venetian  town  of  some  magnitude,  is  now  like  Famagosto,  choked  up  by  its  own  ruins. 
Palaces  and  churches  are  everywhere  seen  crumbling  to  the  ground,  and  about  eighty 
families  inhabit  the  patched  remains  of  as  many  palaces,  of  whom  two-thirds  are  Turks. 
Every  house  has  its  garden,  which  gives  a  richness  to  the  scene,  and  contrasts  finely  with  the 
ruins  around.  The  bay  is  large,  but  the  port  very  unsafe,  as  the  mole  remains  only  in  part 
to  the  east  and  west,  and  not  at  all  to  the  south,  which  is  thus  left  quite  open :  to  this  port, 
bad  as  it  is,  vessels  frequently  resort  for  the  advantage  of  smuggling  corn ;  there  were  two 
small  Idriote  vessels  anchored  in  it  while  we  were  there.  The  port  is  commanded  by  an 
insignificant  castle  built  on  its  banks  by  the  Turks ;  on  the  east  side,  opposite  to  the  castle,  is 
a  small  ruined  G-reek  church.  We  walked  immediately  to  the  hill  where  is  the  ruin  which 
the  inhabitants  call  the  tomb  of  Venus,  which  is  about  100  paces  north  of  the  port.  Over  its 
surface,  which  is  of  very  considerable  extent,  and  in  its  immediate  environs,  are  scattered  a 
great  number  of  grey  granite  columns,  of  which  all  I  saw  were  broken :  they  were  two  feet 
in  diameter.  As  we  were  bathing  in  the  port,  we  found  two  of  these  under  the  water,  and  as 
it  is  difficult  to  know  whether  these  scattered  remains  are  in  their  original  situation,  or  have 
been  displaced  by  the  hands  of  man  or  nature,  it  becomes  nearly  impossible  to  judge  what 
was  the  extent  of  the  building  they  supported,  or  to  decide  whether  that  building  was  the 
temple  of  Venus.    I  think  however  that  the  fact  of  the  Marina  above  being  still  called  Baffo 


TURNER. 


443 


by  the  inhabitants,  and  the  name  given  by  them  to  the  ruins  on  this  hill,  are  great  evidence 
in  favour  of  its  identity.  Signor  Andrea  told  me  that  he  had  counted  above  150  of  these 
columns,  but  the  hill  and  its  environs  being  cultivated,  most  of  them  are  now  buried  under- 
ground. The  subterraneous  passage  is  immediately  under  the  hill.  The  entrance  to  it  is  a 
square  of  about  four  feet :  the  passage  below  was  so  choked  with  stones  and  dirt,  that  though 
I  worked  hard  to  remove  them,  I  found  it  impossible  to  penetrate  above  eight  feet :  of  these 
eight  feet  the  descent  was  rapid,  and  the  roof  formed  like  the  under  part  of  a  staircase : 
possibly  if  the  ground  above  were  cleared  away,  a  staircase  might  be  found  from  above  to 
the  chambers  below.  This  is  all  that  remains  of  the  splendour  of  Paphos.  Signer  A.  told 
me  that  twenty  years  ago  a  Turk,  who  had  murdered  another,  and  was  hotly  pursued,  took 
refuge  in  these  subterraneous  chambers,  to  which  despair  made  him  find  the  passage,  not 
then  entirely  choked  up;  after  wandering  three  days  under  ground  in  utter  darkness  he 
came  out  at  Afrikee,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  the  hill  of  the  temple;  his  repoi't 
was  that  he  had  passed  through  chainbers  full  of  stones,  with  some  skulls  and  other  bones. 
Having  money  he  escaped,  by  distributing  it,  the  punishment  of  his  crime;  and  he  is  the  only 
man,  as  I  was  told  by  several,  ever  known  to  have  entered.  The  whole  neighbourhood  of 
BafFo  and  the  metropolis  and  leros  Kypos  is  full  of  large  masses  of  rock,  he^vni  into  caves,  like 
those  I  have  described,  probably  all  communicating  subterraneously  with  each  other.  The 
villages  in  the  vicinity  of  Paphos,  in  sight  of  leros  Kypos,  are  Peyia,  Marathounta,  Anavarkos, 
Eba,  Konia,  Armo,  Mesoe,  and  Phlyraka.  The  Fons  Amorosa  is  one  day's  journey  to  the 
n(jrth  of  BafTo,  in  a  village  called  S.  Nicolas,  too  distant  for  the  scope  of  our  excursion.  At 
two  we  returned  to  leros  Kypos.  This  village  is  built  on  a  rocky  hill ;  in  the  valley  below  it, 
to  the  south,  ai'e  gardens  watered  by  a  stream  gushing  from  the  rock,  and  this  stream  is  said 
to  have  been  the  baths  of  Venus.  About  half  a  mile  east  of  leros  Kypos,  towards  the 
termination  of  the  gardens  in  the  valley,  is  a  spot  in  the  gardens  called  Sazousa,  on  which, 
said  Signor  Andrea,  were  killed  many  children  by  the  ancient  Greeks.  What  he  meant  by 
this  I  could  not  discover,  e.\cept  it  was  some  memorial  of  the  cruelties  practised  in  the  ancient 
temples  standing  formerly  here,  one  instance  of  which  may  have  been  handed  down  by 
tradition.  At  half  past  four  we  took  leave  of  our  host,  and  ijuitted  leros  Kypos.  All  our 
ride  this  afternoon  lay  along  a  fine  plain  on  the  banks  of  the  sea,  mostly  uncultivated  but 
C(mtaining  a  few  fields  of  corn,  cotton  and  tobacco.  Considerable  (luantities  of  this  latter  are 
prepared  in  Batto,  and  hy  numy  thought  superior  to  that  of  Latakia.  To  the  left  of  our  road, 
which  lay  east,  was  a  line  of  low  earth  mountains  covered  with  brown  verdure.  Our  last 
hour  was  surrounded  by  gardens  and  trees,  and  we  passed  a  large  mountain-stream,  over 
which  lay  a  handsome  Veni'tian  bridge,  yet  entire.  We  passed  three  or  four  of  these  bridges 
in  the  valleys  near  Kikkos,  but  all  in  ruins.  The  villages  which  we  pa.s.sed  in  four  hours  of 
this  afternoon's  ride  were  Colona,  Akhelia,  Timee,  and  Manthria.  At  seven  we  stopped  at  the 
village  of  Coukklia,  which  is  built  on  the  site  of  Old  Paphos,  and  found  good  accommodations 
in  a  large  ruined  house,  of  which  the  master,  an  intelligent  (ireek,  received  us  very  hospitably. 
He  told  us  that  Coukklia,  with  si.x  other  villages,  was  a  farm  of  the  Sultan,  of  which  he  was 
the  manager,  and  which  yielded  twenty  purses  a  year.  Coukklia  was  formerly  a  considerable 
town  under  the  Venetians,  but  is  now  nothing  but  a  mass  of  ruined  churches  and  hinises,  of 
which  latter  about  thirty  are  inhabited,  half  by  Turks  and  half  by  Greeks.  The  inhabitants 
however  of  this,  and  indeed  of  almost  all  the  villages  we  have  seen  since  leaving  Nicosia,  are 
happi(>r  than  those  of  Larnaca  and  of  the  capital,  in  having  good  stone  houses  over  their 
heads,  whereas  those  of  the  three  chief  towns  of  the  island  are  only  of  mud,  and  require 
yearly  reparation  to  resist  the  periodical  rains. 

56—2 


444 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


October  23.  Tlierm.  92°.  In  the  morning  early  I  strolled  about  the  ruins  of  Coukklia, 
among  which  I  did  not  discover  the  remains  of  any  considerable  houses.  There  are  three  or 
four  churches,  which  from  Venetian  became  Grreek,  and  are  now  quite  in  ruins.  One  only 
remains  sufficiently  entire  to  be  still  used :  in  the  wall  of  this  is  a  coarse  black  stone,  about 
two  feet  long  and  one  and  a  half  high,  bearing  a  Greek  inscription,  which,  from  the  rude 
formation  of  the  letters,  appears  of  remote  antiquity.  (G.I.G.  Boeckh,  No.  2637.)  In  the 
ruins  of  another  church  was  a  large  stone  of  grey  granite,  with  another  Grreek  inscription  of 
Roman  date.    {Boeckh,  No.  2629.) 

At  eight  we  left  Coukklia :  for  four  hours  our  road  lay  over  low  mountains  mostly  naked, 
but  at  intervals  scantily  clothed  with  brushwood,  pines,  planes  and  caroba  trees.  The  fruit 
of  this  latter  is  very  sweet,  and  when  Cyprus  was  Venetian  it  formed  a  branch  of  commerce 
which  still  continues  in  miniature,  for  the  Venetians  make  an  agreeable  paste  sweetmeat  of 
the  caroba,  and  those  of  Cyprus  are  the  most  esteemed.  At  two  hours  from  Coukklia  we 
passed  the  small  village  of  Alektora  near  the  sea,  which  we  had  all  day  close  on  our  right. 
At  twelve  we  stopped  at  the  village  of  Misour,  which  is  on  the  top  of  a  high  mountain.  The 
land  round  it  was  well  cultivated  and  very  productive  of  olive  and  mulberry  trees.  Here, 
and  indeed  in  several  villages  we  have  passed,  we  found  many  peasants  ill,  mostly  of  fever 
and  inflammation  of  the  eyes,  very  common  in  Cyprus,  who,  when  they  find  themselves 
unwell,  lie  down  listlessly  on  their  beds,  and  wait  patiently  until  nature  works  their  cure  or 
their  death ;  for  their  neighbourhood  seldom  affords  them  medical  assistance,  and  that  of  the 
priest  with  book  and  crosses,  in  which  they  place  most  reliance,  is  not  to  be  had  gratis. 

At  two  we  left  Misour,  and  rode  for  five  hours  over  the  mountains  which  bore  everywhere 
the  same  appearance  of  nakedness  and  rockiness,  our  road  being  varied  between  smooth 
sheets  and  rough  pointed  paths  of  whitish  stone.  Two  hours  and  a  half  east  of  Misour,  we 
saw  lying  near  our  road  two  broken  columns  of  granite,  whose  isolated  situation,  for  there 
was  no  other  remnant  near  them,  makes  it  impossible  to  guess  of  what  they  formed  part. 
The  descent  of  the  mountain  was  so  terribly  precipitate  and  rocky,  that  we  were  forced  to 
walk  down,  and  even  then,  it  being  quite  dark,  feared  for  our  beasts,  which  as  well  as 
ourselves  often  stumbled.  At  half  past  seven  we  stopped  at  Episcopi,  a  large  Turkish  village, 
at  the  eastern  foot  of  the  mountains.  Dark  as  it  was,  we  could  perceive  that  the  village  was 
very  pretty,  a  mountain-stream,  very  copious,  runs  through  it,  and  it  is  surrounded  by  rich 
gardens.  I  saw  in  it  the  ruins  of  a  large  Roman  aqueduct.  The  Turks  here  not  being 
willing,  they  said,  to  admit  Griaours  into  their  houses,  and  proposing  to  lodge  us  in  a  dark, 
dirty,  crowded  colfee  house,  we  could  not  stop  there,  but  left  them  after  half  an  hour.  We 
rode  towards  Limesol  over  a  fine  smooth  plain,  and  at  nine,  stopped  at  a  farm  belonging 
to  some  inhabitants  of  Limesol,  consisting  of  half  a  dozen  houses :  here  we  were  again 
unfortunate,  for  the  first  we  entered  was  occupied  by  a  Turk,  whose  wife,  he  being  absent, 
positively  refused  us  admittance,  and  railed  like  a  Stentor  at  our  guide,  who  in  vain  pleaded 
ignorance,  for  daring  to  conduct  us  there.  At  length  we  found  at  the  door  of  another  house 
a  Grreek  who  gave  us  lodging,  a  supper,  and  beds  which  were  so  well  peopled,  that  we  could 
not  close  our  eyes  all  night. 

October  24.  Therm.  86°.  At  half  past  six  we  mounted  and  rode  for  two  hours  along  the 
plain  of  Limesole,  which,  though  very  level  and  rich,  was  mostly  uncultivated,  and  covered 
with  brambles  and  brushwood,  except  as  usual  in  the  neighbourhood  of  villages,  of  which  we 
saw  two  in  these  two  hours,  Colos  and  Zakatzi.  At  Colos  are  some  ruins,  of  the  age,  it  is 
said,  of  the  French  Kings  of  Cyprus,  and  there  is  one  large  square  tower,  built,  it  is  reported, 
by  our  Coeur  de  Lion.    At  half  past  eight  we  entei-ed  Limesole.    It  is  a  miserable  town, 


TURNER. 


445 


consisting  of  150  mud  houses,  of  which  100  are  Greeks,  and  50  Turks;  yet  of  the  fifty 
shiploads  of  wine  which  Cyprus  exports  annually,  twenty  are  on  an  average  despatched  fi-om 
Limesole.  A  mountain-stream  runs  through  it,  over  which  is  a  broken  Venetian  bridge.  We 
stopped  an  hour  at  the  house  of  the  English  agent,  and  at  half  past  nine  set  otT  again.  We 
continued  till  eleven  along  the  plain  of  Limesole,  which  is  cultivated  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  town,  but  beyond  it  is  quite  barren.  All  the  cultivation  on  it  is  of  corn,  and  indeed 
since  we  left  Sinti  we  have  seen  no  vines  except  a  small  plantation  at  Misour.  At  eleven  we 
entered  a  line  of  low  mountains,  along  which  we  continued  till  half  past  three.  These  were 
generally  naked,  but  at  intervals  clothed  with  carobas,  brushwood  and  brambles.  We  rode 
always  by  the  side  of  the  sea,  and  at  half  past  eleven  had  to  our  right  a  precipitate  cliff,  of 
which  the  sides  contained  a  few  ruins,  but  so  nearly  washed  away  that  it  was  impossil)le  to 
distinguish  what  they  were.  The  villages  we  passed  on  these  mountains  were  Monaphrouli, 
Pentakhoma  and  Maroui.  At  the  termination  of  the  mountains  we  stopt  to  snatch  a  bread 
and  cheese  dinner,  near  a  small  ])()ol  of  bad  water.  Thence  we  rode  along  an  uncultivated 
plain  covered  with  brambles  and  brushwood,  with  the  sea  close  on  our  right,  and  low  brown 
mountains  to  our  left,  till  eight  o'clock,  when  we  were  glad  to  stop  at  the  village  of  Mazoto, 
where,  in  the  cottage  of  a  Greek  peasant,  we  got  a  good  supper  of  fowls,  which,  as  usual 
with  us,  were  killed,  picked,  cooked  and  eaten  in  twenty  minutes,  and  slept  not  a  wink  all 
night  for  the  same  reason  as  last  night.  My  companion  during  our  excursion  has  carried 
his  gun  with  him  in  the  hopes  of  finding  game,  but  lie  has  not  once  had  an  opportunity  of 
firing  it.  In  the  proper  season  red-legged  partridges  and  Francolins  are  very  common  in 
Cyprus. 

October  25.  Therm.  84°.  We  set  ofF  at  dawn,  fagged  and  feverish  from  want  of  sleep. 
The  whole  of  our  road  lay  along  a  fine  level  plain,  little  cultivated  except  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  villages,  and  even  there  overgrown  with  thistles.  Half  an  hour  to  the  west  of 
the  Scala  of  Larnaca  is  an  extensive  salt-pit,  near  which  is  a  considerable  aijueduct  Ijiiilt  but 
seventy  years  ago  by  a  Turkish  governor  of  Cj'prus.  At  nine  o'clock  I  reached  the  Scala  or 
Marina,  left  my  horse  with  his  master,  and  returned  to  the  hou.se  of  Signor  \'ondiziano,  where 
1  passed  the  rest  of  the  day  with  the  exception  of  a  visit  or  two  in  the  afternoon.  The 
villages  round  Larnaca,  within  three  hours,  are  Anaphotitha,  Kyphino,  a  Turkish  village, 
Anglisithes — this  name  appears  to  have  some  connection  with  our  nation — Alethrikon, 
Chivisila,  Klavia,  Kyttion  (Citti),  Terzephanon,  Arpera,  Throinolazia,  Meneoo,  Tekeh,  Kalon 
Khorion  and  Arathippou. 

*  *  *  • 

October  30.  'J'herm.  80\  In  the  Jiftcrnoon  1  went  with  M.  and  Miulauii'  La  Pierre  (the 
wife  was  born  in  Constantinople,  and  I  knew  her  there:  the  husband  is  dragoman  to  the 
French  Consulate  here)  to  the  village  of  Arathippou,  an  hour  N.K.  of  Larnaca  on  the  plaiti,  this 
being  the  (Jreek  fete  of  S.  Luke,  to  whom  the  church  there  is  dedicated.  All  the  peasants  in 
the  neighbourhood  go  there  on  this  occasion  in  gala,  but  we  arrived  too  late,  most  of  them 
having  gone  in  the  nun-ning. 

October  31.  Therm.  80".  In  the  evening  while  1  was  sitting  in  the  house  of  M.  \j.  I'., 
an  old  Greek  woman  came  in  frantick  with  terror,  and  on  her  knees  begged  for  protection, 
swearing  her  neighbour's  wife  wanted  to  murder  her.  It  appears  that  this  old  woman, 
having  some  money,  at  sixty  years  old  had  persuaded  a  young  peasant  of  thirty-five  to  marry 
her.  He  naturally  soon  grew  tired  of  her,  and  fell  in  love  with  his  neigh boui-'s  wife,  who 
returned  his  love.  After  this  he  and  his  dulcinea  amused  themselves  by  thrashing  his  old 
wife  whenever  she  fell  in  their  way.  The  husband  is  now  Hod  to  Nicosia  to  avoid  his  wife, 
whom  he  detests,  and  she  is  preparing  to  follow  him,  and  entreat  the  Archbishop  there  to  force 


446 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


him  to  live  witli  her.  Meantime  her  rival  met  her  this  evening,  and  regaled  her  with  her 
accustomed  salutation.  I  forget  who  is  the  traveller  (I  believe  it  is  Sonnini)  that  calls  Turkey 
and  Greece  the  land  of  chastity  and  conjugal  decorum. 

November  2.  Therm.  79°.  I  walked  down  to  the  Marina  in  the  morning  to  look  after 
an  opportunity  for  Rhodes.  I  found  there  was  only  one  ship  going,  a  Turkish  one,  which  is 
now  loading  corn  in  Famagosto,  whence  it  will  not  return  for  some  days.  I  therefore  accepted 
an  invitation  I  had  from  M.  L.  P.  to  accompany  him  and  his  wife  on  an  excursion  to  Nicosia 
for  a  few  days.  At  half  past  two  I  set  off  with  them,  attended  by  two  of  their  servants.  We 
rode  over  the  same  road  as  I  passed  before,  and  at  six  stopped  at  Athiainou,  where  we  passed 
the  night  wth  tolerable  comfort  in  a  cottage,  to  whose  tenants  my  companions  had  sent 
notice  of  our  coming.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  pay  a  visit  to  a  Russian  female  pilgrim  who 
by  chance  was  passing  the  night  in  the  same  village :  of  her  appearance  the  little  that  was 
human  was  more  masculine  than  feminine,  particularly  as  to  dress  and  voice.  She  spoke 
scarcely  intelligibly  in  French,  and  could  not  utter  three  words  of  English,  which  at  first  she 
pretended  to  know.  We  made  out  that  after  having  lost  300,000  roubles  by  the  burning  of 
Moscow,  in  whose  neighbourhood  lay  her  estate,  she  resolved  on  making  the  pilgrimage  of 
Jerusalem  which  she  had  just  completed,  having  stopt  there  ten  days,  and  being  now  on  her 
return. 

November  3.  Therm.  77°.  We  set  off  from  Athiainou  at  four  in  the  morning,  and  till 
the  sun  rose  were  intolerably  chilled  by  damp  and  cold.  At  eight  we  entered  Nicosia,  where, 
as  I  had  nothing  new  to  see,  and  the  female  part  of  the  party  was  very  tired,  we  stopt  indoors 
the  rest  of  the  day,  except  a  visit  we  paid  in  the  evening  to  the  Archbishop,  with  whom  we 
supped.  We  are  lodged  in  the  house  of  an  Italian,  who  has  been  a  soldier  in  the  French 
army,  and  fought  in  the  battles  of  Jena,  Austerlitz,  and  Eylau.  He  now  exercises  in  Nicosia 
his  trade  of  a  cabinet-maker,  in  which  he  is  an  excellent  workman,  and  has  to  his  great  regret 
married  a  woman  of  Cyprus, — I  must  not  say  a  Cyprian. 

November  4.  Therm.  80°.  In  the  morning  we  strolled  about  and  paid  visits  to  two  or 
three  Greeks.  One  of  these  was  an  old  fellow  who  was  very  vain  of  his  knowledge  of 
Hellenick,  and  of  some  miserable  rhymes  in  Romaick  which  he  composed  twenty  years  ago 
on  the  marriage  of  a  relation,  and  which,  having  had  them  printed  at  Venice,  he  has  framed 
and  hung  up  in  his  room.  In  the  afternoon  I  strolled  a  little  about  the  bazaars,  which  are 
most  wretched,  and  passed  the  evening  and  supped  chez  nous. 

November  6.  Therm.  82°.  At  half  past  four  we  left  Nicosia  to  sleep  at  a  convent  two 
hours  off.  These  two  hours  we  rode  over  a  fine  plain,  plentifully  watered,  wooded  with 
numerous  olive  trees,  and  sown  with  corn  and  cotton.  We  passed  two  villages,  Strovilos  and 
S.  Themetissa,  and  at  a  quarter  past  six  stopped  at  the  convent  of  the  Archangel  Michael,  a 
farm  of  Kikkos,  in  which  while  that  monastery  is  undergoing  repair  is  deposited  that  precious 
treasure  the  Panagia  tou  Kikkou,  the  picture  of  the  Virgin  painted  by  S.  Luke,  of  which  there 
were  said  to  be  three  in  the  world,  one  here,  one,  I  believe,  at  Venice,  and  the  third  I  forget 
where.  Here  they  gave  us  tolerable  good  beds  in  one  of  which  I  deposited  myself  immediately, 
having  felt  symptoms  of  fever  all  day,  which  grew  so  strong  towards  evening  that  I  could 
hardly  sit  my  horse. 

November  7.  Therm.  79°.  In  the  morning  we  attended  mass  in  the  church,  which 
though  small  is  richly  ornamented.  In  the  centre  of  the  wall,  fronting  the  principal  entrance, 
is  fixed  the  picture,  which  the  priests  have  wisely  covered  with  gold,  silver  and  precious 
stones,  inlaid  to  represent  the  Virgin  and  Infant,  and  round  it  are  hung  pearls,  sequins,  &c., 
the  offerings  of  the  devout,  only  a  small  hole  being  left  in  the  middle  for  the  people  to  kiss. 
The  peasants  have  a  great  idea  of  the  efficacy  of  this  picture  in  devotion,  and  I  remarked 


TURNER. 


447 


some  of  them  prostrating  and  crossing  themselves  before  it  seventeen  or  twenty  times.  At 
nine  we  set  off  and  rode  along  the  plain  of  Nicosia,  scattered  with  low  hills,  sometimes  of 
marl,  and  bounded  by  low  mountains,  consisting  of  a  rich  soil  very  little  cultivated  at  a  small 
distance  from  the  city,  and  where  it  was  so,  abounding  in  olive  trees,  and  thinly  sown  with. 
com  and  cotton.  We  passed  the  village  of  Cheri,  and  at  noon  reached  that  of  Neson,  where 
we  stopt  to  dine.  This  latter  was  a  very  pretty  village,  full  of  fruitful  gardens  and  fields  of 
cotton,  watered  by  a  copious  mountain-stream  running  through  it,  and  surrounded  by  brown 
mountains,  which  formed  a  fine  contrast  with  its  vegetation.  We  left  it  with  regret  at  four 
o'clock,  and  for  one  hour  rode  through  the  same  pretty  scenery  as  that  which  surrounded  it. 
We  then  passed  the  village  of  Thali,  whence  we  rode  to  Lamaca  over  a  stony  road  and  hilly 
uncultivated  country  till  the  last  hour  when  we  passed  the  plain  of  Lamaca,  and  passed  at 
half-past  seven  the  village  of  Arithippou.  Through  all  the  afternoon  we  had  frequent  and 
vivid  flashes  of  lightning,  and  for  the  last  half-hour  light  rain. 

We  stopped  at  Lamaca  at  half  past  eight,  and  had  scarcely  sheltered  ourselves  within 
doors,  when  there  arose  a  furious  gale  of  wind  with  violent  and  incessant  rain,  both  whicli 
continued  the  whole  of  the  night.  To-day  is  the  Greek  fete  of  S.  Demetrius,  on  or  near  which 
day,  say  they,  there  always  blows  infallibly  a  heavy  gale  of  wind,  and  so  settled  is  their  belief 
ill  this  that  no  Greek  vessel  will  put  to  sea  in  this  season  till  the  time  of  the  expected  storm 
be  over.    I  felt  no  other  mark  of  fever  to-day  than  weakness  and  an  utter  want  of  appetite. 

November  8.  Therm.  77°.  In  the  morning  I  went  down  to  the  Marina  to  enquire  for 
the  Turkish  Captain,  whom  I  found  not  yet  returned  from  Famagosto.  While  here  the  fever 
seized  me  suddenly  with  aguish  shiverings,  and  so  weakened  me  that  finding  myself  unable 
to  reach  Larnaca  I  crept  into  bed  at  Mr  How's,  where  I  staid  till  Thursday  the  16th.  The 
fever  lay  very  heavy  on  me  for  four  days,  and  the  other  four  I  was  so  weak  from  the  remedies 
applied  to  me  and  my  almost  total  abstinence,  that  1  could  not  leave  my  bed  till  the  eighth 
day.  The  Turkish  Captain  then  called  to  say  he  should  positively  sail  that  evening,  and 
tliough  still  so  weak  as  to  be  unable  to  walk  without  a  stick,  I  had  such  dread  r)f  the  air  of 
(Jyprus,  that  I  resolved  to  acc()nii)aiiy  him.  1  walked  Mr  How's  horse  to  L'arnaca,  took  leave 
of  my  friends,  packed  up,  at  a  quarter  past  ten  pusiied  off  in  a  shore  boat  to  follow  the  ship, 
which  had  sailed  an  hour  before,  and  was  some  way  with  a  light  N.E.  breeze.  By  firing 
frequently  we  succeeded  in  bringing  her  to,  and  I  got  on  board  at  midnight.  She  was  a 
large  three-masted  polacca,  of  loO  tons,  with  a  captain  and  cri'w  from  the  Black  Sea,  the 
latter  all  Greek.  I  lay  down  directly  on  a  wretched  bed,  in  ii  hole  about  six  feet  long  and 
tliree  broad,  for  the  captain,  not  expecting  me,  had  given  his  cal)in,  which  he  had  promised 
me,  to  other  passengers. 

The  vessel  went  smoothly  and  slowly  all  night,  with  a  light  N.E.  wind. 

Cyprus,  though  nominally  under  tlie  authority  of  a  Hey  appointed  by  tiie  Qapudan 
Pasha,  is  in  fact  governed  V)y  the  (Jreek  Archbishop  and  his  subordinate  clergy.  The  effects 
of  this  are  seen  everywhere  throughout  the  island,  for  a  Greek,  as  he  seldom  possesses  power, 
becomes  immediately  intoxicated  by  it  when  given  him,  and  from  a  contemptible  .sj'cophant 
is  changed  instantaneously  to  a  rapacious  tyrant.  Accordingly  the  peasants  of  Cyprus,  both 
Mahometans  and  (J reeks — not  a  single  Jew  is  allowed  to  live  in  the  island — are  so  insufferably 
plundered  that  their  labour  is  barely  capable  of  supporting  their  existence,  and  they  yearly 
desert  in  great  numbers  to  the  coasts  of  Caramania  and  Syria.  The  least  Kharaj  they  pay  is 
of  thirty  piastres,  and  the  greatest  sixty-five,  that  is,  each  whole  family.  Their  utmost  gains 
are  from  400  to  500  piastres  a  year,  and  of  this  they  pay  annually  to  the  government  and  to 
the  Greek  convents  250,  but  for  the  sum  paid  to  the  convents — by  far  the  greater  part — they 


448 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


are  forced  to  give  sixty-five  paras  to  the  piastre,  though  the  regular  change  in  the  island  is 
only  forty.  They  live  accordingly  in  the  greatest  wretchedness.  Their  houses  in  the  central 
parts  of  the  island,  near  the  seashore  they  are  more  generally  of  stone,  are  of  mud,  and  consist 
of  two  small  rooms,  with  mud  floors,  and  ceilings  of  plaited  rushwork,  plastered  outside  with 
mud,  with  one  half  of  the  floor  raised  above  the  other,  and  generally  with  no  other  furniture 
than  a  ricketty  wooden  bedstead.  Their  food  is  of  coarse  wheatbread  and  herbs,  with,  at  rare 
intervals,  an  occasional  home-fed  chicken,  and  the  wine  of  the  country,  which,  fortunately  for 
them,  is  bought  very  cheap :  the  sharp-tasted  red  at  from  six  to  eight  paras  the  oke.  The 
mud  floors  contract  such  immoderate  quantities  of  vermin,  that  it  would  be  utterly  impossible 
for  the  inhabitants  to  sleep  if  their  skins  had  not  by  long  practice  become  as  tough  as  that  of 
a  horse.  Their  misery  is  sometimes  increased  by  a  sort  of  locust,  which  at  intervals  over- 
spreads the  island,  and  destroys  entirely  every  species  of  vegetation.  As  their  taxes  are  not 
diminished  when  this  calamity  occurs,  in  these  disastrous  years  they  are  forced  to  sell  their 
small  stock  of  furniture,  and  frequently  every  disposable  thing  they  possess,  to  satisfy  the 
rapacity  of  their  unfeeling  tyrants. 

The  red  wine  of  Cyprus  being  brought  from  the  villages  in  skins  tarred  inside  has  so 
strong  a  taste  of  tar  that  I  could  not  drink  it.  The  common  white  wine  is  very  good,  and  not 
very  sweet.  It  does  not  fetch  the  price  of  commanderia  till  after  being  kept  two  or  three 
years.  It  is  called  Commanderia  because  the  district  in  which  it  is  made,  lying  between 
Limesole,  Baffo  and  S.  Croce,  formed  part  of  the  Commandery  of  the  Knights  Templars. 
When  a  peasant  marries  he  takes  his  wife  with  nothing  else  than  a  box  containing  the  few 
clothes  she  may  have,  and  he  is  thought  uncommonly  fortunate  if  his  father-in-law  be  able 
to  give  him  with  her  a  mule  or  a  donkey.  The  consequences  of  this  misery  are  such  as 
might  be  expected.  The  peasant  is  sunk  in  a  state  of  apathy  and  suUenness  which 
a  philanthropist  cannot  contemplate  without  horror.  Being  constantly  forced  to  serve  others 
gratis,  his  pride  is  to  refuse  the  slightest  favour  when  not  forced.  With  his  wretched  wooden 
plough,  dragged  by  two  half-starved  oxen,  he  hardly  scratches  the  ground,  and  his  harvest 
might  frequently  be  doubled  by  a  willing  labourer.  In  many  of  the  mountains  of  the  island 
are  mines  of  iron,  of  which  the  usual  signs  are  visible  on  their  surface.  The  peasants  know 
this,  but  will  not  speak  of  it,  lest  their  avaricious  masters  should  make  them  work  gratis 
at  extracting  the  ore.  The  Venetians  made  sugar  and  vitriol  in  Cyprus.  At  Paphos  are 
considerable  quantities  of  the  uninflammable  mineral  amianthus  or  asbestos.  All  these 
advantages  are  rendered  useless  by  the  rapacity  of  the  government,  which,  as  usual,  is 
hurtful  to  its  own  interests. 

The  peasants  of  Cyprus  have  a  curious  superstition,  which  seems  to  have  descended  to 
them  from  the  time  of  the  ancient  Egyptians,  viz.  they  never  eat  flesh  of  oxen,  cows  or  calves, 
nor  even  drink  cow's  milk.    They  nourish  them  however  to  sell  to  the  ships  at  the  Scala. 

Independent  of  the  fevers  prodiaced  by  its  uncultivated  land  becoming  marshy,  Cyprus 
is  unfortunate  in  its  situation.  It  suffers  from  the  cold  of  Caramania,  from  the  hot  sirocs  of 
Syria,  and  from  the  plague  of  Egypt,  which  never  fails  to  infect  it  when  prevalent  there. 

The  transit  commerce  of  Cyprus  is  considerable,  owing  to  the  numerous  vessels  that 
come  from  other  ports  of  the  Levant,  and  from  Malta.  But  this  is  only  within  a  few  years : 
Signor  Vondiziano  tells  me  that  the  average  of  the  consular  duties  in  Larnaca  for  the  last 
four  years  has  been  30,000  piastres,  of  which  he  takes  two-sevenths,  according  to  the  rules 
of  the  Levant  Company,  to  which  he  sends  the  rest. 

Having  somewhere  read  (I  believe  in  the  Quarterly  Review  of  Mr  Clarke's  Greece) 
that  the  dress  of  the  Greek  women  in  Cyprus  differs  from  all  the  others,  and  approaches 


TURNER. 


449 


more  to  the  ancient  model,  1  observed  this  pt^int  with  particular  attention,  and  am  able  to 
state  with  confidence  that  in  all  my  rambles  about  the  island,  I  have  seen  only  two  kinds  of 
dresses  that  differed  from  the  usual  fashion  of  the  Greeks,  and  of  these  but  very  few-.  One 
of  these  was  a  short  yellow  vest  tight  round  the  upper  part  of  the  body,  with  a  red  petticoat 
that  came  over  it  at  the  waist,  round  which  it  was  tightened  by  a  drawing  tape ;  a  handker- 
chief was  carelessly  tied  round  the  head.  This  was  worn  by  a  villager  whom  I  saw  at  Santa 
Croce,  and  by  another  near  Paphos.  The  other,  worn  by  a  pretty  young  girl  of  Nicosia,  was 
all  of  white  cotton,  a  loose  vest,  with  pantaloons  fastened  by  a  draw^ing  tape  round  the  waist, 
and  descending  to  the  feet  below  the  knot  with  which  it  was  tied  at  the  ancle  <'i  la  Turqu^. 
The  general  dress,  like  that  of  all  (ireek  w(jmen,  consisted  of  a  white  cap,  sijinetimes  with  a 
red  border  or  embroidered,  according  to  the  circumstances  of  the  wearer,  round  which  the 
hair  flowed  loose  before  on  each  temple,  and  terminated  V)ehind  in  one,  two,  six  or  even  eight 
tails,  generally  lengthened  by  skeins  of  silk  :  strings  of  sequins,  ruljiehs  or  paras  hung  round 
the  head  and  neck:  a  gown  tightened  at  the  waist,  and  bound  by  a  simple  handkerchief,  or 
by  a  leathern  girdle  fastened  by  silver  clasps  which  generally  bore  the  shape  of  a  circle  or  of 
a  sloped  heart,  and  an  outer  robe  more  or  less  richly  embroidered,  flowing  to  the  feet ;  f<3r 
this  latter  a  red  cloth  is  mostly  preferred,  they  being  here  freely  permitted  to  wear  that  cohjur 
as  well  as  yellow  shoes,  contrary  to  the  custom  in  Constantinople.  They  fre<iuently  throw 
a  handkerchief  loosely  about  the  head  to  shade  them  from  the  sun,  and  none  of  them,  even 
Turkish  women,  hide  their  fac(?  with  scrupulous  jealousy. 

Poverty  seldom  consults  fashion  in  dress,  but  if  I  observed  one  luil>it  more  common 
among  the  Greek  male  peasants  than  the  other,  it  was  one  of  coarse  cotton,  all  white, 
consisting  of  a  short  vest  tight  round  the  body,  with  loose  trowsers  down  to  the  feet,  fastened 
round  the  waist  by  a  drawing  tape,  or,  if  the  wearer  could  afford  it,  by  a  girdle  which  was 
generally  red.  The  turban  was  mostly  of  coarse  white  cotton,  they  being  freely  allowed  to 
wear  this  colour  on  the  head. 

The  Turks  of  Cyprus  are  in  fact  the  tamest  in  the  Levant.  Many  professed  Moslem  are 
in  secret  Greeks,  and  observe  all  the  numerous  fasts  of  that  church.  All  drink  wine  freely, 
and  many  of  them  eat  pork  without  scruple  in  secret,  a  thing  unheard  of  in  Turkey.  They 
frequently  marry  the  (ireek  women  of  the  island,  as  their  religion  permits  a  Turkish  man 
to  marry  an  infidel  woman,  though  to  guard  against  an  abandonment  of  Mahometanism, 
it  forbids  a  Turkish  woman  to  marry  an  infidel. 

The  Greek  of  Cyprus  is  abominably  corrupt,  being  intenni.xed  with  Venetian,  Turkish 
and  Arabick;  yet  I  observed  the  following  words  of  pure  Hellenick — lain,  to  speak,  loiu),  to 
wash,  akonizo,  to  sharpen,  aristera,  the  left,  .t!napi,  mustard,  and  ktena,  beasts. 

A  Frank  in  Cyprus  has  the  greatest  ditticulty  to  find  servants,  in  consequence  of  which 
their  insolence  to  their  masters  is  insufferable.  This  is  not  owing  to  any  want  of  serviceable 
subjects,  but  to  the  infamous  conduct  of  the  (ireek  priests,  who,  with  their  usual  bigotry  and 
pride,  tell  the  peasants  that  it  is  a  shame  to  serve,  and  no  sin  to  rob,  the  Frank  dogs.  When 
a  peasant  robs  a  Frank,  the  priests  do  not  enforce  restitution,  which  tlicy  always  do  if 
the  plunder  be  taken  from  a  Greek. 

In  short,  these  Greek  priests,  everywhere  the  vilest  miscreants  in  human  nature,  are 
worse  than  usual  in  Cyprus  from  the  i)ower  they  possess.  They  strip  the  poor  ignorant 
superstitious  peasant  of  his  last  para,  and  when  he  is  on  his  deathbed,  make  him  leave  his 
all  to  their  convent,  promising  that  nuisses  shall  be  said  for  his  soul.  Madame  Dupont  tells 
me  that  she  once  paid  a  visit  to  a  (J reek  widow  of  a  peasant  who  was  dying,  and  asked  her  if 
she  had  made  her  will  to  dispose  of  what  she  had  in  the  world.    "I  have  only  that,"  replied 


450 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  woman,  pointing  to  a  handsome  Venetian  looking-glass,  hanging  up  in  the  room,  "and 
that  I  have  left  to  my  father  confessor  to  pray  for  my  soul." — "But  your  two  children,"  replied 
Madame  D.    "  Oh ! "  said  the  superstitious  dupe,  "  he  says,  Heaven  will  take  care  of  them !  " 

I  found  the  climate  of  Cyprus  delicious  during  my  two  \'isits.  But  in  summer  the 
heat  is  intolerable,  and  the  winter  generally  is  one  continued  torrent  of  rain.  The  rainy 
seasons  are  March  and  April — it  is  the  rain  of  these  months  which  by  filling  the  marshes 
causes  the  fever— and  November,  December  and  January.  Up  to  my  departure  the  rain  had 
hardly  begun;  we  had  only  two  days  of  it  in  Nicosia,  and  the  inhabitants  attribute  this 
unusual  continuation  of  dry  weather,  which  oppresses  every  one  with  colds  or  fevers,  to 
the  early  cold  which  is  wafted  here  from  the  snow  on  the  mountains  of  Caramania.  In 
winter  a  sort  of  tornado  is  not  unfrequent,  and  the  inhabitants  have  not  yet  forgotten  one 
of  these  which  occurred  in  a  night  of  February,  in  the  severe  winter  of  1812 — 13,  during  which 
hailstones  fell  as  big  as  walnuts,  that  beat  in  the  mud  roofs  of  many  of  the  houses.  I  did  not 
see  in  Cyprus  a  single  cypress  tree,  from  which  some  assert  that  the  island  derived  its  name, 
while  others  deduce  it  from  the  Henna  plant  (Lawsonia  inermis)  whence  the  Easterns  prepare 
the  yellow  dye  for  the  hair,  and  which  in  Hellenick  was  called  Cyprus.  It  grows  very 
abundantly  in  the  island. 

I  could  not  hear  of  any  serpents  in  Cyprus.  It  seems  now  to  be  free  from  the  annoyance 
of  those  animals  by  which  it  was  anciently  so  infested  as  to  have  acquired  the  epithet  of 
ophiodes  Cypros. 

*  *  *  * 

At  sunset  on  November  21,  1815,  I  bade  adieu  for  ever  to  Cyprus,  which  we  had  seen 
but  dimly  all  day. 

NOTIZIE. 

From  the  Notizie  del  Giorno,  Roma,  nella  stamperia  Cvacas  cil  Corso,  num.  232,  nos.  43,  Thursday, 
October  25,  and  44,  Friday,  November  2,  1821,  we  translate  an  account  of  the  passive  part  imposed  on  the 
Orthodox  inhabitants  of  Cyj)rus  in  the  events  of  1821,  and  the  repressive  measures  taken  by  the 
MuteseUim,  Kuchuk  Mehmed,  in  anticipation  of  an  insurrectionary  movement  in  the  island.  The 
impression  of  fear  and  awe  left  by  tliese  is  no  doubt  still  alive  in  Cyprus,  but  the  generation  which  saw 
them  was  unfortunately  allowed  to  pass  without  any  effort  made  to  preserve  a  full  and  trustworthy 
account.    We  know  at  least  of  none  so  vivid  as  that  which  will  be  found  in  these  letters. 

The  same  number  contains  the  ijroclamation  of  Charles  Felix,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  King  of 
Sardinia,  Cyprus  and  Jerusalem,  dated  at  Govone,  October  13,  1821,  announcing  the  inflexible  resolve  of 
bis  brother  Victor  Emmanuel  to  resign,  and  his  own  accession  to  the  throne.  A  document  of  medieval 
naivete  and  unction.  The  only  news  from  England  is  that  two  brothers  and  three  sisters  of  George  IV. 
were  likely  to  join  His  Majesty  at  Hannover. 

For  the  history  of  the  journal,  a  sheet  of  four  small  quarto  pages,  which  lived  from  1815  to  1848,  see 
Morandi's  edition  of  I  Sonetti  Romanescld  cli  G.  G.  Belli,  vol.  iii.  13.    Citta  di  Castello,  1886. 

Zante,  8  October.    Details  of  the  deplorable  situation  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cyprus,  extracted 

FROM  authentic  LETTERS  FROM  LaRNICA,  OF  THE  16tH  AND  22nD  OF  AUGUST  LAST. 

After  the  terrible  events  which  took  place  in  Constantinople  and  other  cities  of  the 
Ottoman  Empire,  the  order  reached  Cyprus  also  that  the  inhabitants  generally  should  be 
disarmed.  In  fact  that  very  instant  the  Grovernor  General  announced  the  prohibition  of  the 
carrying  and  retaining  of  all  kinds  of  arms,  firearms  and  cutting  weapons.  Even  Franks, 
Armenians  and  Maronites  were  deprived  of  them;  butchers,  pork-dealers,  labourers  and  all 


TUHXER  NOTIZIE. 


others  were  stripped  ot  the  tools  used  in  their  several  occupations.  Ammunition  exposed 
for  sale  in  public  stores  was  seized  without  payment  and  lodged  in  the  fort.  A  certain 
Sawa  had  hidden  a  barrel  of  powder  in  a  chamber  of  the  parish  church  of  Nicosia  called 
Faneromene :  this  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  said  Governor,  who  went  to  the  spot  himself, 
found  the  powder,  and  had  it  transferred  to  the  fortress.  Sawa  chanced  luckily  to  be  at 
Larnica,  and  as  soon  as  he  heard  what  had  happened  thought  it  well  to  hide  himself.  As  he 
could  not  be  found,  there  was  arrested  in  his  stead  P.  Leonzio,  the  vicar  of  that  church, 
a  man  loved  by  all,  and  the  Pasha's  satellites  cut  off  his  head  in  the  midst  of  the  market. 
Not  satisfied  with  this,  they  beheaded  five  other  (Jreeks,  namely  two  monks  and  three  layjnen, 
who  were  not  supposed  to  be  guilty  of  anything  but  hiding  a  gun  or  so,  or  of  having  had 
before  some  difference  with  the  Turks.  When  this  bloodshed  was  known  not  only  the 
Cypriot  Sawa,  but  the  headmen  Haggi  Lois  and  Haggi  Petrachi  of  Citrea  got  on  board  ship, 
to  avoid  the  wrath  of  the  Governor,  which  cooled  a  little.  Nevertheless  he  caused  t<»  be 
brought  here  from  Acre  two  thousand  soldiers,  with  another  thousand  who  had  been 
requisitioned  since  the  third  of  last  May,  and  matters  liegan  to  assume  a  more  terrifying 
aspect.  One  Sunday,  while  a  detachment  of  eighty  Turkish  soldiers  was  marching  towards 
S.  Pantaleone  to  garrison  the  sea-coast,  it  passed  before  the  Latin  (,'hurch  served  by  the 
Franciscans  (Minori  Osservanti).  High  mass  was  being  celebrated,  and  they  had  the  audacity 
to  discharge  their  muskets  in  the  church,  so  that  the  dense  smoke  wrapped  the  building  in 
darkness  to  the  terrible  alarm  of  the  congregation,  especially  the  Catholic  ladies,  who  fell  to 
the  ground  half  dead.  The  said  soldiers  continuing  their  march,  when  they  approached  the 
residence  of  the  Consul  of  his  most  Christian  Majesty,  twice  at  least  rent  his  flag  with  their 
ghots.  Such  an  insult  and  injury  was  exceedingly  displeasing  to  all  the  European  Consuls, 
who  made  their  formal  complaint  to  the  (Jovernor  of  Nicosia.  But  he  gave  them  never  a 
hearing,  and  the  French  Consul  remained  gravely  offejided  that  he  could  get  no  sati.sfaction. 
In  concert  then  with  the  other  Consuls  a  ship  was  hired  to  be  sent  with  despatches  to  their 
ambassadors  and  ministers  resident  accredited  to  the  Porte,  but  on  the  vessel's  return 
the  replies  were  intercepted  by  the  Hydriots.  The  (iovernor  however,  who  foresaw  the 
consequences  of  his  barbarous  conduct,  wrote  to  the  Cajitan  Pasha,  or  High  Admiral,  upoTi 
whose  protecticm  and  authority  the  island  dei)ends,  accusing  the  Cypriots  of  being  rebellious, 
and  of  holding  secret  correspondence  with  the  Hydriots.  The  Captan  Pasha  c<jntined  himself 
to  enjoining  ou  the  Governor  that  he  should  well  examine  the  matter,  but  he,  on  the  contrary, 
took  a  totally  different  course,  and  even  gave  signs  of  a  temper  more  savage  .still.  He  wrote 
to  all  the  bishops  of  the  island  U)  betake  themselves  to  Nicosia  with  the  Codipnwit),  or 
leading  men,  and  other  dignitaries,  as  he  had  a  firman  to  communicate  to  them.  They 
arrived  in  the  capital  on  the  19th  of  July  last,  and  on  the  21st  he  had  them  brought  into  the 
Serai,  his  residence.  Iminediately  he  caused  the  gates  of  the  city  and  of  the  Semi  to  be 
closed,  began  by  having  the  bishop  of  Larnica  beheaded,  decreed  the  same  fate  for  the 
others  of  Pafo  and  Corinia,  and  cau.sed  to  be  hanged  the  Archbishop  of  the  whole  island, 
Monsignor  Cipriano  and  his  archdeacon.  Only  the  bishop  of  Temetunda  had  the  luck  to 
escape  unknown  from  the  island  :  he  arrived  eventually  at  Ancona,  where  he  is  .still  in  the 
Lazaretto  with  two  of  his  nephews.  But  the  blood  already  shed  did  not  satisfy  the  Governor, 
and  he  willed  that  there  should  also  be  beheaded  the  Masuri,  the  son  of  (Jlichi,  and  a 
shepherd.  He  stayed  the  slaughter  for  that  day,  as  he  was  obliged  to  occupy  himself  in 
assembling  the  Divan  to  choose  as  the  new  bi.shops  the  persons  who  held  the  most  dignified 
posts.  On  the  22nd  of  the  same  month  he  began  again  to  order  new  massacres.  He 
caused  the  chief  men  of  the  city  and  of  other  towns  to  be  beheaded,  among  whom  were 

57—2 


452 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


MM.  Arconti,  Solomidi,  Iconomidi,  Antonopullo,  Pieraclii,  Zougrafa,  Cartellari  &c.  He 
commanded  also  that  all  the  chief  abbots  of  the  monasteries  should  be  hanged,  and 
confiscated  their  goods,  especially  those  of  the  famous  monastery  of  Cicco,  after  he  had 
beheaded  the  Archimandrite,  who  had  been  robbed  of  his  property,  plate,  and  even  of  the 
sacred  vessels.  To  the  like  confiscation  he  subjected  various  Greeks  who  were  employed 
in  the  prominent  offices  of  the  Serai  and  the  Mecchemi  (the  residence  of  the  Mufti)  and 
then  by  brute  force  compelled  them  to  become  Turks,  to  which  lot  were  subjected  also 
the  sons  of  the  persons  executed,  and  others. 

On  the  25th  of  the  same  month  of  July  was  issued  the  fatal  sentence  that  the  heads 
of  the  Court  officials,  the  two  nephews  of  the  Archbishop,  and  three  other  persons  should 
fall.  A  like  fate  awaited  the  Greek  merchants  of  Nicosia,  Larnica,  Leimassol  &c.  &c.,  the 
Protopapas,  and  the  other  Greek  dignitaries.  What  more !  the  same  was  done  on  the  24th 
to  the  chief  priest  of  Leimassol,  and  three  other  inhabitants  of  that  town,  and  to  many 
ecclesiastics  and  laymen.  Daily  the  Governor  has  no  other  care  than  to  bring  from  all  parts 
of  the  island  innocent  and  unhappy  persons,  that  even  more  blood  of  Christians,  monks  and 
priests  may  be  shed,  making  diligent  enquiry  about  them,  and  keeping  by  him  an  exact 
note,  so  as  to  have  them  at  his  bidding.  Going  further  still,  he  has  reached  the  unparalleled 
cruelty  of  murdering,  between  priests  and  laymen,  ten,  fifteen  and  even  twenty  a  day.  If 
he  allows  one  day  to  pass  without  any  such  victims,  on  the  next  he  doubles  the  number,  to 
make  things  even.  On  this  fiendish  plan  he  has  already  destroyed  the  primates,  the  abbots, 
the  archpriests;  and  to  escape  death  some  have  disguised  themselves  as  Franks,  and  embarked 
for  Genoa,  for  Marseille  or  Leghorn. 

Among  these  were  lucky  indeed  the  bishop  of  Temetunda,  the  Archimandrite,  and  the 
Exarch  of  the  late  Archbishop  Cipriano,  who  had  their  hair  and  beards  cut,  and  embarked 
for  Europe.  Two  others  were  less  fortunate,  who  were  recognised  as  they  fled,  arrested,  and 
then  beheaded,  and  this  stirred  still  greater  fear  in  the  minds  of  those  who  hoped  to  save 
themselves  by  flight.  However,  as  every  danger  is  boldly  faced  to  avoid  the  last  of  ills,  so 
many  families  are  prepared  even  undisguised  to  fly  from  the  place.  In  short  no  one  will 
remain  any  longer  in  the  island;  even  the  Franks  assist  people  to  escape,  and  many  have 
fled,  and  others  are  preparing  for  flight,  so  that  the  island  will  soon  be  a  desert.  Among  the 
Governor's  many  barbarities  is  remarkable  that  of  destroying  all  the  palaces  of  the  Greek 
and  Armenian  notables,  reducing  them  to  one  story,  so  that  the  survivors  may  dwell  no 
longer  in  lofty  apartments  and  grand  houses,  but  in  places  which  now  present  the  appearance 
of  mean  huts.  The  Consuls  and  Frank  merchants,  in  pity  for  the  lainentable  state  of  these 
many  citizens,  especially  boys  and  girls,  helped  to  hide  them  in  their  houses.  Nevertheless 
the  Governor  did  not  cease  to  search  for  them,  to  try  to  seduce  them  to  become  Turks ;  to 
insist,  now  with  prayers,  now  \vith  threats,  that  the  Consuls  should  give  them  up  to  him, 
declaring  that  if  not  he  would  go  himself  to  surprise  them  in  their  houses.  Seeing  at  last 
that  the  Consuls,  to  preserve  from  certain  death  so  many  unhappy  creatures,  would  not  give 
in  to  his  designs,  he  wrote,  it  was  said,  to  Constantinople,  for  permission  to  force  himself  for 
this  purpose  into  the  said  consular  houses.  It  happened  too  that  many  pregnant  women,  at 
the  sad  news  of  their  husbands'  cruel  death,  gave  to  the  day  their  untimely  offspring,  and  lay 
overpowered  with  grief.  Everywhere  are  heard  sighs,  everywhere  terror  and  alarm  prevails, 
for  the  very  peasants  too  are  either  burdened  with  taxes  beyond  their  means,  or  if  they 
cannot  pay  are  tortured  in  prison  with  hard  bonds  and  hunger. 

In  whom  would  it  not  stir  pity  to  see  the  island  dispeopled  of  the  inhabitants  of  Greek 
origin,  who  either  have  been  massacred,  or  driven  to  flight,  or  compelled  to  embrace  the 


NOTIZIE.  POUQUEVILLE 


453 


Mahommedan  rite,  or  overwhelmed  by  the  terror,  savagery  and  exactions  which  have  left 
them  but  half  alive  ?  To  so  many  misfortunes  must  be  added  as  the  crown  that  for  many 
years  the  people  cannot  remember  so  rich  a  harvest  of  all  kinds  as  this  year:  but  bj'  reason 
of  these  appalling  events  not  one  of  the  inhabitants  has  been  able  to  enjoy  it,  or  turn  it  to 
account.  In  fact  no  merchant  is  found  willing  to  buy  produce,  even  at  the  lowest  prices : 
and  you  can  purchase  a  big  goat  at  two  francs,  a  chilo  of  wheat  at  a  franc  and  a  half,  and  a 
chilo  of  barley  at  a  franc,  and  so  in  proportion  every  article  of  food.  The  merchants  having 
entrusted  their  wares  and  money  to  landowners  who  have  been  murdered,  or  pauperised  by 
the  load  of  taxes,  or  who  have  been  stripped  of  their  property,  or  are  Hed,  are  driven  to 
bankruptcy.  All  the  Greek  churches  and  monasteries  which  were  rich  in  money,  gifts,  aids, 
and  stores  of  sacred  vessels  are  now  utterly  bare,  just  as  the  fields  are  laid  waste,  agriculture 
entirely  ruined,  and  all  kind  of  trade  and  busine.ss  stopped.  It  seems  then  that  the  Governor 
has  vowed  the  destruction  and  extermination  of  the  whole  nation.  Already  the  families  of 
the  Consuls  of  France,  Naples,  Russia  and  others,  are  embarked  for  Europe;  and  those  of 
other  Europeans  of  means,  who  were  living  here,  are  preparing  t<j  do  the  same.  Only  the 
Consuls  now  remain  to  attend  to  their  diplomatic  duties.  A  Neapolitan  vessel  bound  for 
Leghorn  has  already  left  Cyprus,  full  of  Greek  and  Frank  families.  Other  vessels,  French, 
Sardinian  and  Austrian,  are  being  hired  to  transport  the  remaining  European  households,  and 
those  Greeks  who  can  effect  an  escape  in  disguise.  The  island  will  then  remain  a  den  of  wild 
beasts,  rather  than  an  abode  of  men. 

POUQl  KVILLE. 

Monsieur  F.  C.  H.  Pouqiicville  published  in  4  vols.  8vo,  Paris,  1824,  his  Hintoiie  de  la  Regeneration  de 
la  Orice,  comprenant  le  precin  des  evhiementn  depuin  1740  jiimju'en  1824. 

The  author  was  French  Consul  General  at  the  Court  of  Ali  Pasha  at  .Tanina,  and  yives  a  lively  and 
incorrect  account  of  the  exploits  and  death  of  that  able  and  unscrupulouH  Viceroy.  An  ardent  Philhellene 
he  snaps  up  any  tale  whicli  he  thinks  would  illustrate  the  savaf,'ery  of  the  Turks,  the  chivalry  of  the 
French,  and  the  perfidy  of  Euf^laud.  What  he  has  to  say  about  the  fortunes  of  Cyprus  is  neither  lonfj  nor 
exact  ("  Pouqueville  is  always  out" — Byron,  Xoten  on  i'hilde  Harold,  ii.  17),  but  the  book  is  too  often 
quoted  to  be  neglected  here.    There  is  a  Romaic  version  by  X.  D.  Zygoura. 

The  remains  of  the  prelates  and  other  leading  citizens  executed  in  Nicosia  on  July  21,  22,  1821,  were 
collected  and  interred  within  the  precincts  of  the  Phaneromene  Church.  When  the  church  was  restored 
and  enlarged  in  1872— '5,  they  were  removed  to  their  present  resting-place  tmder  the  floor  of  the 
Sacrarium,  just  iu  frout  of  a  wall  tablet  in  the  south  apse. 

The  names  thereon  recorded  are  Cyprianos,  Archbishop,  Chrysanthos,  Bishop  of  Paphos,  Meletios,  of 
Kition,  Laurentios,  of  Kyreneia,  Meletios,  Archdeacon,  G.  Masouras,  P.  Oeconomides,  M.  Glykys, 
P.  Pierakes,  I.  Antonopoulos,  K.  Boskos,  N.  Zographos,  S.  Solomides,  S.  Symeopoulos,  Christodoulos 
Kourtellares,  .Joseph,  abbot  of  Kykkos. 

Cyprus  had  suffered  towards  the  end  of  May,  1821,  some  fatal  shocks,  but  its  inhabitants, 
as  soft  as  the  names  of  Idalion,  Paphos  and  Anuithus,  and  wi-ll  enough  satisfied  with  their 
condition,  had  disarmed  the  suspicions  of  the  Turks,  who  had  yielded  to  the  climatic  iuHuences 
of  an  island  ever  warmed  by  the  gentle  zephyrs.  Either  race  nourished  but  the  one  vnsli  for 
peace.  The  memories  of  childhood  cherished  by  men  brought  up  in  the  same  huts,  nourished 
often  by  the  same  milk,  labourers  with  common  interests,  or  shepherds  like  Abel,  had 
triumphed  over  fanaticism.  The  church  and  the  mosque  bore  with  one  another,  and  no  ill 
would  have  befallen  the  island,  hail  not  the  Porte,  true  to  its  plan  of  oppression,  determined 
to  rule  with  a  rod  of  iron  any  land  which  held  Christians. 


« 


454 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


The  Pasha  of  Aleppo  had  received  orders  to  raise  troops  destined  for  the  military 
occupation  of  Cyprus :  these  man-hunters  were  to  be  posted  in  the  midst  of  a  prosperous  and 
industrious  community.  The  news  had  scarcely  reached  the  island  before  these  bands 
arrived,  more  voracious  than  the  swarms  of  locusts  which  too  often  destroy  the  hopes  of  the 
year  in  the  plains  of  Famagusta  and  Nicosia.  Some  had  embarked  in  the  Gulf  of  Adalia, 
others,  drawn  from  Syria,  at  the  ports  of  Acre  and  Tripoli.  These  last  were  reinforced  by 
troops  of  Syrians  and  Arabs  from  the  country  about  Palmyra,  who  had  long  been  arrayed 
against  the  Wahabis.  More  than  ten  thousand  men  arrived  together  at  the  port  of  Larnaca. 
Christian  blood  began  at  once  to  flow.  The  bazars  were  pillaged,  the  farms  near  the  town 
laid  waste,  their  Grreek  inmates  cut  in  pieces,  and  the  few  whom  chance  saved  from  the  fury 
of  the  barbarians  sought  safety  in  the  interior  of  the  island.  Larnaca  would  have  been  ruined 
but  for  the  firmness  of  M.  Mechain,  French  Consul,  whose  remonstrances,  backed  by  the 
cannon  of  a  transport  of  the  Royal  Navy,  decided  the  cowardly  Governor  to  quarter  the 
Syrian  levies  in  the  fortresses  of  the  island :  a  measure  incomparably  more  disastrous  than 
the  damage  they  had  already  done,  because  they  carried  desolation  to  spots  which  had  so  far 
remained  free  from  outrage  and  discord. 

Vol.  III.  pp.  50—52. 

In  September  Greek  ships  from  Psara  sailed  towards  Cyprus  with  the  intention  of 
helping  their  brethren,  who  were  falling  every  day  under  the  swords  of  the  Asiatics.  .  A 
frightful  anarchy  was  ravaging  this  peaceful  island.  The  conciliatory  firmans  extorted  from 
Constantinople  by  the  French  Legation  remained  unnoticed :  the  guilty  Vizir,  who  was  to 
have  been  dismissed,  was  maintained  in  office  when  the  time  came  for  the  renewal  of  beratSy 
which  occurs  after  Bairam.  The  villages  were  deserted,  the  harvest  lay  abandoned  on 
the  fields :  the  Greeks  reduced  to  despair  were  on  the  point  of  revolt :  the  Turks  of 
the  island  were  getting  angry :  the  foreign  soldiers  waited  with  impatience  a  signal,  or  the 
pretext  of  some  rising,  when  the  French  transport  Lionne,  commanded  by  Captain  Ferrand» 
arrived,  again  to  save  Larnaca  from  a  ruin  which  seemed  inevitable. 

The  French  Consul,  M,  Mechain  (for  the  least  prominent  agents  of  His  Most  Christian 
Majesty  covered  themselves  with  glory  in  these  times  of  trouble),  alone  had  faced  the  storm. 
He  would  doubtless  have  fallen,  for  the  commandant  of  the  town,  the  agha  of  the  janissaries,, 
and  the  treasurer  were  on  the  list  of  persons  proscribed  by  the  Pasha.  Their  crime  was  to 
have  shown  favour  to  the  Christians,  in  saving  some  few  from  death.  All  Europeans  or 
Franks  were  doomed,  and  Larnaca  would  have  been  given  up  to  be  sacked  by  the  foreign 
soldiery.  So  it  was  again  to  His  Majesty's  navy  that  so  many  wretched  beings  owed  their 
escape.  History  will  add  that  from  his  capital  Louis  XVIII.  Avatched  over  them,  his  flag- 
gave  them  shelter,  his  charity  provided  for  their  wants :  for  some  thousands  of  rations  of 
biscuit  were  sent  from  Toulon,  and  placed  at  the  disposal  of  Admiral  Halgan,  to  feed  a  crowd 
of  unhappy  creatures,  of  whom  famine  would  have  swept  off  those  who  escaped  from  th& 
sword  of  the  oppressor.    Charity  such  as  this  is  better  than  the  most  brilliant  triumph. 

Vol.  III.  pp.  167,  168. 

In  October  Cyprus  was  again  given  up  to  the  horrors  of  anarchy.  The  native  Turks,, 
beguiled  by  the  treacherous  insinuations  of  the  Syrian  soldiers,  reeked  with  the  blood  of  their 
countrymen.  The  murders  began  again  early  in  September,  and  if  all  the  European  Consuls 
distinguished  themselves  by  their  humanity,  there  as  elsewhere  it  was  reserved  to  the  French 
Consul  to  surpass  in  courage  all  his  colleagues. 

His  hour  of  glory  arrived  on  October  6.    The  Turkish  population  had  risen  en  masse  on 


POUQUEVILLK. 


455 


receiving  the  news  of  tlie  retirement  of  the  Mohamtnedan  army  which  had  been  collected  on 
the  Ionian  coast,  and  that  the  Samians  had  landed  in  Asia  Minor  and  were  taking  a  bitter 
revenge.  They  resolved  to  reply  l)y  murder  to  the  Greek  successes.  ^lad  with  rage  the 
barbarians  had  seized  an  Archbishop,  five  Bi.shops  and  thirty-six  ecclesiastics,  whom  they 
hanged  about  October  lo.  Most  of  the  Greeks  in  Larnaca  and  the  other  towns  were 
strangled  at  the  same  time.  The  t^uropeans  were  in  the  utmost  danger;  a  Cypriot  who  for 
thirty-six  years  had  been  recognised  as  honorary  Consul  for  Spain  was  put  to  death,  and 
several  French  pi-otcgts,  and  the  mob  rushed  to  the  Consulate,  calling  on  M.  Mechain  to  give 
lip  to  them  a  crowd  of  Greeks  who  had  taken  refuge  under  the  French  Hag. 

Urged  on  by  the  Governor  against  whom  M.  Mechain  had  obtained  firmans — documents 
which  are  never  worth  much  unless  supported  by  something  more  weighty  than  the  mere 
name  of  the  Sultan — they  had  deterinined  to  carry  off  the  refugees  by  force.  They  brought 
up  cannon,  ])Ut  night  fell,  and  the  attack  was  deferred  to  the  morning.  Encamped  round  the 
Consulate  they  lay  like  soldiers  waiting  a  battle,  but  during  the  night  the  Christians  found 
an  unexpected  succour.  Forty  boats  from  Psara  entered  the  bay ;  the  brigands  ran  pell-mell 
to  the  hills;  and  the  Greeks  snatched  from  certain  death  got  on  board  the  vessels,  which  at 
once  set  sail.  The  Consul  saw  them  disappear,  without  fearing  the  return  of  the  barbarians 
who  came  back  to  the  town  covered  with  shame,  never  daring  to  reproach  him  with  a  deed 
which  might  have  shed  glory  on  the  Consuls  of  France  in  the  East,  had  not  these  all  vied 
with  one  another  to  make  the  Bourbons  blessed  for  ever  in  the  countries  where  their  name  is 
linked  with  memories  of  the  exploits  of  S.  Louis,  that  king  of  sainted  and  immortal  memory. 

Vol.  III.  pp.  247—249. 

The  reports  from  abroad,  submitted  to  the  Hellenic  Senate  in  September,  1822,  spoke  of 
Chios  as  strewn  with  the  bones  of  its  former  inhabitants.  Cos  and  Rhodes  were  in  the  hands 
of  the  Turks,  who  had  killed  a  part  of  the  population.  So  too  in  Cyprus,  where  sixty-two 
villages  and  hamlets  had  entirely  disappeared.  The  Turks,  in  their  familiar  phrase,  continued 
to  hunt  down  the  Christians.  Many  churches  had  been  turned  into  mosi[ues,  others  into 
stables;  and  the  Pasha  of  Ciusarea,  to  outdo  his  fellows,  had  pushed  his  mad  crueltj'  so  far  as 
to  saddle  and  bridle  the  monks  of  S.  Pantaleemon.  His  officers  had  taken  a  fancy  to  go  for 
country  rides  on  the  backs  of  these  wretched  creatures,  many  of  whom  died  of  fatigue  or 
under  the  whip,  or  were  choked  by  the  bits  which  were  forced  into  their  mouths  by  breaking 
their  teeth.  In  some  parts  of  the  island  the  vineyards  were  burnt,  the  forest  trees  were  cut 
down,  and  this  rich  island  shorn  of  its  groves  left  m "thing  to  the  eye  but  ruins  and  graves. 

Vol.  IV.  pp.  isi,  ly2. 


456 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


FRANKLAND. 

Captain  Charles  Colville  Frankland,  E.N.,  sailing  from  J^gina  in  H.M.S.  "  Raleigh,"  Capt.  Bailing^ 
reached  Cyprus  August  9,  1827.  His  Travels  to  and  from  Constantinople  was  published  in  2  vols.  8vo^ 
London,  1830.    See  vol.  i.  pp.  315—324. 

August  9.  In  the  morning  we  made  C.  Blanco  in  the  Island  of  Cyprus.  All  the  day- 
running  with  a  fine  breeze  along  shore  towards  Larneca.  We  passed  C.  Gatto  and  C.  Salines^ 
and  made  the  point  Chitti  about  sunset.  At  about  nine,  sounded  off  C.  Chitti  in  five  fathoms. 
We  anchored  in  the  roads  of  Larneca,  about  11  P.M.  in  eight  fathoms.  (N.B.  Give  C.  Chitti 
a  wide  berth.) 

August  10.  In  the  morning  the  British  Consul  came  on  board... I  went  on  shore  in  the 
evening  with  Calling.  The  Marina  of  Larneca  is  a  wretched  place  consisting  of  a  long  row 
of  mud-built  houses  with  flat  roofs :  it  has  a  bazaar  and  a  castle.  The  palm  trees  which  are 
thinly  scattered  about  the  back  of  the  town  give  it  a  very  Egyptian  appearance,  and  I  am 
told  make  it  very  much  resemble  Alexandria.  The  Consul  sent  his  carriage  for  us,  to  convey 
us  to  his  residence  at  Larneca,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  Marina.  It  was  an 
open  kind  of  Caleche  drawn  by  one  horse,  just  such  a  one  as  Gil  Bias  and  his  friend  Scipion 
went  down  in  to  Andalusia,  to  take  possession  of  his  quinta  at  Leria. 

On  our  way  out  saw  a  few  Cyprians.  God  only  knows  how  this  island  ever  attained  its- 
celebrity  for  beauty;  for  to  judge  of  it  from  the  specimens  we  saw  one  would  have  said  it 
was  the  last  place  which  Venus  would  have  chosen  in  which  to  fix  her  favourite  residence. 
I  am  told,  however,  that  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Paphos  (whose  temple  still  exists)  il  y  ale 
plus  beau  sang  possible.  The  male  part  of  the  population  is  handsome  and  robust:  and 
perhaps  the  laughing  and  wanton  goddess  had  an  eye  to  this  circumstance.  The  Consular 
residence  is  spacious  and  cool.  The  old  gentleman  received  us  with  much  politeness  and 
urbanity,  offering  us  beds,  &c.  He  has  several  daughters,  but  I  in  vain  looked  for  a  Haidee 
among  them... Pipes  and  coffee  employed  the  evening,  and  at  about  nightfall  we  returned 
to  our  bark. 

August  11.  All  the  morning  at  the  Marina  with  Dallin§.  At  noon  we  drove  out  a  la 
Gil  Bias  to  Larneca.  We  dined  with  the  Consul,  and  saw  several  of  the  European  Consuls — 
tutti  illustrissimi  Signori.  1  observed  at  dinner  that  the  fair  Consulesses  had  tinged  their 
finger-nails  with  henna,  a  la  Turque.  It  is  curious  to  observe  how  much  the  Greeks  in  their 
humiliation  and  slavery  imitate  their  masters  in  their  fashions  and  absurdities.  I  should  have 
remarked  that  our  Consul  is  by  birth  an  Ionian,  and  that  he  had  married  a  Greek  Cypriote ; 
his  daughters  therefore  are  Greek  in  costume,  language  and  ideas. 

I  observed  that  in  most  of  the  houses  at  Larneca  the  ceiling  of  the  large  rooms  is^ 
supported  by  a  Gothic  or  rather  Saracenic  arch.  The  beams  likewise  rest  upon  such  wooden 
projecting  supports  or  buttresses  as  we  see  in  old  churches  in  England  under  the  woodwork  of 
the  roof.  Many  of  the  houses  have  a  kind  of  fa9ade  extending  half  the  height  of  the  house, 
of  stone,  and  of  the  same  order  of  Saracenic  architecture.  I  think  that  some  antiquarians 
trace  the  origin  of  this  style  of  building  in  England  back  to  the  days  of  Crusaders,  who  are 
said  to  have  found  it  existing  in  Cyprus  and  Palestine,  and  to  have  imported  it  into  Europe 
on  their  return.  I  observed  likewise  several  columns  with  such  capitals  and  pedestals  as  we 
see  in  churches  of  the  Gothic  style. 


FRAXKLAXD. 


457 


There  are  by  all  accounts  about  2000  troops  of  Mehmet  Ali  Pasha  in  Cyprus,  Albanians : 
the  whole  population  consists  of  about  25,000  souls,  of  which  five-sixths  are  Greeks.  The 
island  remains  in  a  state  of  uncultivation,  owing  to  the  rapacity  and  tyranny  of  the  govern- 
ment, and  is  depeopling  very  fast.  The  population  both  Turk  and  Greek  are  represented 
as  extremely  indisposed  towards  the  yoke  of  the  Sultan,  and  as  ripe  for  revolt  upon  the 
appearance  of  anything  like  an  auxiliary  force.  The  neighbourhood  of  Ali  Pasha  is  however 
a  formidable  obstacle  to  the  emancipation  of  Cyprus;  and  I  fear  that  unless  that  tyrant 
should  be  blockaded  in  his  port  of  Alexandria  there  is  ljut  little  chance  of  the  Cypriotes 
shaking  the  Ottoman  yoke  from  off  their  shoulders. 

Dalling  and  Elliot  are  purchasing  Cyprus  wines.  The  old  and  superior  wines  are  rare 
and  dear,  but  the  ordinary  sorts  cheap  and  abundant.  The  Commanderia,  as  it  is  called,  is 
one  of  the  best  sorts.  The  Muscat  is  a  perfect  liqueur,  but  is  about  a  dollar  and  a  half  the 
okka.    The  bread  of  Cyprus  is  excellent... 

•August  13.  I  was  awakened  by  a  .salute  from  the  fort,  in  honour  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Governor  of  Cyprus  (Mutesellim)  upon  a  visit  to  Mr  Elliot.  The  weather  very  hot.  In  the 
evening  I  walked  with  Dalling  in  a  cotton  plantation  near  the  beach.  We  enjoyed  the  cool 
sea-breeze  and  the  splendour  of  an  Oriental  sunset  up(jn  the  picturesque  mountains  of  Cyprus 
exceedingly.    August  14.   Mr  Elliot  came  off,  having  had  an  interview  with  the  Mutesellim. 

Aug.  16.  H.M.S.  Raleigh  fired  a  royal  salute  upon  the  occasion  of  the  rehoisting  the 
Consular  Hag,  which  had  been  struck  (nving  to  some  misunderstanding  between  the  British 
Consul  and  the  Governor,  and  indeed  this  misunderstanding  was  the  cause  of  Mr  Elliot's 
being  sent  hither  by  Mr  Stratford  Canning,  with  instructions  to  bring  the  Governor  to  his 
senses  (backed  as  his  representations  would  be  by  the  thirty-two  pounders  of  the  Haleigh). 
The  Turkish  fort  saluted  likewise  with  twenty-one  guns,  the  last  of  which,  according  to  their 
custom,  was  shotted,  throwing  the  ball  a  little  ahead  of  the  ship. 

At  noon  Captain  Dalling  and  myself,  both  in  uniform,  went  on  shore  to  dine  with  and 
felicitate  the  Consul.  After  dinner  we  all  went  to  call  upon  the  Mutesellim  in  the  house  of 
the  Khoja-bashi.  Our  procession  from  the  Consular  residence  to  the  Khoja-bashi's  house 
was  rather  ludicrous,  but  appeared  to  produce  a  very  grand  effect  upon  the  minds  of  the 
good  inhabitants  of  Larneca,  who  all  came  out  of  doors  to  .stare  at  us.  I  could  hardly  retain 
my  gravity  on  witnessing  the  awkward  attempts  made  by  an  old  Turk  of  the  Consulate, 
in  his  long  scarlet  robes  and  ^rey  beard,  to  stand  up  behind  the  rickety  carriage  of  the 
Consul  (a  la  chasseur)  with  a  large  truncheon  in  his  hand,  as  an  emblem  of  his  office  and 
dignity.  We  found  his  Excellency  seated  upon  his  divan,  and  surrounded  by  his  Albanian 
guards.  We  were  ushered  into  his  presence  with  considerable  pomp,  and  invited  by  him  to 
seat  ourselves  on  his  divan.  He  told  us  that  we  were  welcome,  and  that  he  was  delighted 
to  make  our  acquaintance,  and  so  forth.  As  usual  we  were  regaled  with  pipes  and  coffee, 
after  which  we  were  each  presented  with  c(mserves  in  little  filagree  cups  of  silver  (closed  at 
the  top  by  a  hinged  cover) ;  then  followed  excellent  sherbet  \vith  embroidered  napkins;  and 
next  we  were  sprinkled  with  rose-water,  and  i)erfumed  with  incense  contained  in  filagree 
silver  censers.  His  Excellency  was  very  desirous  that  Captain  Dalling  should  go  over  to  a  port 
in  Caramania,  and  take  under  his  charge  a  ve.s.sel,  on  board  of  which  his  harem  was  to  be 
embarked.  This  unusual  and  extraordinary  request  was  naturally  declined.  On  taking 
our  leave  of  the  Mutesellim  he  ret[uested  Captain  Dalling's  acceptance  of  two  casks  of 
Commanderia  wine  and  four  bullocks. 

In  the  evening  we  psiid  some  visits  of  ceremony  to  the  varit)us  Consuls  and  their  spou.'^es, 
and  reembarked  about  eight  o'clock.    Two  vessels  arrived  having  been  plundered  by  a 

c.  58 


458 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


piratical  schooner  on  the  N.E.  side  of  Cyprus.  We  read  a  proces-verbal,  taken  before  the 
French  Consul,  of  the  treatment  received  by  one  of  the  passengers :  it  was  indeed  most 
atrocious.  We  hope  to  fall  in  with  the  pirate  on  our  return  from  Beirut.  We  hear  from 
Alexandria  that  the  Egyptian  fleet  of  eighty-nine  sail  had  sailed  for  the  Morea ;  two  ships 
of  the  line,  nine  frigates,  twenty  corvettes  and  brigs,  and  forty-eight  transports  with  four 
thousand  troops  on  board. 

Average  height  of  thermometer,  82°  in  the  shade  on  board.  Much  ophthalmia  and  fever 
at  Cyprus.    Exports  silk,  cotton,  wine. 

August  17.    We  weighed  at  about  2  P.M.  for  Beirut. 


GORDON. 

Thomas  (General)  Gordon,  F.R.S.,  b.  1788,  d.  1841,  educated  at  Eton  and  Oxford,  a  Cornet  in  the 
Scots  Greys,  left  the  British  service  in  1810,  and  at  various  dates  held  commands  among  the  insurgents 
in  the  Greek  Revolution.  "  He  s^joke  both  Greek  and  Turkish  with  ease,  and  could  even  carry  on 
a  correspondence  in  the  Turkish  language.  His  History  of  the  Greek  Revolution  is  a  work  of  such 
accuracy  in  detail,  that  it  has  served  as  one  of  the  sources  from  which  the  principal  Greek  historian  of 
the  Revolution  (Sp.  Tricoupi)  has  compiled  his  narrative  of  most  military  operations."    (Finlay,  vi.  411.) 

This  work,  published  in  two  volumes  at  Edinburgh  in  1832,  was  reviewed  by  T.  De  Quincey  ( Works, 
ed.  Masson,  vii.  279)  and  translated  into  Turkish.  We  extract  from  vol.  i.  pp.  192—194,  so  much  as 
concerns  Cyprus. 

A  Narrative  of  the  Calamities  of  Cyprus. 

That  celebrated  island,  140  miles  in  length  and  63  in  breadth,  is  intersected  by  a  range 
of  mountains,  called  Olympus  by  the  ancients,  terminating  towards  the  East  in  a  long 
promontory.  The  soil  is  fruitful,  and  although  but  a  small  part  of  the  land  is  under  cultivation 
the  merchants  of  Larnaka  nevertheless  exported  annually,  during  the  late  wars,  many  cargoes 
of  excellent  wheat  to  Spain  and  Portugal.  Its  population,  thought  in  1814  not  to  exceed 
70,000,  was  daily  diminishing ;  half  were  Greeks  under  their  Metropolitan,  and  the  remainder 
Turks,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  Franks  at  Larnaka.  A  Mutesellim,  appointed  by  the 
Captain  Pasha,  ruled  the  isle,  and  next  in  authority  to  him  were  the  Archbishop  and  Dragoman 
(the  latter  a  Greek  nominated  by  the  Porte),  charged  with  the  aifairs  of  the  Rayahs,  and 
responsible  for  their  contributions.  As  those  functionaries  played  into  each  other's  hands, 
no  division  of  the  Empire  was  more  heavily  taxed;  and  the  peasants,  reduced  to  total 
indigence,  embraced  opportunities  of  expatriating  themselves.  The  most  fertile  and  agreeable 
region  is  near  the  old  Paphos,  where  flourish  fine  forests  of  oak,  beech  and  pine  with  groves 
of  olive  and  mulberry  trees.  Cyprus  is  renowned  for  the  quantity  of  its  fruit,  wine,  oil  and 
silk :  it  abounds  in  oxen,  sheep,  fowls  and  game,  and  the  natives  boast  that  the  produce  of 
every  soil  and  climate  will  not  only  flourish  there,  but  attain  to  the  highest  perfection.  Its 
trade  is  carried  on  at  Larnaka,  a  town  of  5000  souls,  built  on  the  site  of  Citium,  at  the  bottom 
of  a  deep  bay,  making  an  excellent  roadstead.  Nicosia,  the  capital,  is  an  inland  and  more 
populous  city :  Famagosta,  on  the  East  coast,  once  a  strong  place,  is  now  dismantled  and 
ruinous.  The  military  force  consisted  of  300  guards  of  the  Mutesellim  and  4000  Janissaries, 
badly  armed,  and  without  discipline  or  courage.  The  character  of  the  people  is  mild,  and 
it  is  said  that  few  instances  of  cruelty  occurred,  and  that  the  Mussulmans  lived  on  a  very 
amicable  footing  with  their  Rayahs. 


FRAXKLAND.    GORDON.  DELAROIERE. 


Separated  from  European  Greece  by  a  wide  expanse  of  sea,  the  Cypriotes  behold  with  a 
sort  of  indifference  the  commencement  of  the  revolution,  vainly  flattering  themselves  that  it 
•would  not  disturb  their  tranquillity.  But  towards  the  end  of  May,  certain  Turks,  gratifying 
private  malice  under  political  pretexts,  assassinated  some  individuals,  and  the  principal  Greek 
merchants  then  fled.  This  transient  gloom  might  perhaps  have  passed  away,  had  not  the 
Porte  resolved  to  secure  its  dominion  of  the  island  by  introducing  a  body  of  forces  from  the 
neighbouring  provinces,  a  resolution  that  ruined  Cyprus,  but  which  was  notwithstanding 
reasonable  in  itself.  The  insurgents  in  their  ve.ssels  hovered  round  its  shores:  the  native 
Mohammadans  were  unwarlike,  and  a  plan  to  revolutionize  it  was  already  hatching  by  the 
Archbishop's  nephews  then  in  France.  In  obedience  to  firmans  of  the  Sultan,  the  Pashas  of 
Aleppo  and  St  John  d'Acre  assembled  10,000  Syrian  troops,  the  scum  of  that  barbarous 
country,  and  shipped  them  off  from  Acre  and  Tripoli,  whence  their  navigation  was  short  and 
prosperous,  the  hostile  cruisers  having  withdrawn,  to  cooperate  in  defending  the  Archipelago. 
Hardly  had  those  vagabonds  disembarked  at  Larnaka  (in  June)  when  they  gave  themselves 
up  to  every  species  of  villainy;  the  remonstrances  of  the  French  consul  having  obliged  the 
Mutesellim  to  provide  for  the  safety  of  Europeans,  he  ordered  the  Syrians  to  march  to 
Famagosta,  but  this  measure  only  tended  to  spread  their  ravages  more  extensively.  Seduced 
by  their  example,  the  Militia  of  the  Isle  joined  the  strangers  in  their  career  of  crime ;  the 
Metropolitan,  Ave  bishops,  and  36  other  ecclesiastics  were  executed.  Nicosia  was  sacked  as 
well  as  Famagosta,  and  the  whole  of  Cyprus  converted  into  a  theatre  of  rapine  and  bloodshed. 


DELAROIERH. 

M.  Delaroiere,  a  doctor  and  native  of  Hondschoote  in  tlic  Frcncli  province  of  Flandres,  accompanied 
M.  and  Madame  de  Lamartine  in  tlie  journey  to  tlie  Holy  Land.  Tliey  visited  Cyprus  towards  the  end 
of  August,  1832.  His  Voyage  en  Orient  was  published  in  Hvo  at  Paris,  18;i6.  See  pp.  41 — 44.  M.  de 
Lamartine  himself,  who  touched  the  island  af^aiu  in  .\pril,  IHiJIJ,  saw  only  "la  carcasse  d'une  de  ces  iles 
encliantees  on  I'antiquite  avait  j)lace  la  scene  de  scs  cultes  les  plus  iK)t'ti<jues."  (See  Voyage  en  Orient, 
ed.  Hacliette,  1903,  pp.  1,  18,  122  and  ii.  141.)  M.  de  Cliateaubriand  had  coasted  its  "low,  sandy,  barren 
shores,"  September  28,  1806.  "  II  vaut  mieux,"  he  says,  "  pour  I'ile  de  Chypre,  s'en  tenir  A  la  po^sie  qu'i 
I'histoire."    (Itineraire  ile  Parin  d  Jentsaleni,  ed.  Levy,  1908,  i.  284.) 

From  Rhodes  over  calui  seas  we  sailed  to  Cyprus.  This  (Jreek  island,  which  yields  in 
size  to  Candia  only,  in  fertility  to  none,  has  fallen  indeed  in  grandeur  since  the  days  when 
it  was  itself  a  kingdom.  We  coasted  down  its  length,  ami  leaving  on  our  left  the  ruins  of 
Paphos  and  Amatluis,  w(!  landed  at  Larnaca,  the  j)resent  seat  of  the  (Jovennnent,  and  the 
residence  of  the  foreign  consuls  and  principal  merchants. 

Larnaca  has  nothing  to  show  of  any  interest,  the  best  houses  are  on  the  quay,  the  rest 
of  the  town  is  unworthy  of  notice :  the  chief  merchants  have  villas  in  the  interior  which 
are  said  to  be  very  pleasant.  The  only  thing  which  we  were  expected  to  look  at  was  a 
mosque  about  a  league  and  a  half  away,  built  by  some  Sultana  or  other,  which  is  in  great 
repute  among  the  Moslem  as  a  place  of  pilgrinuige.  We  went  out  to  this  shrine,  which  is 
charmingly  situated  near  a  great  lake  and  wooded  hills,  but  the  air  is  very  unwholesome.  In 
a  visit  we  paid  to  the  Sheikh  we  saw  the  insalubrity  of  the  place  stamped  on  every  face;  the 
pale  and  leaden  complexions  testified  to  habitual  fevers.  A  slave  led  us  into  a  large  square 
room  with  a  view  on  three  sides,  towards  the  lake,  the  gardens,  and  the  neighbouring  hills. 

58—2 


» 


460 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


A  divan  ran  round  the  room,  on  which  were  seated  the  Sheikh  and  his  brother  the  Hajji 
(or  pilgrim,  a  title  taken  by  all  Musulmans  who  have  made  the  journey  to  Mecca):  both  had 
gentle  good-natured  faces.  Coffee,  pipes  and  sorbets  were  served.  Besides  the  divan  on 
which  we  were  seated  the  room  had  no  other  furniture  than  a  fine  closely  woven  mat 
covering  the  floor :  on  the  walls  and  ceiling  were  verses  of  the  Qoran  written  in  Turkish. 
We  talked  a  little;  the  Hajji  told  us  some  details  of  his  visit  to  Mecca,  which  he  made  in  the 
year  in  which  nearly  the  whole  caravan  perished  from  cholei'a.  We  took  our  leave,  apparently 
well  pleased  with  one  another.  The  Sheikh  then  begged  me  to  come  to  his  harem,  to  see 
some  sick  ladies.  The  room  into  which  I  was  led  was  much  like  that  in  which  he  had  received 
us,  but  the  windows  were  closely  grated,  making  it  very  dark.  The  lady  most  gravely  ill  lay 
on  a  divan,  her  face  unveiled.  She  was  about  twenty  or  twenty-two,  with  a  round  pale  face, 
and  appeared  to  be  prostrated  with  weariness  and  pain.  The  other  invalid  who  consulted  me 
was  standing  and  also  unveiled.  She  was  older  than  the  first.  Both  were  dressed  in  white, 
two  female  slaves  stood  by  the  door.  That  look  of  pufliness  and  fever  which  I  had  observed 
in  the  men  was  still  more  evident  in  the  women.  I  was  impressed  throughout  with  the 
sadness  and  monotony  of  their  life. 

After  examining  carefully  the  two  invalids  without  speaking  to  them — talk  would  have 
been  useless,  for  I  could  neither  understand  them  nor  they  me — I  retired.  Outside  I  explained 
to  the  husband  through  our  interpreter  what  they  had  to  do.  I  hope  my  remedies  were 
effectual,  I  have  heard  nothing  more  of  the  ladies. 

The  next  day  the  Sheikh  came  to  return  M.  de  Lamartine's  visit.  This  single  fact 
is  enough  to  show  how  manners  have  changed  in  this  country,  since  a  Tui-k,  who  was  also 
a  priest,  dared  in  the  daytime  to  return  a  visit  and  enter  a  Christian's  house  by  way  of 
compliment.  Fifty  years  ago  the  thing  could  not  have  happened.  The  island  then  is  getting 
civilized;  but  will  it  be  happier  or  stronger  than  when  its  faith  was  alive,  and  the  manners 
in  conformity  with  that  faith  ?  I  cannot  say,  but  now  that  it  has  lost  what  made  its  strength 
it  must  change  still  more  or  perish. 

We  embarked  at  Larnaca  for  the  last  time  before  we  reached  the  continent  of  Asia; 
my  longings  grew  warmer  as  I  approached  that  Holy  Land,  and  my  eyes  never  left  the 
heights  of  the  Lebanon  which  now  came  into  view.  We  left  Cyprus  with  joy,  and  after 
a  four  days'  sail,  now  over  a  smooth  sea,  now  with  a  light  breeze,  we  reached  Beirut. 


« 


DELAROIERE.  EXCEL. 


461 


EXOEL. 

We  may  see  Cyprianos'  account  of  Cyprus  under  the  Ottoman  flag  summarised  and  supplemented  in 
the  last  section  (pp.  768 — 773)  of  the  first  volume  of  Kypron,  Eine  Monographie,  von  Willi.  H.  Engel, 
Berlin,  bei  G.  Reimer,  1841,  a  weighty  but  irritating  book,  wliich  has  no  table  of  contents,  no  head-lines, 
and  only  one  meagre  index  of  names  of  persons. 

^\^lile  Engel  was  still  writing,  the  Sublime  Porte  was  preparing  a  fresh  surprise  for  the  long-suffering 
Cypriots.  Lord  Malmesbury  {Meynoirn,  i.  12.5)  under  date  of  October  .5,  1840,  writes :  "  It  is  reported  that 
the  terms  offered  by  the  Sultan  to  the  leaders  of  Mehemet  Ali  are  as  follows : — To  Soliman  Pasha 
(Colonel  Selves)  and  his  son  the  island  of  Cyprus  for  inheritance  as  a  Pashalik;  to  Mahmoud  Pasha  the 
Pashalik  of  Tripoli. ..but  that  they  have  all  refused,  and  acquainted  Mehemet  with  the  proposals  made 
to  them." 

Suleiman  Pasha  was  one  Octave  Joseph  Anthelme  S^tves,  a  Frenchman  of  ob.scure  origin,  who  was 
born  about  April  1,  1787,  and  died  March  12,  1850.  There  is  a  life  of  him  by  \.  Vingtrinier,  8vo,  Paris, 
1886. 

Cyprus  under  Turkish  Kulk. 

The  island,  after  its  capture,  was  administered  in  all  respects  as  a  Turkish  province.  It 
was  divided  into  sixteen  Qaziliqs,  and  the  Chief  Judge  or  Molla  had  his  .seat  in  Nicosia. 
Cyprus  forms  by  itself  a  rashalici,  but  is  under  the  special  charge  of  the  (^apudaii  Pasha. 
When  the  Turks  took  the  island  it  was  .so  thinly  peopled  that  80,000  males  only  were  found 
who  paid  the  Kharaj,  and  in  ^lariti's  day,  1760,  these  had  dwindled  to  12,000.  For  a  long 
succession  of  years  it  was  governed  by  a  Pasha.  The  revenues  of  the  island,  whose  dedication 
to  Mecca  and  Medina  by  the  Circassian  Sultana  was  one  of  the  pretexts  of  the  war,  and  which 
the  Jew  Miquez  hoped  to  .secure  for  himself,  were  assigned  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Grand 
Vazir,  though  in  later  times  diverted  in  great  part  to  the  use  of  the  Valide  Sultan  for  the  time 
being;  so  that  the  island  of  Aphrodite,  wliich  had  been  given  by  Kouian  Emperors  as  pin- 
money  to  the  Egyptian  Queens  Arsinoe  and  Cleopatra,  again  fell  as  an  appanage  to  women. 

We  ought  to  mention  a  remarkable,  or  rather  curious,  fancy  of  Carlo  Enunanuele  I.,  Duke 
of  Savoy,  who  in  1001  took  it  into  his  head  to  renew  his  old  claims  to  the  Cyprian  crown.  His 
son,  Vittore  Amadeo  I.,  also  styled  himself  King  of  Cyprus.  To  this  end  Carlo  Emmanuele 
entered  into  relations  with  the  Christian  Cypriots,  but  he.sitated  about  taking  any  decisive 
step.  It  was  an  easy  matter  for  the  Turks  to  i)ut  down  a  movement  so  insi)ired,  and  the 
Archbishop  of  Nicosia,  who  was  taking  the  chief  part  in  it,  took  flight.  In  16."30  Henri,  Due 
de  Rohan,  made  to  the  Sultan  the  remarkable  proposal  to  buy  the  island,  and  set  up  in  it 
a  kingdom  which  should  be  a  refuge  for  all  persecuted  Protestants.  Cyril,  Patriarch  of 
Constantinople,  took  especial  interest  in  the  matter,  and  the  Porte  was  not  indisposed  to  cede 
him  the  country  for  a  capital  sum  of  200,000  dollars,  and  a  yearly  tribute  of  30,000.  Into 
such  straits  was  the  island  fallen,  that  even  the  maintenance  of  a  Pasha's  establishment  was 
already  too  sore  a  tax.  There  are  however  many  reasons  for  doubting  the  truth  ol  these 
stories.    But  the  Patriarch's  zeal  in  the  matter  co.st  him  in  1638  his  life. 

In  1720  Cyprus  ceased  to  be  a  .separate  government,  and  was  handed  over  to  the  Grand 
Vazir.  He  had  married  the  Sultan's  daughter,  and  it  was  given  to  her  as  her  dowry.  In 
1745  it  was  again  raised  to  a  government,  and  granted  to  the  Master  of  the  Horse,  Abdullah 
Bey,  a  Pasha  of  three  tails,  on  condition  of  putting  the  fortresses  and  feudal  cavalry  on  a  war 
footing.  The  Grand  Vazir  was  otherwise  indemnified  for  the  122,(X)0  piastres  which  he  drew 
yearly  from  Cyprus  as  pocket-money.  This  arrangement  lasted  until  1748,  when  it  was  again 
declared  a  crown-colony,  and  assigned  to  the  Grand  Vazir.    This  officer  let  the  country  to 


462 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


the  highest  bidder,  who  was  sent  thither  with  full  powers  under  a  Khatti  Sherif  from  the 
Sultan.  Such  governors  harassed  the  people  with  exactions  of  all  kinds  and  unjust  taxes, 
enough  to  reimburse  themselves  after  one  year  of  office.  This  system  lasted  for  a  long  period, 
and  greatly  weakened  the  island.  Nowhere  in  the  Ottoman  Empire  was  the  taxation  so 
oppressive :  it  reached  here  200  piastres  a  head.  Repeated  insurrections,  which  were  repressed 
almost  as  soon  as  they  broke  out,  were  the  consequences.  In  1764  a  revolt  occurred.  As  soon 
as  Chil  Osman  Agha  entered  on  his  post  he  issued  an  order  compelling  the  payment  by  each 
Christian  subject  of  44j  piastres,  and  by  each  Turk  of  half  that  sum.  Within  five  months  he 
had  extorted  350,000  piastres  over  and  above  the  legal  assessment.  A  special  mission  was 
despatched  to  Constantinople,  and  the  governor  received  the  order  not  to  demand  the  half. 
The  treachery  of  Chil  Osman,  who  plotted  to  murder  all  the  bishops  and  leading  men  in  his 
own  house,  was  avenged :  the  people  murdered  him.  The  revolt  continued  under  his  successor. 
Khalil  Agha  put  himself  at  the  head  of  the  malcontents,  and  prolonged  the  contest,  which 
ended  with  the  capture  and  execution  of  himself  and  many  others  in  1766. 

This  last  disturbance  occurred  just  at  the  time  of  the  first  movements  which  stirred  the 
Greek-speaking  countries,  widely  divided  from  one  another,  to  shake  olf  the  Turkish  yoke : 
particularly  in  the  islands,  where  the  Greek  race  had  kept  itself  purest.  In  these  Cyprus, 
whose  circumstances  were  not  so  favourable  to  a  rapid  development,  took  no  part.  So  too  in 
the  new  insurrection  and  actual  war  of  liberation  we  find  the  Cypriot  Greeks  were  not  active. 
The  reason  may  partly  lie  in  the  stronger  pressure,  and  more  extended  power  which  the  Turks 
could  exercise  in  the  island,  and  which  they  were  bound  to  keep  in  constant  readiness  in  so 
valuable  and  important  a  post :  partly  in  the  fact  that  the  minds  of  the  islanders  were  so 
dulled  that  no  really  inspired  passion  for  freedom  could  touch  their  feelings.  Also  Cyprus 
lay  always  at  a  distance  from  the  centre  of  the  movement. 

On  the  other  hand  Cyprus  comes  into  notice  in  another  contest,  though  here  too  it  plays 
but  a  passive  part.  The  conditions  under  which  countries  achieve  a  political  importance  and 
independence  of  their  own  remain  the  same  in  every  age,  since  what  natural  position  and 
circumstances  ask  and  offer  cannot  be  entirely  and  durably  replaced  by  human  expedients. 
When  the  Ptolemys  wanted  to  found  in  Egypt  a  first-class  state,  the  possession  of  Syria  and 
Cyprus  was  an  indispensable  condition.  To  this  end  strove  the  Arabian  conquerors  of  Egypt ; 
and  Mohammad  Ali,  the  founder  of  the  latest  Egyptian  kingdom,  holds  the  possession  of  these 
countries  also  a  necessity,  without  which  he  cannot  assure  the  independence  and  stability  of 
his  realm.  Without  these  countries  Egypt  cannot  have  a  fleet :  without  a  fleet  it  is  continually 
open  to  attack.  Crete  would  rather  dispense  with  this  connection,  and  the  island  will  more 
justly  be  joined  to  Greece,  to  which  the  wishes  of  its  inhabitants  point,  to  round  off  that  power. 
Mohammad  Ali  could  not  be  content  to  found  in  Egypt  a  subordinate  state,  and  insisted,  after 
his  victories  over  the  Porte  in  the  summer  of  1832,  on  including  in  the  conditions  of  peace  the 
cession  of  Egypt,  Syria,  Crete  and  Cyprus  as  well.  But  the  Porte  offered  to  leave  the  two 
islands  in  pawn  to  England  as  the  price  of  negotiating  peace.  England  indeed  declined  to- 
intervene,  but  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt  was  nevertheless  obliged,  in  the  peace  concluded  through 
the  mediation  of  Russia  on  May  5,  1833,  to  abandon  his  claims  on  Cyprus,  though  he  kept 
Crete.  An  exchange  might  have  suited  him  better,  but  he  was  perhaps  satisfied  with  the 
hope  that  the  possession  of  Cyprus  also  could  not  much  longer  escape  him,  and  at  a  cheaper 
price.  But  more  than  Mohammad  Ali  lost  by  the  exchange  of  Cyprus  for  Crete,  the  Greeks 
lost  by  the  entire  alienation  of  the  latter  island.  All  shows  that  the  calculations  of  the  Porte 
were  wise;  and  the  Turks  will  keep  Cyprus  to  the  last.  Many  educated  and  respectable 
Cypriots  emigrated  upon  the  erection  of  the  new  Greek  kingdom,  and  like  so  many  Greeks 


EXGEL.  LACKOIX. 


463 


from  other  parts  of  the  Turkish  Kiiipire,  sought  and  obtained  positions  under  the  young  king. 
Among  the  important  innovations  introduced  in  the  last  few  years  into  the  Ottoman  Empire 
with  a  view  of  maintaining  its  integrity,  and  especially  among  those  which  it  owes  to  the 
activity  and  intelligence  of  Rashid  Pasha,  we  must  mention  a  re-organisation  of  Cyprus.  Yet 
this  must  be  only  an  experiment  which  the  Turkish  Government  is  making  there:  particulars 
are  wanting. 

What  the  future  has  in  store  for  Cyprus  can  as  little  be  guessed  as  what  kind  of  future 
lies  before  the  Ottoman  Empire  (so  near  its  dissolution)  generallj'.  Rumours  have  been  heard 
lately  in  France  affirming  that  its  King  would,  if  needs  were,  content  himself  in  the  general 
repartition  of  Turkey  with  the  possession  of  Cyprus.  His  influence  in  the  east  would  thereby 
at  least  be  sufficiently  secured.  But  whatever  happens,  one  thing  is  certain,  under  the  new- 
sun  which  appears  to  be  rising  in  the  east,  Cyprus  too  will  spring  to  new  life  and  prosper,  and 
its  immense  importance  be  made  manifest.  It  will  acquire  a  substantial  influence,  not  as  an 
independent  state,  but  as  a  prop  of  supremacy  in  the  Eastern  end  of  the  Mediterranean, 
let  that  fall  as  it  may  to  the  Egyptian,  to  a  new  Asiatic,  or  to  the  newly  founded  Hellenic 
kingdom — the  last  alternative,  I  think,  being  the  most  to  be  desired. 


LACKOIX. 

Louis  Lacroix,  in  his  lien  dc  hi  (rr^cc  {['iiirem  I'ittorenque,  vol.  xxxviii.),  8vo,  Paris,  1853,  relates 
the  same  events  from  a  rather  different  point  of  view.  We  translate  from  pp.  82,  83.  He  uses  the 
accounts  of  Count  de  Mas  Latrie,  Nicoxie,  nes  nouvenim  et  su  situatiun  prvsente,  two  articles  in  the 
Correapondant,  June  25  and  August  10,  1847,  and  of  Pouqueville,  Hintoire  de  la  Regeneration  de  la 
Griee,  iv.  So  much  of  Lacroix's  work  as  relates  to  Cyprus  was  translated  into  Romaic  by  the  late 
Const.  A.  Vondiziano,  Athens,  1877.  In  1821  the  Consuls  of  England,  ranee  and  Russia,  were  MM.  .\nt. 
Vondiziano,  Mtcliain  and  C.  Peri.stiani.  M.  Calinieri  was  Consul  for  the  Two  Sicilies.  We  have  corrected 
the  obvious  misprint  July  21,  1823,  for  July  9,  1821. 

The  Greek  clergy  had  preserved  in  Cyprus  an  influence  which  was  only  impaired  by  the 
serious  troubles  which,  at  the  beginning  of  this  century,  affected  all  the  countries  inhabited 
by  people  of  Hellenic  race.  The  Archbishop  of  Nicosia,  who  had  the  title  of  ri'aya-vikili, 
as  representing  the  Christian  subjects  of  the  Porte,  had  annexed  pretty  well  the  whole 
administrative  authority,  and  not  only  had  made  him.self  independent  of  the  Mnhanxiln,  but 
generally  determined  on  their  appointment  and  recall.  From  his  palace  the  Archbi.shop 
administered  the  whole  island,  filled  up  the  offices  in  every  di.strict,  assessed  the  amount  of 
the  annual  contributions,  sent  the  sums  for  which  the  island  was  farmed  out  to  the  Grand 
Vezir,  or  the  Imperial  Treasury.  Certatn  privileges,  purpo.sely  granted,  attached  the 
Turkish  Aghas  to  the  sujjport  of  his  authority,  and  all  the  inhabitants,  Turks  and  Greeks 
alike,  looked  upon  him  as  the  real  Governor,  and  grew  accustomed  to  take  no  notice  of  the 
Mnha.s.sil.  The  supreme  power  of  the  Archbishops  of  Nicosia  reached  its  height  during  the 
reigns  of  Solim  III.  and  ^Instafa  IV.,  the  imnu'diate  predecessors  of  Sultan  Mahmud  II.,  and 
was  unshaken  until  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  in  1804,  saw  an  insurrectiomiry 
movement  of  the  Turks,  the  prelude  of  the  bloody  catastrophe  which  was  to  extinguish  it. 
The  Turks  settled  in  Cyprus  were  deeply  hurt  at  seeing  them.selves  fallen  under  the  rule  of 
men  whom  of  old  they  had  conquered.  The  Turkish  population  of  Nicosia  and  the  adjoining 
villages,  stirred  by  a  rumour,  true  or  false,  of  an  insufficiency  in  the  food-stuffs  necessary  for 
the  victualling  of  the  island,  rose  against  the  ecclesiastical  authority,  in  whose  hands  all 


464 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


power  rested,  and  for  a  while  was  master  of  the  capitaL  The  arrival  of  two  Pashas  from 
Asia  Minor  with  a  fair  show  of  troops,  the  intervention,  which  always  had  its  weight,  of  the 
Consuls  of  France,  England  and  Russia,  MM.  Regnault,  Peristiani  and  Calimeri,  stilled  this 
passing  ferment,  and  things  appeared  to  resume  their  accustomed  course.  But  the  intrigues 
of  the  chief  Turks  against  the  Grreek  headmen  did  not  sleep,  and  ended  in  1821  in  a  bloody 
cou'p  cCetat,  which  put  an  end  to  the  administration  of  the  Muliassils,  overturned  the 
authority  of  the  Greek  clergy,  and  restored  the  government  to  the  Pashas. 

Kyprianos  was  then  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  and  the  government  of  the  island  had  been 
since  1820  in  the  hands  of  Kuchuk  Mehmed,  a  man  of  imperious  and  dissembling  temper, 
whom  the  Captan  Pasha  had  chosen  purposely  to  destroy  the  influence  of  the  Greek  Primate. 
Circumstances  soon  favoured  the  execution  of  his  plan.  The  first  insurrectionary  movements 
in  Moldavia  and  Peloponnesus,  which  had  burst  a  little  after  the  arrival  of  Kuchuk  Mehmed 
in  Cyprus,  while  they  inspired  the  Ottoman  Government  with  the  liveliest  fear,  sanctioned 
every  measure  which  its  agents  could  adopt  to  keep  in  check  their  Christian  subjects  in  the 
provinces  which  had  not  risen.  Now  the  Greeks  of  Cyprus  had  remained  entirely  aloof  from 
the  national  movement  which  had  stirred  the  other  islands  and  the  Greek  mainland.  "  It 
was  not  they  who  were  crying  out  against  tyranny,  and  thought  of  taking  up  arms :  it  was- 
the  Turks,  who  were  impatient  of  the  bondage  in  which  the  bishops  had  kept  them  for  fifty 
years  past :  it  was  for  them  that  reaction  and  liberation  were  on  foot."  In  fact  Kuchuk 
Mehmed  under  pretext  of  keeping  down  the  Greek  population,  which  only  wanted  to  remain 
quiet,  and  in  reality  to  snatch  back  the  reins  of  power,  brought  over  from  the  mountains  of 
the  Anti  Libanus  bands  of  Arabs,  Bedouins  and  Ansariya  brigands,  and  scattered  them 
about  the  island.  The  Greeks,  terror-struck,  allowed  themselves  to  be  disarmed  to  avoid  all 
excuse  for  suspicion.  The  Archbishop  Kyprianos  protests  'his  love  of  peace,  his  submission 
to  the  government  of  the  Grand  Signor.  Kuchuk  Mehmed  persists  in  inventing  a  plot, 
persuades  the  Grand  Vezir  of  its  reality :  he,  being  perhaps  a  party  to  the  stratagem,  allows 
the  Governor  to  make  an  example  by  the  severe  punishment  of  the  leaders.  Free  to  act, 
Kuchuk  Mehmed  on  July  9,  1821,  orders  the  arrest  of  the  Archbishop  and  the  other  three 
bishops.  They  were  taken  to  the  Serai,  and  were  scarcely  inside  before  they  were  murdered 
by  the  janissaries.  The  Greek  notables,  Avho  were  summoned  later,  before  the  news  of  the 
slaughter  of  the  prelates  had  spread,  met  the  same  fate.  The  gates  of  the  palace  were  then 
opened,  and  the  bleeding  corpses  thrown  into  the  square.  This  was  the  signal  for  a  general 
massacre.  The  convent  of  Phaneromene  was  at  once  occupied,  and  the  priests  strangled, 
I  was  told,  says  M.  de  Mas  Latrie,  that  before  killing  them  the  Turks,  with  a  wild  refinement 
of  vengeance,  saddled  the  priests  as  they  would  their  horses,  breaking  their  teeth  to  force 
the  bits  into  their  mouths,  and  making  them  caper  under  their  spurs.  The  Greek  houses 
were  given  over  to  pillage,  massacres  began  again  in  all  the  districts  of  the  island,  and 
confiscation  followed  massacre.  For  six  months  universal  terror  reigned  among  the  Greek 
population.  The  peasants  fled  to  the  woods,  or  Caramania :  the  notables,  the  priests  and 
Greeks  of  means,  who  had  escaped  the  janissaries,  took  refuge  at  Larnaca,  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  Eui-opean  Consuls.  Most  of  them  crossed  over  to  Italy  or  France,  and  there- 
are  few  Greek  families  in  whom  the  names  of  Marseille  or  Venice  do  not  still,  even  now  that 
more  than  twenty  years  have  passed  since  their  return  to  the  island,  awake  tender  feelings 
of  gratitude. 

So  fell  upon  Cyprus  the  terrible  counterblow  of  the  revolution  Avhich  freed  the  mainland 
of  Greece  and  the  Cyclades,  but  renewed  all  the  rigours  of  Musulman  rule  for  the  provinces 
doomed  to  remain  enslaved. 


LACHOIX.  TRICOUPI. 


4G.'> 


TRICOUPI. 

Spyridon  Tricoupi,  in  his  well-known  History  of  tlie  Greek  Revolution,  gives  a  brief  and  sober  account 
of  the  events  which,  much  against  the  wishes  of  the  Christian  inhabitants,  involved  Cyprus  in  some  of 
the  most  untoward  results  of  the  rising  in  Greece.  We  translate  from  vol.  i.  (2nd  edition,  8vo,  London, 
1860),  pp.  254—257. 

At  the  date  of  the  revolution,  Cyprus  had  100,000  inhabitants,  of  whom  20,000  were 
Turks,  and  the  rest,  omitting  .some  few  Jews,  were  Cliristians.  Levcosia,  the  capital  of  the 
island,  had  10,000  Turks  and  oOOO  Christians.  There  resided  the  MiUeselim  of  the  island, 
the  Alay-bey,  the  Yenicheri-agha,  the  Mufti,  the  members  of  the  Administrative  Council,  and 
His  Beatitude  the  Archbishop.  The  three  other  bishops  of  Papho.s,  Citium  and  Kyrenia 
lived  in  their  several  districts. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution  the  Porte  ordered  the  Pasha  of  Acre  to  send  over 
troops  to  Cyprus,  and  at  the  same  time  gave  full  authority  to  the  Mnteselim  to  kill  as  many 
of  the  Christians  as  he  thought  worth  killing. 

On  receiving  these  commands  the  then  Muteselim  Kuchuk  Melimed  communicated  them 
to  the  local  Turks  in  a  secret  as.sembly.  These  were  willing  enough  to  indulge  their  hatred 
against  the  Christians,  and  so  ensure,  as  they  thought,  their  own  interests  and  lives.  The 
forethought  of  the  government  they  praised  as  their  salvation,  and  gave  it  as  their  opinion 
that  fully  to  .secure  the  peace  of  the  island,  not  only,  as  the  Muffselha  proposed,  the  four 
prelates  and  a  few  other  prominent  Christians  must  be  sacrificed,  but  all  those  whose  wealth 
or  education  gave  them  influence  among  their  fellows,  and  who  could  excite  a  general 
revolt.  They  then  drew  up  a  long  list  of  persons  to  be  pi-oscribed,  including  doubtless  all 
whom  individually  they  hated,  or  whose  propertj'  they  desired  to  anne.x  at  a  triHing  cost. 
The  Muteselim  found  the  number  excessive,  and  thought  the  slaughter  of  many  among  them 
who  were  persons  of  no  account  unprofitable,  liut  the  Turks,  seeing  him  hesitate,  threatened 
to  hold  him  responsible  if  the  island  through  his  clemency  revolted.  During  the  protracted 
discussion  about  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  victims,  the  Archimandrite  Theophylactos 
Theseus,  a  Cypriot,  anchored  off  the  island,  and  without  landing  distributed  lettei"s  and 
proclamations  inviting  to  revolution.  The  latter  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Mutenelim,  and 
helped  to  persuade  him  to  carry  out  the  order  of  his  government,  and  the  wishes  of  the  local 
aghas.  But  fearing  lest  the  slaughter  of  so  many  and  so  distinguished  persons  should 
provoke  a  tumult,  he  deferred  its  execution  until  the  expected  reinforcements  came. 

On  May  3,  1821,  four  thousand  soldiers  arrived,  and  forthwith  the  Miitfselim  summoned 
to  Levcosia  the  bishops  and  other  notables  under  the  pretext  that  as  their  fellow-Christians 
elsewhere  had  risen  in  anns  it  was  necessary  for  their  safety,  as  being  loyal,  to  send  a  common 
memorial  to  the  Porte,  assuring  the  Sultan  of  their  unshaken  fidelity  and  attachment  to  his 
throne.  He  added  that  he  would  confirm  their  statements  in  reports  of  his  own.  Many 
believed  him,  and  went  to  Levcosia.  Some,  more  knowing  than  the  rest,  suspected  a  trick 
and  fled  to  Larnaca,  a  town  of  6000  inhabitants  mostly  Christians,  and  were  concealed  in  the 
consulates.  Such  of  the  nt)tal)les  of  Larnaca  and  Lemisos  as  did  not  take  the  precaution  of 
hiding  themselves  were  arrested  as  they  came  out  of  the  churches,  and  were  sent  bound  to 
Levcosia.  The  Muteselim,  having  collected  as  nuxnj'  as  he  could  in  the  capital,  threw  off  the 
mask,  and  made  his  blooily  purpose  plain,  although  the  unhappy  Christians  had  given  him 
no  excu.se. 


466 


EXCERPTA  CYPRTA. 


On  July  9  the  officials  brought  out  into  the  square  in  front  of  the  Governor's  palace  the 
Archbishop  Cyprianos  and  the  three  other  bishops.  The  first  they  hanged  on  a  tree  opposite 
the  gates  of  the  palace,  the  others  they  beheaded.  With  them  were  beheaded  some  of  the 
Christian  notables,  and  the  bodies  of  all  were  left  lying  on  the  ground  for  some  days. 
During  a  space  of  thirty  days  after  they  ceased  not  to  massacre,  and  often  to  hack  oif  the 
limbs  of  living  victims.  Two  hundred  of  the  leading  inhabitants  of  the  towns  and  villages 
were  sacrificed :  those  who  fled  were  almost  the  only  ones  saved.  The  property  of  the  slain 
and  the  fugitives  alike  was  confiscated  and  sold.  In  those  terrible  days  the  consuls  showed 
the  greatest  humanity,  especially  the  French  Consul  Mechain,  offering  from  the  first  the 
consulates  as  refuges  for  the  proscribed,  and  afterward  sending  them  out  of  the  island  in 
European  vessels. 


PHILEMON. 

Our  next  extract,  translated  from  loannes  Philemon,  AoKifiiov  'laropiKov  nepl  r^y  'EWrjviKfjs  'Enava- 
ordo-ftoy,  vol.  III.  pp.  258 — 262,  8vo,  Athens,  1860,  gives  a  more  florid  version  of  the  same  catastrophe. 
Unfortunately  it  is  not  supported  by  references  to  the  documents  or  other  sources  from  which  it  is  derived. 
It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  in  1860  the  writer  obtained  detailed  information  as  to  the  counsels 
and  correspondence  of  Kuchuk  Mehmed ;  especially  in  Cyprus,  where  still  it  is  not  easy  to  gather  from 
eye-witnesses  a  faithful  account  of  what  happened  the  day  before  yesterday. 

Philippos  Georgiou,  in  his  Notices  of  the  Clmrch  of  Cyprus,  1875,  pp.  120 — 121,  observes  that  the 
numbers  of  the  victims  must  be  reduced  by  a  half ;  that  only  one  or  two  families  were  sold  into  slavery, 
and  that  a  great  part  of  the  valuables  taken  from  the  monasteries  and  churches  was  sent  back  to  the 
new  Archbishop  loakim,  who  kept  them  to  distribute  as  bribes  or  presents  to  the  magnates  of  the  day. 

The  History  of  the  Greek  Nation  by  K.  Paparregopoulos,  6  vols.  8vo,  Athens,  1860,  does  not  notice 
the  massacre.   Geo.  Finlay  {A  History  of  Greece,  7  vols.  8vo,  Oxford,  1877)  dismisses  it  in  a  line.    vi.  191. 

The  next  to  share  in  the  disasters  of  Smyrna  was  the  important  island  of  Cyprus, 
inhabited  by  80,000  Grreeks  and  scarcely  20,000  Turks.  Cyprus,  which  in  ancient  days  was 
rich,  flourishing  and  populous  by  reason  of  its  great  fertility,  and  abundance  of  metals,  now 
full  of  the  ruins  of  cities  destroyed  in  various  ways,  and  almost  barren  by  reason  of  the 
tyranny  which  had  wasted  its  population,  excited  no  suspicion  of  revolutionary  tendencies. 
First,  because  its  Greek  inhabitants,  though  four  times  as  many  as  the  Turks,  were  unarmed, 
downtrodden  and  absolutely  innocent  of  insurrectionary  ideas  or  manoeuvres,  and  had  neither 
ships  nor  soldiers  trained  and  fit  for  service;  secondly,  because  the  surprising  sparseness 
with  which  the  population  was  scattered  over  a  country  whose  circumference  is  reckoned  at 
420  stadia  interposed  an  insuperable  obstacle  to  any  common  understanding;  and  thirdly, 
because  the  island  lay  at  no  great  distance  from  Egypt,  and  opposite  to  the  shores  of  Syria 
and  Cilicia,  where  Islam  ruled  in  strength.  Nevertheless,  though  such  was  the  condition  of 
the  country,  the  Sultan  not  only  gave  orders  to  the  Governor  of  Acre  to  send  a  force  to  check 
any  revolutionary  movement  on  the  part  of  the  Greek  Cypriots,  but  left  the  Governor  of 
Cyprus  free  to  kill  at  once  as  many  of  them  as  he  thought  worth  killing,  as  we  shall  see 
below. 

Conformably  with  the  general  measure  enjoining  the  disarmament  of  the  Greek  rayahs, 
a  special  order  of  the  Turkish  government  was  sent  to  Cyprus  ordering  the  disarming  of 
the  Christians  of  the  island,  thus  worded  in  very  conciliatory  terms : — "  Although,  upon 
examination  of  our  archives,  we  nowhere  find  that  from  the  date  when  this  island  fell  under 


TFUCOl'IM.  IMIILKMOX. 


4G7 


our  sw  Hj'  its  Christian  inhabitants  have  been  guilty  of  the  least  disloyalty  to  our  government, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  on  certain  occasions  when  the  Turks  revolted,  the  Christians  have 
joined  our  victorious  forces,  and  given  willing  help  in  routing  and  reducing  the  rebels: 
nevertheless,  to  carry  out  our  decree  for  the  disarming  of  all  the  Christians  in  our  dominions, 
we  command  that  it  be  enforced  in  Cyprus  also." 

In  accordance  with  this  rescript  special  orders  and  officers  were  despatched  to  all  the 
districts  of  the  island,  who  carried  out  the  disarmament  without  opposition  or  difficulty.  But 
as  soon  as  the  troops  from  Syria  and  Palestine,  about  four  thousand  men,  were  landed  on 
May  3,  there  began,  in  pursuance  of  a  pre-arranged  plan,  denunciations  of  persons,  com- 
munities and  monasteries,  for  hiding  arms  and  nmnitions  of  war,  for  acting  in  concert  with 
the  rebels,  and  for  waiting  oidy  the  appearance  of  vessels  from  Hydra  and  Petsai  to  rouse 
the  whole  island  to  arms.  On  these  followed  enquiries  of  all  kinds,  prosecutions  and 
imprisonments  without  number.  No  concealed  store  of  arms  or  munitions  was,  however, 
discovered,  and  no  understanding  with  the  islands  which  had  manned  a  fleet. 

Yet  for  all  this  the  MufeMelvm  of  the  island,  Kuchuk  Mehmed,  acting  chiefly  on  the  advice 
of  his  dear  friend  (reorges  Lapierre,  of  a  family  Ijelonging  to  Syros,  the  interpreter  of  the 
French  Consulate,  thought  the  circumstances  propitious  to  the  acqui.sition  of  a  fortune,  if  he 
could  only  make  victims  of  the  principal  per.sons  in  the  country.  He  reported  to  the  Porte 
the  peaceable  disarmament  of  the  Christians,  but  at  the  same  time  submitted  a  list  of  486 
names,  including  the  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  the  three  metropolitans,  the  abbots  and  officers 
of  all  the  monasteries,  the  principal  clerics  and  all  the  leading  citizens  in  every  district  of 
the  island.  He  pointed  out  that  the  disarmament  would  be  useless  as  long  as  these  persons 
remained  alive,  seeing  that  they  had  wealth  and  influence,  and  wide  relations  with  Europe 
and  the  islands  which  were  manning  the  rebel  Heet,  and  so  could  ea.sily  procure  all  kinds  of 
arms  and  stores  from  abroad,  call  up  shi])s  when  they  liked,  and  raise  the  whole  island  in 
rovolt. 

In  reply  the  Porte  curtly  ordered  the  slaughter  of  all  the  proscribed  persons,  the  con- 
fiscation of  their  personal  and  landed  property,  as  well  as  the  enslavement  of  their  wives  and 
cliildren,  with  the  exception  of  those  who  eml)raced  Islam.  Armed  with  this  authority 
Kuchuk  Mehmed  considered  (always  in  concert  with  Lapierre)  how  he  should  proceed  to  the 
arrest  of  so  many  individuals,  since  mo.st  of  them  lived  away  from  the  capital  Levcosia,  and 
were  scattered  over  several  districts.  This  fact  led  him  to  suspect  that  in  their  despair  the 
notables  might  raise  a  general  rev<dt  throughout  the  island,  of  which  he  feared  the  con- 
sequences. And  notwithstanding  the  presence  and  support  of  the  force  from  Syria  and 
Palestine  he  desired  to  make  accomplices  of  the  local  aghas,  and  summoning  them  to  a 
private  council  he  affected  leniency  in  the  nuitter  of  so  many  death  warrants.  "  For  the 
safety  of  the  island,"  he  said,  "  I  consider  the  execution  of  the  Archbishop,  the  bishops  and 
the  most  prominent  citizens  sufficient."  But  these  degraded  and  brutal  aghas  pres-sed  for 
the  whole  list,  and  for  yet  a  longer  oiu',  d((claring  that  it  was  necessary  to  slay  everyone, 
even  of  the  lower  ranks  of  tlie  population,  who  had  wealth,  education,  or  influence  of  any 
kind  which  could  make  him  suspect.  Of  course  they  too  thought  this  the  most  fitting 
opportunity  to  buy  up  at  a  low  rate  the  confiscated  property  of  their  victims.  With  cruel 
craft  the  Mideselim  insisted  on  the  uselessness  of  so  general  a  nuis.sacre,  as  likely  to  excite 
an  armed  insurrection  in  the  island,  but  the  aghas  all  the  more  threatened  him  as  incurring 
a  grave  responsibility  towards  the  Sultan  who  had  given  the  order. 

Thus  Kuchuk  Mehmed  appeared  to  sanction  the  slaughter  of  all  the  proscribetl  persons, 
while  he  threw  back  on  the  aghas  the  responsibility  for  any  arnietl  resistance  which  might 

59—2 


468 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


follow.  He  published  at  once  an  order,  which  was  circulated  in  all  the  towns,  villages  and 
hamlets,  announcing  that  the  Sultan  had  observed  with  very  great  satisfaction  the  readiness 
of  the  rayahs  to  surrender  their  arms,  and  had  given  the  strictest  orders  that  such  faithful 
subjects  should  receive  from  the  local  authorities  every  protection  for  their  lives,  their  honour 
and  their  property.  At  the  same  time  he  threatened  with  the  heaviest  penalties  anyone  who 
should  dare  to  injure  or  annoy  anyone  of  these  loyal  Christians.  After  its  publication  he  even 
took  care  to  punish  a  few  Turks  for  some  trifling  offences  against  the  Christians,  so  as  to 
remove  any  suspicion  of  the  truth  of  his  written  promises.  A  little  later  he  summoned  to  the 
capital  the  prelates,  abbots  and  notables,  on  the  pretence  of  sending  to  the  Porte  a  general 
memorial,  offering  thanks  for  the  gracious  intentions  of  the  sovereign  towards  the  rayahs,  and 
assuring  him  of  their  unshaken  loyalty  and  submission. 

About  the  beginning  of  June  those  who  usually  took  part  in  such  conferences  assembled 
at  Nicosia,  and  after  this  wily  fashion  the  Muteselim  misled  them  all.  Many  of  those  whose 
names  were  set  down  among  the  proscribed  were  missing,  because  they  were  living  retired 
lives,  and  could  not  have  been  summoned  without  exciting  suspicion.  Wherefore  on  a  given 
day,  Sunday,  June  12,  officers  sent  by  Kuchuk  Mehmed  came  to  the  place  where  each  dwelt, 
and  forcibly  arrested  them  all,  catching  them  as  they  left  their  churches  after  the  early  cele- 
bration of  the  Holy  Mysteries.  Their  houses,  stores  and  places  of  business  were  sealed  vmtil 
further  orders :  their  wives  and  children  were  turned  out  into  the  streets  in  the  last  extremity 
of  penury  and  distress,  and  the  men  themselves  were  carried  off  bound  to  Levcosia.  Sixteen 
only  escaped  arrest  in  various  ways,  while  four  hundred  and  seventy  of  the  proscribed  were 
thrown  into  prison.  The  principal  Turks  residing  in  the  capital  were  convoked  by  the 
Muteselim,  and  to  give  an  air  of  regularity  to  the  business,  the  Sultan's  decree  was  read, 
and  its  execution  ordered. 

The  city  of  Levcosia  was  thus  destined  to  be  turned  into  a  human  slaughter-house.  On 
the  first  day,  in  the  square  in  front  of  the  Serai,  the  Archbishop  Cyprianos  was  hanged,  the 
three  bishops  of  Paphos,  Citium  and  Kyrenia,  with  the  other  higher  clerics,  were  beheaded : 
their  bodies  being  exposed  with  the  head  of  each  on  his  back.  On  the  day  following  all 
the  rest  were  beheaded,  with  the  exception  of  thirty-six,  men  of  inferior  rank,  who  through 
weakness  of  character  forswore  their  faith.  The  barbarians  not  only  slew  but  hewed  in  pieces 
many  of  the  victims.  Of  Cypriots  of  any  position  those  only  survived  who  were  concealed, 
and  escaped  from  the  island,  through  the  kindly  help  of  certain  consuls,  especially  the  French 
consul  Mechain.  The  personal  and  landed  property  of  all  the  victims,  the  sacred  vessels  of 
the  monasteries,  and  their  precious  ornaments  of  silver  and  gold  were  confiscated  to  the  Porte, 
and  were  sold  by  auction  to  swell  the  wealth  of  those  who  had  contrived  the  seizure,  while 
the  lands  and  houses  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  local  aghas.  Their  every  wish  was 
thus  fulfilled.  Lapierre,  who  had  been  the  chief  cause  of  the  slaughter  of  so  many  innocent 
persons,  failed  not  of  a  rich  reward.  Especially  on  those  two  ghastly  days  of  June  this 
Christian  in  name  was  seen  walking  about  with  that  Musalman  in  deed  Kuchuk  Mehmed  in 
the  part  of  the  palace  which  looked  on  the  square,  where,  as  I  have  said,  the  executions  took 
place,  and  whence  the  groans  of  so  many  victims  could  be  heard. 

After  the  massacre,  and  the  confiscation  of  the  property  not  only  of  the  slain,  but  of  the 
sixteen  who  escaped,  to  complete  the  savage  orders  of  the  barbarous  Grovernor,  followed  the 
arrest  and  enslavement  of  the  women  and  children.  This  last  measure  however  was  only  very 
partially  effected,  thanks  to  the  intervention  of  the  Christians  who  were  called  to  the  offices 
left  vacant  by  the  murdered  notables,  and  to  the  payment  of  a  million  (of  piastres  ?)  collected 
by  a  poll  tax  on  all  the  male  inhabitants  of  the  island.  Such  was  the  reward  of  the  submission 
and  obedience  of  the  Christians  of  Cyprus  to  the  Turkish  Sultan. 


PHILEMON.    (;i:RVINL.S.  4f)9 


GERVINUS. 

We  translate  anotlier  brief  account  of  the  same  events  from  tlie  hixnrrectioii  et  Regeneration  de  la 
Gr^ce,  by  G.  G.  Gervinus,  Professor  at  Heidelberf^.  Tra<luction  Francaise.   8vo,  Paris,  1863.    Vol.  i.  282,  3. 

At  the  same  time  as,  or  a  little  after,  the  massacre  at  Smyrna,  the  large  islands  of  Cyprus 
and  Crete  were  visited  with  the  same  troubles.  Situated  at  a  distance  from  the  theatre  of  the 
insurrection,  with  scarcely  any  knowledge  of  the  Hetairia,  wthout  arms  and  without  hope  of 
help  from  their  neighbours,  the  Christians  of  both  islands  had  no  more  passionate  wish  than 
to  keep  out  of  reach  of  the  meddling  of  their  fellows,  and  the  molestation  of  their  masters. 
'I'he  Cretan  priests  exhorted  their  Hocks  in  all  sincerity  not  to  mix  themselves  up  with  the 
disastrous  enterprises  of  the  insurgents.  But  in  neither  island  could  submission  avail  to  avert 
misfortune.  At  the  beginning  of  the  revolution  the  Porte  had  sent  over  some  troops  to 
Cyprus,  giving  the  Muteselim  full  power  to  deal  with  the  leading  Christians  as  he  might 
think  necessary  in  the  interests  of  the  public  safety.  The  aghas,  to  whom  these  orders  had 
been  communicated  in  a  secret  meeting,  presented  a  list  of  persons  for  proscription,  according 
to  which  the  Archbishop,  the  bishops  and  all  the  notables  and  wealthy  Christians,  whom  they 
wished  to  sacrifice  to  their  personal  hatred  or  to  their  greed,  were  to  be  put  to  death.  Tlie 
Muteselim  hesitated,  but  when  they  made  him  resjionsiVjle  for  his  clemency,  and  especially 
when  letters  and  proclamations  inviting  the  inhabitants  to  revolt,  distributed  in  the  island  by 
the  Archimandrite  Theseus,  were  intercepted,  he  agreed  to  follow  their  advice,  as  soon  as  the 
reinforcements  which  he  expected  from  S.  Joan  d'Acre  and  Tripoli  should  arrive.  He  then 
summoned  all  the  rich  Greeks  to  come  to  ijcvcosia,  the  capital  of  the  island.  Many  of  them 
came;  others,  mistrusting  the  Governor,  fled  to  their  fellow-Christians  at  Larnica,  where  they 
hid  themselves  in  the  retreats  offered  by  the  consulates.  Then  the  Mutcm  lim  threw  off  the 
mask.  The  Archbishop  was  hanged,  the  three  bishops  beheaded,  and  two  hundred  notables 
were  condemned  to  death  or  slavery.  This  butchery — the  victims  were  often  hacked  to  pieces 
— lasted  not  less  than  thirty  days.  Here  again  the  foreign  consuls  did  excellent  service, 
especially  the  French  Consul  Mi'chain,  by  protecting  the  (ireeks  who  were  pursued,  and, 
as  far  as  they  could,  securing  their  escape  over  sea.  The  French  Admiral  Halgan  helped 
the  starving  fugitives,  distributing  among  them  numy  thousatid  rations  of  biscuits  which  lie 
received  from  Toulon. 


470 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


BERAT. 

The  last  Berat,  or  Charter,  issued  by  the  SubHme  Porte  to  an  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  the  last,  we  may 
believe,  which  will  ever  be  issued,  is  a  document  of  some  historical  interest. 

We  translate  from  the  Romaic  version  given  on  pp.  136 — 143  of  the  EldTja-eis  'loropiKal  of  Philippos 
Georgiou,  8vo,  Athens,  1874,  modifying  or  explaining  here  and  there  a  word  or  phrase  by  the  light  of 
a  more  summary  English  translation  made  directly  from  the  Turkish  original.  The  beginning  of  the 
month  Shawwal,  Anno  Hegirse  1282,  would  fall  between  February  17  and  26,  Anno  Domini  1866,  the 
fifth  year  of  the  reign  of  Sultan  Abdul  Aziz. 

Archbishop  Sophronios  died  at  Nicosia  on  Tuesday,  May  22,  1900,  set.  75.  He  was  a  native  of  Phini, 
in  the  district  of  Limasol. 

A  copy  (Romaic)  of  a  Berat  granted  8  Rejeb,  1251  (Oct.  30,  1885),  to  a  Patriarch  of  Constantinople, 
will  be  found  in  pp.  258 — 272  of  vol',  i.  of  the  Memoirs  of  the  Patriarch  Gregory  V.,  by  G.  G.  Pappa- 
dopoulos,  8vo,  Athens,  1865,  and  another  in  'OdofiaviKol  KcJSiKfr,  vol.  in.  2739 — dated  October,  1860.  The 
first  such  Berat  was  given  in  1750  to  the  Patriarch  Samuel  Hanjeri.  The  imperial  sanction  had  been 
previously  conveyed  by  a  firman. 

Imperial  Berat  issued  to  His  Beatitude  Sophronios,  Archbishop  of  Cyprus, 

AFTER  HIS  proclamation  IN  1865. 

Seeing  that,  in  consequence  of  the  news  of  the  death  of  the  monk  Macarios,  Archbishop 
of  the  island  of  Cyprus,  &c.,  which  was  recently  announced,  it  was  necessary  that  another 
should  be  chosen  in  his  room,  and  as,  by  the  common  voice  and  assent,  there  has  been  elected 
the  bearer  of  this  our  imperial  Berat  (may  the  strength  of  this  Christian  Primate  be  stablished!) 
the  monk  Sophronios  (may  his  dignity  be  prolonged  !)  WE,  having  received  news  of  this  by 
a  memorial  (Mahzar)  signed  by  all  the  deputies  appointed  to  this  end  by  the  rayahs  of  Cyprus, 
who  have  humbly  tendered  their  report,  as  well  as  by  notice  received  in  a  resolution  (Mazbata) 
of  the  common  council  of  the  said  island,  after  the  archives  had  been  searched,  and  it  was 
found  that  there  really  stood  recorded  a  grant  of  the  Archbishopric  of  the  island  to  the 
aforenamed  monk  deceased,  and  having  obtained  the  necessary  assurance  and  report  that  the 
customary  douceur  of  one  hundred  thousand  aspers  has  been  paid  in  cash  to  the  proper  office, 
as  it  was  agreed,  and  was  laid  down  in  the  original  firman,  WE  give  this  our  imperial  Berat, 
and  WE  command 

I.  That  the  said  monk  Sophronios  do  take  up  the  said  Archbishopric  of  Cyprus,  &c. 
according  to  the  custom  existing  ab  antiquo. 

II.  That  the  several  metropolitans,  bishops,  abbots,  priests,  nuns,  and  other  Christians 
who  are  under  his  jurisdiction,  according  to  the  custom  prevailing  ab  antiqioo,  and  the  duty 
imposed  upon  them  by  their  religion,  do  acknowledge  him  as  Archbishop,  and  do  not  show 
themselves  reprehensibly  negligent  in  offering  their  dutiful  obedience. 

III.  That  he  be  obstructed  by  nonesoever  in  the  duties  of  his  Archbishopric,  and  that 
no  one  encroach  on  the  same,  or  molest  him. 

IV.  That  no  one,  without  our  exalted  command,  snatch  from  his  hands  the  churches 
and  monasteries  which  have  been  ab  antiquo  in  the  possession  of  the  Archbishops. 

V.  That  no  one  interfere  in  their  repair,  when  this  is  carried  out  on  the  old  lines,  with 
the  sanction  of  the  courts,  and  under  our  exalted  ^rma^i. 


BERAT. 


471 


VI.  That  without  a  petition  duly  sealed  hy  the  Archbishop  for  the  time  being,  the  place 
of  a  metropolitan  or  bishop  may  never  be  conferred  on  anyone:  nor  may  anyone  be  allowed 
to  exercise  any  such  functions  or  authority. 

VII.  When  a  Christian  desires  to  be  married  or  divorced  according  to  the  canons  of  his 
religion,  the  Archbishop,  or  his  deputies  by  my  exalted  command,  or  by  a  simple  letter  of 
his,  shall  do  their  part,  and  no  one  else  .shall  interfere  or  take  part  therein. 

VIII.  Whatever  any  monk  or  other  Christian  may  at  his  death  bequeath,  and  dedicate 
according  to  the  customs  of  their  religion,  to  the  poor  of  their  churches,  or  to  the  Arclibishop, 
it  shall  be  allowed,  after  the  hearing  of  Christian  witnesses  in  a  court,  according  to  their 
religion. 

IX.  When  any  of  the  metropolitans,  bishops,  abbots,  priests  and  others,  monks  and  the 
like,  are  proved  guilty  of  crimes  and  offences  contrary  to  their  religion,  let  them  be  punished 
according  to  the  customs  of  their  religion  (but  without  change  in  kind  or  degree  in  the 
punishment  assigned  by  the  penal  code)  so  that  they  may  repent  and  declare  that  they  will 
never  again  fall  into  such  error:  and  let  no  one  else  interfere  in  matters  of  this  kind. 

X.  If  any  of  the  priests,  or  of  the  Archbishop's  own  deputies,  shall  perform  a  marriage 
contrary  to  the  rules  of  their  religion,  without  his  license  and  consent,  such  a  one  shall  receive 
his  punishment  through  a  court. 

XI.  When  it  is  expedient,  according  to  the  canons  of  their  faith,  that  any  metropolitan, 
bisliop,  priest,  monk  or  abbot  shall  be  deposed,  and  replaced  in  a  suitable  manner,  the  said 
Archbishop  shall,  according  to  their  canons,  dismiss  him.  And  in  order  to  instal  in  their 
places  worthy  monks,  and  appoint  them  metropolitans  and  bishops,  he  must  refer  the  matter 
to  our  capital  in  a  petition.  And  when  the  usual  and  prescribed  douceurs  have  been  paid 
to  the  treasury,  there  should  be  delivered  to  them  the  Btratu  recognising  the  appointments, 
and  our  necessary  sacred  orders. 

XII.  From  whomsoever,  and  from  what  place  soever,  the  said  Archbishop  has  to  receive 
the  revenues  of  his  see,  exacted  ah  antiquo,  and  under  this  Berat,  whether  from  metropolitans, 
bishops,  monks,  abbots,  or  other  Christians,  let  the  Qa/.is  for  the  time  being  give  their  help, 
and  cause  them  to  be  paid  to  the  agents  sent  specially  for  their  collection,  and  furnished  with 
our  sacred  order,  or  a  letter  from  himself. 

XIII.  Money  given  in  charity  by  Christians  according  t(j  their  ab  aiitiqiu)  customs,  and 
the  canonical  dues  from  holy  wells,  monasteries  and  marriage  licenses,  and  likewise  the  other 
casual  reveiuies  of  the  .Vrchbishopric,  so  far  as  allowed  by  ancient  custom  and  the  purport 
of  his  Berat,  shall  be  paid  to  the  said  .\rchbishop  without  objection  or  delay. 

XIV.  If  any  monks,  given  to  worldly  cares  in  contravention  of  the  rules  of  their  order, 
stray  about  where  they  will,  and  intrude  within  the  limits  of  his  jurisdiction,  let  the  Arch- 
bishop .send  all  such  back  to  the  monasteries  in  which  they  originally  resided. 

XV.  When  they  propose  to  pass  through  any  dangerous  region,  they  may,  in  order  to 
make  the  journey  in  greater  ease,  wear  the  dress  of  laymen.  And  in  times  of  necessity, 
when  they  carry  arms  for  the  safety  of  their  lives,  and  the  avoiding  of  danger,  they  shall  in 
no  wise  be  harassed  by  the  Miri-Miran  (Provincial  Governors)  and  .Miri-Liwa  ((tenerals  of 
Brigade)  and  other  authorities. 

XVI.  No  one  may  make  a  Christian  a  Musalman,  when  the  person  himself  is  unwilling. 


472 


EXCERPTA  OYPRIA. 


XVII.  When  anyone  of  tlie  metropolitans  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Cyprus  for  the  time  being  proposes  to  journey  to  our  capital,  to  see  after  his  own  private 
affairs,  let  this  be  arranged  through  the  said  Archbishop,  and  let  no  one  else  hinder  him. 

XVIII.  Wlien  any  of  the  metropolitans  and  bishops  owe  canonical  dues,  and  have  no 
money  to  pay  them,  and  in  the  place  of  money  offer  stuffs  and  clothing,  which  are  to  be 
reckoned  in  lieu  of  their  canonical  dues,  the  overseers  and  agents  at  the  several  stations  and 
customs'  wharfs,  and  all  persons  without  exception,  shall  not  harass  his  servants  and  agents 
employed  in  transporting  such  goods  for  the  payment  of  any  tax  or  duty  whatsoever. 

XIX.  The  overseers  of  customs  and  octroi  and  their  chiefs,  and  all  persons  soever,  are 
forbidden  to  make  the  smallest  demand  upon  those  who  transport  the  fruit  of  as  many  vine- 
yards as  the  said  Archbishop  may  cultivate  for  his  own  use,  and  such  produce  as  ab  antiquo 
the  Christians  have  been  accustomed  to  offer,  as  wine,  oil,  honey  and  the  like. 

XX.  All  the  waqf  possessions  of  the  churches  which  are  under  the  Archbishop's 
jurisdiction,  vineyards,  gardens,  farms,  fields,  pastures,  fairs,  holy  wells,  mills,  flocks  and 
other  ecclesiastical  property,  are  entirely  under  the  lordship  and  control  of  the  said  Arch- 
bishop, and  no  one  else  may  interfere  with  them. 

XXI.  When  an  enquiry  has  been  ma,de  by  the  Pashas,  Qazis  and  Naibs,  and  a  petition 
has  reached  us  against  a  metropolitan,  or  bishop  of  a  district,  touching  his  bad  conduct  and 
behaviour,  and  praying  that  he  may  be  deposed  or  banished,  effect  shall  not  be  given  it  until 
the  very  truth  of  the  matter  has  been  ascertained :  and  even  though  our  exalted  firman, 
however  procured,  has  been  issued  on  the  subject,  yet  nevertheless  it  shall  have  no  force. 

XXII.  And  if  by  some  intrigue  a  sacred  order  has  been  issued  on  behalf  of  our  govern- 
ment, and  has  reached  the  place  to  which  it  was  addressed,  in  order  that  it  be  of  no  effect, 
let  them  write  to  our  imperial  government  to  announce  the  affair,  and  put  an  end  to  it. 

XXIII.  If  any  Christians  during  their  lifetime  dedicate  to  the  Archbishop,  the  metro- 
politans and  bishops,  any  small  objects,  or  again,  according  to  their  religious  customs,  do  so 
by  word  of  mouth  or  in  intention,  after  their  deaths  these  shall  be  i-ecovered  from  their  heirs 
through  a  court. 

XXIV.  In  the  collection  of  dues  in  general,  canonical  and  customary,  whether  it  be 
much  or  little,  in  proportion  to  the  status  of  each  church,  by  the  metropolitans  or  bishops  or 
their  duly  appointed  agents,  no  hindrance  shall  be  offered  by  anyone. 

XXV.  When  a  dispute  arises  between  two  Christians  concerning  marriage  or  divorce, 
and  other  matters,  let  him  reconcile  the  parties  through  their  mutual  concessions. 

XXVI.  When  according  to  their  religious  uses  they  put  a  man  on  his  oath,  or  punish 
him  with  excommunication  (as  they  term  this  penalty),  the  judicial  authorities  shall  in  no 
way  interfere,  or  trouble  them,  or  cause  them  to  suffer  any  loss  or  harm. 

XXVII.  Without  the  dispensation  and  license  of  the  Archbishop  and  the  metropolitans, 
the  priests  of  the  several  dioceses  under  their  jurisdiction  shall  not  celebrate  marriages 
contrary  to  their  religious  rules,  or  to  some  definite  canon. 

XXVIII.  When  metropolitans,  bishops,  nuns  and  other  monks  die  without  heirs  what- 
ever they  may  possess,  cash  or  chattels  or  horses  or  other  ecclesiastical  object,  the  Archbishop 
takes  them :  and  the  officers  of  the  Beit-ul-Mal  and  Qassam,  the  Mutevellis — no  one,  in  short, 
shall  interfere. 


BERAT. 


473 


XXIX.  If  any  persons  of  position  or  importance,  whosoever  they  may  be,  insist  on 
requiring  that  such  and  such  a  woman  shall  be  given  to  such  and  such  a  man,  this  shall  not 
be  carried  out  by  force. 

XXX.  So  likewise  the  demands  that  any  one  priest  shall  be  deprived  of  his  post  in  the 
church  that  it  may  be  given  to  another  priest,  such  offensive  proposals  shall  not  be  carried 
into  effect. 

XXXI.  When,  for  the  punishment  and  reformation  of  a  Christian,  he  sends  what  they 
call  an  excommunication,  that  is  the  document  imposing  this  penalty,  no  one  shall  interfere. 

XXXII.  When  any  of  the  persons  who  contract  (as  mentioned  above)  marriages  against 
the  rules  of  their  religion  die,  as  it  would  infringe  these  rules  if  they  entered  the  church,  the 
judicial  and  executive  officers,  and  persons  of  influence  and  position,  whoever  they  may  be, 
shall  not  force  the  priests,  .saying,  "  Bury  the  corpse." 

XXXIII.  As  to  such  of  the  bishops  and  priests  who  obstinately  refuse  to  pay  the 
customary  canonical  dues,  when  the  said  Archbishop  in  canonical  form,  as  we  explained 
above,  chastises  them,  cuts  their  hair,  expels  them  and  replaces  them  by  others,  no  one  shall 
hinder  him. 

XXXIV.  When  any  Christians  leave  by  will  a  third  part  of  their  substance  to  the 
churches,  the  monasteries  and  the  Archbishop,  it  shall  be  exacted  from  the  heirs  through 
a  court. 

XXXV.  When  the  arrest  of  a  priest,  monk  or  nun  has  been  ordered  and  pronounced 
necessary  by  a  court,  this  arrest  shall  be  effected  through  the  said  Archbishop. 

XXXVI.  When  any  members  of  a  monkish  order,  who  have  no  jxist  in  any  church  or 
monastery,  wander  about  from  place  to  place,  and  provcjke  scandals,  the  .said  Archbishop, 
after  the  manner  explained  above,  shall  chastise  and  i-estrain  them. 

XXXVII.  When  the  Archbishop  makes  his  yearly  audit  of  the  accounts  of  the  trustees 
of  the  churches  and  monasteries,  upon  the  completion  of  their  year  of  office,  should  they  be 
shown  to  be  in  arrear,  they  shall  be  compelled  through  a  court  to  pay.  And  when  he 
dismi.sses  such  defaulters,  and  replaces  them  according  to  the  customs  of  their  religion  by 
hone.st  and  fit  persons,  no  one  shall  hinder  him. 

XXXVIII.  No  one  of  the  monks,  who  under  our  exalted  Berat  enjoys  the  rank  and 
performs  the  duties  of  a  metropolitan  or  bishop,  shall  be  harassed  or  annoyed  by  our  executive 
officers. 

XXXIX.  When  one  of  such  dies,  in  pursuance  of  the  imperial  decrees  in  force  ab  antiquo, 
the  neces.sary  imperial  Brrati  .shall  be  issued  to  the  person  chosen  to  succeed  him. 

XL.  The  Archbishops  of  Cyprus  shall  not  be  removed  except  for  crime,  nor  replaced 
by  others  through  mere  favouritism. 

XLI.  The  petition  of  the  Archbishops  is  allowed  to  be  received.  Touching  matters  of 
their  religion  whatever  they  submit  and  report  to  us  shall  receive  a  gracious  hearing. 

XLII.  If  persons  wish  to  be  appointed  Archbishops,  not  even  the  smallest  attention 
shall  be  paid  in  any  way  to  their  personal  claims.  For  the  bishops  should  be  learned  men, 
devoted  to  their  religious  duties,  and  clothed  with  full  authority  in  all  such  matters;  and 
according  to  our  exalted  imperial  command  as  issued  ah  antiquo,  they  must  be  free  from 
influence  or  annoyance  from  anyone  soever. 

c.  60 


474 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


XLIII.  No  administrative  or  other  officer  shall  prevent  the  said  Archbishop  from 
carrying  in  his  hand  his  staff :  and  likewise  as  to  the  horse  or  mule  which  he  rides  no 
annoyance  shall  be  offered  him. 

XLIV.  Against  the  will  of  the  said  Archbishop  persons  shall  not  be  permitted  to  molest 
him,  under  the  pretext  that  WE  insist  on  their  employment  as  his  servants. 

XLV.  In  the  conduct  of  affairs  touching  their  religion,  and  in  the  direct  possession  and 
administration  of  their  property,  no  one  shall  in  any  way  whatsoever  hinder  them,  or  interfere 
in  such  matters.    He  shall  abide  unhindered  and  unbiassed. 

So  let  them  know. 
Let  them  respect  our  holy  sign. 
Written  at  the  beginning  of  the  month  Shawwal, 
in  the  year  1282. 


BERAT.  EPITAPHS. 


476 


EPITAPHS. 

Within  the  precincts  of  the  Church  of  8t  LazaruH  at  Scala  is  a  small  graveyard,  some 
22  faces  by  14,  which  was  dedicated  at  least  as  early  as  A.D.  1685  as  the  last  resting-place  of 
our  countrymen  dying  in  the  island.  There  are  risible  18  graves,  but  of  2  the  inscriptions 
have  been  lost,  or  are  illegible.    The  rest  are  faithfully  transcribed  below. 


Heare  lyeth  interred 

THE  BODY  OF  CaPN  PeTER 

Dare  Comr  of  the  ship 
SciPio  WHO  departed  this 
LIFE  YE  25  June  1685 

aged  38  YEARS 


Here  lieth  the  body  of 
Ion  Ken  eldest  son  of 
Mr.  Ion  Ken  of  London 
Merchant  who  was 
Born  the  3rd  February  1672 

AND  DIED  THE  12  JULY  1693 


Viri  ornati   ....  Here  lieth  the  body  of  Mr.  William  Ken 

.   .   .   .  Merchant  of  Cyprus  who  departed  this 

annos  life  the  24  day  of  Jvly  1707  aged  29  yeares. 

Mercat 

Et  ad  meliorem  patriam 

LONGE  AB  hag  INSULA  AUG.  XV  :  AN  :  DoM  : 

MDCLXXXXIX.  ^:t.  su/E 

DESIDERATISSIMI  corpus  in  LITTUS  REPORTANTES 
AMICI  HIC  M.P. 


EN  EAniAI 
ANASTASEfiS  EI2  TON  BION  TON  AlfiNlON 
EN0AAE  ANAHAYETAI 
XPI2T04>OP05  O  rPAIMIOS  BPETANN02 

AnO  AFPOY  EBOPAKH2IOY 
01  ETEAEYTH2EN  EN  THAE  TH  NH2n 
HMEPA  24  TOY  MHN02  lOYAIOY  ET.  1711 
TOY  EAYTOY  BIOY  46. 


Mary  thk  wife  of 
Samuel  Palmer 
Died  the  15th  July,  1720 
and  here  lies  buried 
with  her  infant 
Daughter. 


60—2 


476 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


GrEORGIUS  BARTON 

Consul  Britannicus 


Under  this  marble  lybth  ye  body 
OF  Mr.  Robert  Bate  Merchant  he 

WAS  THE  SON  OF    .     .     .     DYER  BATE 


* 


* 


* 


XII 


MDCCXXXIX. 


BY     ...  . 

IN  YE  Parish  op 


WAS  BORNE 


D.O.M. 

HiC  JACET 

Michael  de  Vezin: 
qui  originb  grallus, 
londinis  natus, 
Britannici  Regis  Scutarius, 

AB  EO  consul  missus 


COUNTY 

of  England 


IN  THE 

Kingdom 


t 


M.S. 

Petri  Bowen 

(9  lines  illegible) 


In  Alepam  et  Cyprum 

MuNUS  HOC  DIGNE  PROBEQUE 
ANNOS  XVI  GESSIT, 
ET  E  VITA  DECESSIT  A.S.  MDCCXCII 
^TATISQUE  SU^  LI. 
CUJUS  MEMORI^ 

Dilectissima  conjux 
Elizabeth  Pfauz: 
Origine  G-ermana, 
Nativitate  Veneta, 
Mcerbns 
Hoc  MONUMENTUM  posuit. 

On  a  slab  affixed  to  the  outer  wall  of  the  Church  at  Omodos,  a  village  some  25  miles  N-  W. 
of  Limasol.  The  Church  (H  MONH  TOY  2TAYP0Y)  is  said  to  enshrine  a  piece  of  the  True 
Cross,  and  part  of  the  hempen  rope  with  which  our  Lord  was  bound. 


Under  This  Marble  Are  Deposited 

The  Remains  of  Henry  Rooke  Esq^  formerly  Major  in  the 

HUNDREDTH  REGIMENT  OF  FoOT  WITH  BrEVET  RANK  OF  LIEU- 
TENANT Colonel  in  the  Service  of  his  Britannic  Majesty 
King  George  the  Third.  After  Quiting  the  Army  he  tra- 
velled thro  various  parts  of  Europe  and  being  in  italy 

IN  THE  YEAR  1799  JOINED  THE  RUSSIAN  ARMY  BEFORE  AN- 

cona  as  a  volunteer  officer  &  for  his  services  and  as- 
sistance in  reducing  that  fortress  his  late  imperial 
Majesty  of  All  the  Russias  Paul  conferred  upon  him  the 
Order  of  S"^  Anne  of  Holstein  2"  class.   He  died  in  this 
Convent  the  7"^  day  of  July  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  &  savi- 
our 1814  AND  WAS  INTERRED  BY  THE  HOLY  FATHERS  UNDER- 
NEATH THIS  Stone  with  their  consent  and  that  of 
THE  Most  Reverend  the  Bishop  of  the  Greek  Church 
IN  the  island  of  Cyprus.   His  only  surviving  brother  W" 
Rooke  as  a  last  tribute  of  fraternal  regard  and  affec- 
tion HATH  caused  THIS  MEMORIAL  TO  BE  CONVEYED  AND 


PLACED  OVER  HIS  GRAVE. 


EPITAPHS. 


477 


In  the  graveyard  of  the  Orthodox  Church  of  Hagia  Napa,  Limasol. 

Sacred 

To  THE  MEMORY  OF 

Esther  Harriet  Simeon  Mary  only 

CHILD  OP  THE  Rev"  JoSEPH  AND  LaDY 

Georgiana  Wolff  who  died  in  this 
CITY  August  28th  1828  aged  nine 
months  and  nineteen  days. 
Is  it  well  with  the  child?  it  is  well. 

In  the  graveyard  of  the  Monastery  of  St  (George,  Lnrnaca. 

.   .    .  fnterukd 
.   .   OF  Peter  Deleau 
.  .   London,  Merchant 
.   .    Departed  this  lyfe 
.    .   the  2ni)  May,  1692. 

Sacred  to  the  Memory 

OF 

Lorenzo  Erastus  Pease 
Born  March  14,  1837 
Died  July  10,  1838 

AND 

Lucinda  Constant  Pease 
Born  March  14,  ia37 

Died  Dec.  2,  1838 
infant  children  of 

Rev.  Lorenzo  W. 
and  Mrs.  L.  Ij.  Pease 
American  Missionaries  to  Cyprus 

EN  TH  E2XATH  SAAIUrrH  OI 
NEKPOI  ErKP01i::>ONTAl  A<l>(-)Al'TOL 

Here  lie  the  mortal  remains 

OF 

Daniel  Ladd  .Jii. 
Son  of  Hev.  Danikl  Ladd 
Born  in  Hkyroot  Syria 

April  1."),  1837 
died  in  Scala  Cypri  s 
May  18,  183U 
His  birth  placed 
him  on  the  rorders 

OF  THE  terrestrial 
promised  land,  HIS 

death  we  trust  introduced 
him  to  the 
heavenly  inheritance 
of  the  children  of  god. 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Sacked  to  the  memory 
OF  THE  Rev. 
Lorenzo  Warriner  Pease 
Native  op  the  United  States 
OF  America 

AND 

First  Missionary  of  the  A.B.C.F.M. 

TO  Cyprus 
WHO  DIED  August  28,  1839 
Aged  30  yrs.  3  mo.  8  days 

The  Righteous  shall  be  in  everlasting 
remembrance.   Ps.  112:  6. 

KAI  HK0Y2A  *ONH2  EK  TOY  OYPANOY, 
AErOYSHS  MOI,  rPA^ON, 

makapioi  oi  nekpoi  oi  en  KYPm 

AnO©NH2KONTE2  AH'APTI.    NAI,  AEFEI 
TO  nNEYMA,  INA  ANAOAYSONTAI 

EK  TON  KOnfiN  AYTON- 
TA  AE  EPPA  AYTfiN  AK0A0Y®EI 
MET'  AYTON.    AHOK.  lA.  IP. 


To  THE  Memory 

OF 

Dr.  James  Lilburn  2nd  Son 

OF 

Capn.  Wm.  Lilburn  of  Dover 
in  the  County  of  Kent 

LATE, 

H.B.M.  Consul  in  this  Island 
who 

died  on  the  6th  of  January,  1843 
Aged  40  years. 

This  tablet 
IS  placed  by  his 
deeply  afflicted  widow. 
If  great  integrity  and  benevolent 

attention  to  the  poor  AS  A  PHYSICIAN 
HAVE  ANY  CLAIM  ON  THE  GRATITUDE 
OF  MANKIND  HIS  NAME  WILL  BE 
LONG  HONORABLY  REMEMBERED. 


EPITAl'HS. 


Sacred 
To  THE  Memory  of 
Helena  Augusta  Jane 
the  infant  daughter  op 
NivEN  Kerr  Esquire 
Her  Britannic  Majesty's  Consul 
FOR  THIS  Island 
AND  OF  Louisa  Maria  his  wife, 
who  departed  this  life 
the  3rd  of  July,  1847 
Aged  11  months  and  10  days. 

If  envy  in  my  soul  could  dwell, 

Child!  I  could  envy  thee, 

Ere  sin  its  iron  chain  had  for(;'d. 

The  captive  was  set  free. 

Then  shed  no  tears  on  such  a  (jrave, 

no  mourning  vkjil  keep 

Man  is  not  so  supremkly  hlest. 

To  need  for  angel  weep! 


Sacred 

TO  THE 

Memory  ok 
Wm.  Halls 
LATE  Seaman 
ON  board 
H.B.M.S.  Volage 
who  died 
May  20tli,  1849 
aged  32  years 

This  tomb  is  erected  as  a  token  of 
respect  by  his  shipmates 


AN  ATTEMPT 

AT  A 

BIBLIOGEAPHY  OF  CYPRUS 

BY 

CLAUDE  DELAVAL  COBHAM 


FIFTH  EDITION 


NOTE 


I  have  attempted  to  register  in  these  pages  the  titles  of  all  books  treating  of  Cyprus,  its  people, 
history,  numismatics,  epigraphy  and  language,  of  ivhich  I  have  found  any  trace.  I  have  included 
the  papers  most  important  to  antiquaries  and  linguists  which  have  appeared  in  Magazines  or  in  the 
Transactions  of  learned  Societies ;  also  the  few  books  printed  in  the  island  between  1880  and  1887. 
I  have  added  lists  of  local  neivspapers,  of  Maps,  of  Consular  Reports  and  Parliamentary  Papers,  and 
of  the  fugitive  pieces  ivhich  record  a  controversy,  not  yet  extinguished,  concerning  the  "  transformations 
and  migrations "  of  Cypriot  antiquities  purchased  from  Signor  L.  P.  di  Cesnola  by  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  at  New  York. 

Tfie  "  Book  Law,"  No.  II.  of  1887,  has  been  in  force  in  the  island  since  Jidy  1, 1887,  and  lists  of 
books  which  have  issued  since  that  date  from  Cypriot  presses  may  be  found  in  the  "  Cyprus  Gazettes," 
Nos.  304,  334,  361,  398,  429,  464,  511,  538,  582,  618,  658,  700,  720,  750,  777,  8I4,  844,  and  906. 

I  could  have  added  largely  to  the  btdk,  but  probably  little  to  the  value,  of  the  list  by  including  more 
of  the  ephemeral  articles  which  will  readily  be  found  in  the  Indexes  to  Periodical  Literature  by  Poole, 
Griswold,  Miliaraki  {fieoWrjviKrj  y(a>ypa(f>iKr]  ^CKokoyia,  8vo,  Athens,  1889)  and  others.  Reference  should 
be  made  to  a  paper  by  Prof.  Dr  Eiigen  Oberhummer  {reprinted  in  1893  by  S.  Calvary,  at  Berlin,  from 
the  "  Jahresbericht  ilber  die  Fortschritte  der  Klassischen  Altertumswissenschaft,"  Band  77  {entitled 
"  Bericht  ilber  Geographic  von  Griechenland,  iii.  Teil,  KYPR08"  ;  to  another  by  the  same  indefatigable 
scholar  in  "  Geog.  Jahrbuch,"  xxviii.  187 — 9,  and  to  §  xiv.  Literatur,  pp.  462 — 4'''0  of  his  invaluable  work 
'■'■Die  Inseln  Cypern,"  MiXnchen,  1903.  See  also  the  "Bibliographic,"  pp.  xxv. — xxxii.  in  Enlart,  "  L'art 
gothique,  etc.,"  vol.  i.,  1899. 

Much,  no  doubt,  remains  to  be  gleaned  by  anyone  ivho  will  search  diligently  the  works  of  ivriters 
between  the  first  and  seventeenth  centuries,  enumerated  by  M.  de  Mas  Latrie  in  his  "  PMerinages, 
Itineraires  et  Descriptions  de  la  Terre-Sainte"  {Tresor  de  Chronologic,  1889,  C.  1321 — 1332),  and  by 
R.  Rohricht,  "  Deutsche  Pilgerreisen  nach  den  Heiligen  Lande,"  Gotha,  1880. 

When  the  list  was  first  circulated  in  June  1886,  it  contained  152  titles.  The  edition  of  1889  contained 
309  ;  that  of  1894,  497,  and  new  sections  of  Cartography  and  Consular  Reports  ;  that  of  1900,  728 ;  the 
present,  860. 

I  have  done,  I  think,  all  I  can  for  this  little  compilation.  I  reserve  no  rights  in  it,  and  shall  be  glad 
to  see  it  corrected,  extended  and  improved  in  any  country  by  any  Society  or  scholar  interested  in  the 
subject.  It  were  a  counsel  of  perfection  to  suggest  that  the  first  section  might  be  divided  and  re-arranged 
according  to  the  subject-matter  of  the  books  enumerated. 


AN  ATTEMPT  AT  A  BIHI.I()(;HA1»HV  OF  CYPRUS 


Suchen,  Ludolfus  de.    De  Tena  Sancta  et  itineic  Jliieiosol.  (1340.) 

4to,  s.  1.  et  a.  (Strasbbuif;,  1468'?).    Vitle  de  Mas  Latrie,  Histoire  de  I'ile  de  Chypre,  ii.  210. 

  Ed.  F.  Deycks.  8vo,  Stuttgart,  1851. 

 Ed.  G.  A.  Xeuiuann.    (Archives  de  I'orient  latin,  ii.  305.)  Hvo,  Paris,  1884. 

Piccolomini,  Enea  Silvio,  P  ojH!  Pius  II.    De  bello  Cyprio,  id  est  caput  xcvii.  liistoriie  reriim  ubique 

gcstiu  iuu  in  .\siii.  Ed.  Princeps.    Sni.  fol..  Venice,  1477. 

Bartholomeo  da  li  Sonnetti  (Zamberto).    Isolario.  4to,  (s.  1.  et  a.,  sed  Venetiis.  circa  1485). 

Plani,  lo.  Bap.    In  adventum  Ser.  Catharina.'  Corneiiie  de  LusiKnano;  Hier.,  Cypri  et  Arm.  Hen.  Aug.  pro 

S.  P.  Hi  ixiauo  oratio.  Absque  ulla  nota :  Sa?c.  xv. 

Huen,  Nicole  le.    delation  de  pelerinaf^e  en  Terre  Saiute  (1487-88).  Fol.,  Lyon,  1488. 

Saige,  Jacques  le.    Voyage  il  Kome...et  autres  Saints  lieux  (1518).  4to,  Caiubrai,  l.')20  and  1523. 

Ed.  K.  Dutliilloeul,  4to,  Douai,  ia51. 
Bordone,  Benedetto.    Isolario,  nel  quale  si  ragiona  de  tuttc  I'lsole  del  Mondo,  etc.        Fol.,  Venice,  1528. 

  Kicorretto  et  di  nuovo  ristaiupato  con  la  fjionta  del  monte  del  oro  nouaiuente  ritrouato. 

Fol.,  Venice,  1534  and  1547. 

Le  Assise  deli'  alta  Corte  del  llegno  di  Hierusalciu  et  Cypro  tradutc  de  France.se  in  lingua  italiana... 
per  me  Florio  Hustrou  cosi  comandato  da  li  clariss.  Signori  Hcttori  di  questo  liegno  di  Cypro. 

F\)l.,  Venice,  1535. 

  Assises  et  bons  Usages  du  lioyaumc  do  JeruKalem,  tires  d'un  manuscrit  de  la  Bibliotlieque  Vaticane 

par  messire  Jean  d'lbeiin...avec  des  notes  et  observations  et  un  glossairc.par  ii.  T.  de  la  Tluiunias- 
si^re.  Fol.,  Bourges,  1690. 

  Ed.  P.  Canciani,  in  "  Barbarorum  Leges  autiqua;."  Fol.,  5  vols.,  Venice,  1781-92. 

  Les  livres  des  Assises  et  des  Usages  du  reaume  de  Jerusalem. ..Ed.  E.  H.  Kausler. 

Vol.  I.,  4to,  Stuttgart,  1839. 

  Assises  du  Koyaunie  de  .Jerusalem  confc'ries  entre  clles,  ainsi  qu'avec  les  lois  des  Francs....  Ed. 

V.  Fouclier.  2  parts,  8vo,  Kennes.  1839^1. 
  Assises  de  .Jerusalem,  on  l{ecueil  des  ouvrages  de  jurisprudence  comjX)st's  (xindant  le  xiii'""  Siecle 

dans  les  Uoyaumcs  de  .Jerusalem  et  de  Chypre.    Publii'es  par  M.  le  Comte  Heugnot. 

2  vols.,  fol.,  Paris,  1843. 

Anon.  Lc  grand  tremblemeut  et  epouvantable  ruine  qui  est  advenue  en  hi  cite  de  Jerusalem... avec  tr6s 
grands  et  merveillables  vents  faictss  en  la  cite  de  Famagouste,  lesquels  ont  et^  avec  grand  donimage 
et  ruyne.    (Plaquette  gothique.    Tcrnaux  Compans,  Bibl.  Asiaticjue,  Paris,  1841,  No.  2830.) 

8vo,  Paris,  1546. 

 Ung  merveilleusement  grand  mouvement  de  terre... encore  aussi  inett'ables  et  horribles  vents  en 

I'ilc  de  Chypre  en  la  ville  appelee  Famagosta  et  autres  places,  avec  insupportables  dommaiges,  tr. 
d'italien  en  franrais.    (Plaquette  gothique.    T.-C.  2831.)  4to,  Anvers,  1546. 

Thevet,  Andr4.    Cosmographie  de  Levant.  4to,  Lyon,  1554. 

  Cosinographia  Orientalis,  d.  i.  Beschreibung  des  gauzen  Morgenlandes ;  aus  dem  Franzosi.schen 

iibcisetzt  von  (I.  Horst.    (Cyprus,  pp.  193-9.)  4to,  Gie.ssen,  1617. 


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Thevet,  Andr^.  Cosmographie  Universelle.  (Vol.  i.,  194—  204.)  4to,  Lyon,  1575. 
  Le  Grand  Insulaire.    (With  Possot,  D.    Le  voyage  de  la  Terre  Sainte,  pp.  298—309.    Ed.  Ch. 

Schefer.)  Royal  8vo,  Paris,  1890. 

Ghistele,  J.  van.    Voyage  van  Mhr  Joos  van  Gliistele  in  den  Landen  van  Slavonien,  Griecken,  Turckien, 

Candien,  Rhodes  ende  Cypers.    (Voyage  execute  en  1481,  decrit  par  Ambroise  Zeebout,  Chapelain  du 

Sire  de  Ghistele.)  4to,  Ghendt,  1557  and  1572. 

Anon.    Les  dernieres  nouvelles  de  la  Victoire  des  Chrestiens  obtenue  a  rencontre  du  Grand  Turc....La 

desfaicte  des  Turcs  devant  Famagosta,  ville  capitale  de  Chypre,  etc.  (T.-C.  428.)  8vo,  Paris,  1570. 
Avisi,  Gli  ultimi,  circa  la  guerra  che  seguita  il  Turco  contra  Venetia;  Dichiar.  molte  cose  notabili 

occorse  nella  Dalmatia,  ed  in  arcipelago,  e  la  Morea.    Con  il  soccorso  di  Famagosta,  etc.,  4  ff. 

8vo,  s.  1.,  1571. 

Camocio,  Gianfrancesco.   Isole  famose,  porti  fortezze  sottoposte  alia  Serenissima  Signoria  di  Venezia. 

4to,  Venice,  1571. 

Anon.  Newe  Zeitung  wie  der  Ttirk  die  Stadt  Nicosiam  in  Cypern  dieses  verlaiifene  1571  Jar  eingenommen, 
auch  wie  viel  tausent  Christen  er  gefangen,  etliche  tausent  gesebelt,  was  von  gemeinem  Kriegs- 
volk  gewesen  ist,  was  aber  Junlcer  und  ansehnliche  Leute  waren,  hat  er  gen  Constantinopel  und 
Alexandria  geschickt,  etliche  tausent  haben  Sich  und  Weib  und  Kindt,  dass  sie  den  Tiirken  nit  in  die 
Handen  kamen  jemmerlich  erstochen  und  umbbracht.  Wien,  1571. 

Benedetti,  Rocco.    Narratio  de  capta  Famagusta,  etc.  8vo,  Leipzig,  1571. 

Anon.    Cyprus  insula  a  turcico  exercitu  expugnata.    (T.-C.  2877.)  Rome,  1571. 

Sozomeno,  Gio.    Narratione  della  guerra  di  Nicosia  fatta  nel  Regno  di  Cipro  da'  Turchi  I'anno  1570. 

Bvo,  Bologna,  1571. 

Anon.    II  crudelissimo  assedio  e  nuova  presa  della  fortezza  di  Famagosta.  8vo,  Milano,  1571. 

  Narratio  de  capta  Famagusta:  brevis  item  et  vera  expositio  pugnse  navalis  inter  Christianos  et 

Turcas  apud  Echinades.  12mo,  Leipzig,  1571. 

Membre,  Philip.  Wahrhaftige  und  umstendliche  Beschreibung  wie  die  Tiirken  anfenglich  das  treffliche 
Kcenigi-eich  und  Insel  Cypern  mit  grosser  Macht  iiberfallen,  und  darinnen  die  Hauptstadt  Nicosia 
mit  Gewalt  erobert,  auch  folgent  seiches  ausser  der  eynigen  Statt  und  Port  Famagusta  unter  ihrer 
Gewalt  gebracht;  erstlich  beschrieben  in  italienischer  Sprach  durch  Philippum  Membre  gi'ossen 
Tollmetsch  in  turkischer  und  arabischer  Sprach  zu  Nicosia,  und  jetzt  in  teutsch  verfertigt  sambt 
einer  kurzen  Vored  und  sumarische  Beschreibung  der  Insel  Cypern  sehr  niitzlich  zu  lesen. 

4to,  (sine  loco,  sed)  Nuremberg,  1571. 

Martinengo,  Nestore,  Count.  L'assedio  et  presa  di  Famagosta,  dove  s'intende  minutissimamente  le 
scaramuccie  e  batterie,  mine  et  assalti  dati  ad  essa  fortezza.  Bvo,  Verona,  1572. 

  Relatione  di  tutto  il  successo  di  Famagosta... fortezza.  4to,  Venice,  1572. 

  L'Intiero  Ragguaglio  del  successo  di  Famagosta,  dove  minutamente  s'intendono  tutti  gli  abbati- 

menti  et  assalti  dal  principle  della  guerra  infino  alia  resa  di  essa  citt4  a  patti  non  servati. 

4to,  Venice  ?  1572  ? 

  Wahrhaftige  Relation  und  Bericht  was  massen  die  gewaltige  Stadt  und  Befestigung  Famagusta 

in  Cipro  so  von  moenniklich  fiir  ganz  ungewiinnlich  gehalten,  von  den  Turken  im  August  des  1571 
Jars  mit  unerhoerter  Gewalt  erobert  und  eingenommen  worden... durch  ein  gutherzigen  aus  welscher 
sprach  in  teutsch  transferirt.  4to,  (sine  loco  et  anno.    Vide  Meusel,  Bibl.  Hist.  ii.  Pars  i.  p.  105). 

  The  true  Report  of  all  the  suecesse  of  Famagosta,  of  the  antique  writers  called  Tamassus,  a  citie  in 

Cyprus... Englished  out  of  Italian  by  William  Malim...with  a  short  description  also  of  his  of  the  same 
Island.  4to,  Londou,  1572.... Fol.  ibid.,  1599. 

  La  vrai  histoire  du  Siege  et  de  la  prinse  de  Famagosta  I'une  des  principalles  villes  du  royaume  de 

Chypre... escrite  en  Italien  par  le  Seigneur  Nestor  Martinengo  Capitaine  des  compagnies  qui  estoyent 
dedans.. .et  puis  mise  en  fran9ois.  8vo,  Paris,  1572. 

Anon.    Famagusta,  Sampt  ihrer  Belagerung  und  Eroberung.    (T.-C.  2881.)  4to,  Niirnberg,  1572. 

  Famagusta,  wie  es  allenthalben  mit  derselben  Stadt  ergangen.    (T.-C.  2882.)  4to,  1573. 

Comes  Natalis  (Natale  Conti).    Historia  suorum  temporum,  libri  x.  4to,  Venice,  1572. 

— —    Historia  suorum  temporum,  libri  xxx.  4to,  Venice,  1581. 


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4to,  Padua,  157H. 

Anon.    Histoire  et  gcncalogic  des  princes  et  grands  seigneurs  dont  la  pliqiart  I'toicnt  fran<;ois  qui  ont 
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4to,  Paris,  1579. 

Giusti,  Vine.    Irene.    Tragcdia  nova.  12mo,  Venice,  1580. 

Metelli,  Vine.  Giustinopolitano.    II  Marto:  sotto  bellissime  favole  et  inventioni  si  descrive  tutta  la  guerra 

(11  C'i])ri)  con  la  lotta  doU'  annata  de'  turchi,  4to,  Venice,  1582. 

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lioyligcn  Lauds,  etc.)  Fol.,  Francfort  am  ^layn,  1584. 
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Fuligni,  Valerio.    Bragadino ;  tragedia.  8vo,  Pesaro,  1589. 

Silvestrani-Brenzone,  Cr.    Vita  e  fatti  del  valorosissimo  capitano  Astorre  Baglione  da  Perugia  con  la 

guerra  di  Cipro.  4to,  Verona,  1591. 
  La  guerra  di  Cypro  di  cui  generale  era  Astorre  Baglione,  et  si  descrive  tutta  quell'  Isola.  (Ristampa 

deir  opera  del  Silvestrani  dal  cap.  VIII.  al  XX.)  4to,  Lucerne,  1646. 

Anon.    La  Loyssee,  contenant  le  voyage  de  Saint  Louis,  roi  de  France,  pour  aller  en  Egypte  centre  les 

Sarrazins,  son  embarquement  et  son  arrivee  en  I'lsle  de  Chypre,  et  adventures  survenues.   (T.-C.  666.) 

4to,  Blois,  1593. 

Folieta,  Ubertus.  De  sacro  fcedere  in  Selimum,  libri  quatuor.  4to,  Genoa,  1587. 
  De  caussis  magnitudinis  Imperii  turcici...ac  narratio  belli  Cyprii  inter  Venetos  et  Turcas  superi- 

oribus  annis  gesti.  12mo,  Leipzig  and  Rostock,  1594. 
  Istoria  di  Mons.  Uberto  Foglietta  nobile  Genovese  della  sacra  Lega  contra  Selim,  e  d'alcune  altre 

imprese  di  suoi  tempi... fatta  volgare  da  Giulio  Guastavini.  4to,  Genoa,  1598. 

  The  sieges  of  Nicosia  and  Famagusta,  translated  by  C.  D.  Cobham.  8vo,  London,  1903. 

Anon.    Trattato  delle  ragioni  sopra  il  regno  di  Cipro,  con  narratione  d'  historia  del  violento  spoglio 

commesso  dal  bastardo  Giacomo  Lusignano.  4to,  Torino,  1594. 

Baumgarten,  Martin.    Peregrinatio  in  ^Egyptum,  Arabiam,  etc.  4to,  Niirnberg,  1594. 

  Travels  (a  collection  of  Voyages  and  Travels).  London,  fol.,  1704,  and  8vo,  1752. 

Guarnerius,  lo.  Ant.    De  bello  Cyprio,  libri  tres.  4to,  Bergamo,  1597. 

  Nunc  denuo  excusi.  4to,  Bergamo,  1602. 

Bosaccio,  Giuseppe.    Viaggio  da  Venetia  a  Constantinopoli  per  mare  e  per  terra,  insieme  quello  di  Terra 

Santa.  Obi.  8vo,  Venice,  1598  and  1606. 

Villamont,  Jacc[ues  de.   Les  voyages  du  Seigneur  de  Villamont.        8vo,  Paris,  1598,  16mo,  Arras,  1598. 

(And  many  later  editions,  Paris,  Arras,  Lyon,  Rouen,  1600-98.) 
Hakluyt,  R.    Principal  navigations,  voyages,  traffiques  and  discoveries  of  the  English  nation. 

3  vols.,  fol.,  London,  1599. 
Carr,  Ralph.    The  Mahumetane  or  Tiu'kish  historic... a  brief  discourse  of  the  warres  of  Cypres. 

4to,  London,  1600. 

Ehingen,  Georg  von.  Itinerarium:  das  ist:  Historische  Beschreibung,  weilung  Herrn  G.  v.  Ehingen's 
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Paruta,  Paolo.  Historia  Vinetiana,  divisa  in  due  parti.  Nella  parte  seconda  in  due  libri  si  contiene  la 
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Cipro.  4to,  Vinetia,  1605  and  1645. 

  Storia  della  Guerra  di  Cipro,  Libri  tre.  8vo,  Siena,  1827. 

  The  History  of  Venice.. .likewise  the  wars  of  Cyi^rus... wherein  the  famous  sieges  of  Nicossia  and 

Famagosta,  and  battel  of  Lepanto  are  contained.    Made  English  by  Henry,  Earl  of  Monmouth. 

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Knolles,  Richard.    The  general  Historic  of  the  Turks,  etc.  Fol.,  London,  1603. 

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(And  seven  other  editions  between  1621  and  1673.) 
Palerne,  Jean.    Peregrinations.    (1581.)  12mo,  Lyon,  1606. 

Beauvau,  Henri  de.    Relation  journaliere  du  voyage  du  Levant.  4to,  Nancy,  1615. 

Cotovicus,  Joannes  (Johann  van  Kootwyck).  Itinerarium  Hierosolymitanum  et  Syriacum,  in  quo 
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Assarino,  Luca.    Ragguagli  del  Regno  di  Cipro.  12mo,  Bologna,  1()42  and  Venice.  1654. 

Anon.    Svegliarino,  chc  mostra  alia  Christianitil  essere  gionta  I'hora  opportuna  di  mouersi  contro  la 

I'otcn/.a  ()ttomana...esposto  in  publico  da  G.B.C.V.  4to.  Lucerne,  \646. 

Loredano,  Gio.  Fr.    Historic  de'  R6  Lusignaui  publicate  da  Henrico  Giblet  Cavalier,  libri  undeci. 

4to,  Bologna,  1647. 
12mo,  1653  and  1660.    16mo,  Venice,  1()51. 
  Histoire  dcs  Rois  de  Chypre  de  la  Maison  de  Lusignan...traduit  do  I'ltalien  du  Chevalier  Giblet, 

Cypriot.  2  vols.,  16mo.  Paris,  1732. 

Neophytus,  Rhodinus.  Utp\  ijpaxov  (TTpaTTiyiiv ,,,onov  fvytjKnaiv  {'mu  to  vrjrr]  Ki  Vfjiiv.  12mo,  RomC,  1669. 
Somer,  Jan.    /ee  en  Landt  Reysegedacn  naer  de  Lcvantc  als  Italien,  Candien,  Cypres,  e.z.v. 

4to,  Amsterdam,  1661. 

Sommer,  Johann.  Scc  und-Land-Reyss  nach  der  Levantc.aus  dem  Holliendisclien  in  die  Hoch- 
'rciitsclie  iib(!rsetzt  durch  P.  J.  Elisium.  4to,  Franckfurt,  1664. 

Delia  Valle,  Pietro.    De'  Viaggi.    (Parte  ter/.a,  pp.  438—453.)  4to,  Rome,  1663. 


488 


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GerasimOS  ChristophorOU.     'AKoXovdia  rov  6a-Lov  koX  6eo(f)6pov  Trarpos  rjfiSiv  'iwavvov  Tov  Aafnradta-Tov. 

4to,  Venice,  1667. 

Meursius,  J.    Greta,  Cyprus,  Khodus.  Sm.  4to,  Amstelodami,  1675, 

  Opera.    (In  12  vols,  fol.,  Florence,  1741-63,  on  pp.  545 — 679  of  vol.  iii.  is)  Cyprus,  sive  de  illius 

insulse  rebus  et  antiquitatibus.  Fol.,  Florence,  1744. 

Medici,  Giacomo.    Catterina  Corner,  Opera  comica.  8vo,  Udine,  1675. 

Abudacnus,  Jos.    Historia  Jacobitarum  seu  Coptorum  in  J5gypto...et  Cypri  insulae  parte  habitantium. 

4to,  Oxford,  1675,  Liibeck,  1733,  and  8vo,  Leiden,  1740. 
Ricaut,  Paul.    The  present  state  of  the  Greek  and  Armenian  Churches.  8vo,  London,  1679. 

Philippus  Cyprius.    (Protonotary  of  the  Great  Church.)    Chronicon  Ecclesise  Graecse.    Gr.  et  Lat. 

4to,  Franequerse,  1679. 

Neophytus.    (Cir.  a.d.  1200.)    Ilepl  rav  Kara  x<op(iv  KiJTrpov  (TKaiwv.    (In  Cotelerius,  Eccl.  Gr.  Mon.  vol.  ii.) 

4to,  Paris,  1677  and  1681. 

And  see  also  Rolls  Series  Publications,  38a.  pp.  clxxxi-ix.         8vo,  London,  1864. 

  An  account  of  the  "  Misfortunes  of  Cyprus  "  by  Neophytus,  and  the  condition  of  the  Island  in  his 

time,  by  Edwin  Freshfield.    (Archseologia,  vol.  xlvii.)  4to,  Westminster,  1881. 

  'AKoXou^tni  TOV  ocrlov  Harpos  r)p.av  Neo<^vrov  tov  iyKkdcTTOv.  4to,  Venice,  1778. 

"EKSotrts  devTepa.    4to,  Nicosia,  1893. 

  TvTTLKri  Stdra^iy  kuI  \6yoL  (Is  t1)v  'E^arjpfpov.  '  4to,  Venice,  1779. 

  The  "  Ritual  Ordinance."    Ed.  F.  E.  Warren.      (Archaeologia,  vol.  xlvii.)    4to,  Westminster,  1881. 

Piacenza,  Franc.   L'Egeo  redivivo  o  sia  Chorographia  dell'  Arcipelago...di  Candia  e  Cipri. 

4to,  Modena,  1688. 

Dapper,  0.    Naulceurige  Beschryving  der  Eilanden  in  de  Archipel  der  Middelantsche  Zee. 

4to,  Amsterdam,  1688. 

  Description  exacte  des  isles  de  rarchipel...traduite  du  Flamand.  Fol.,  Amsterdam,  1703. 

Coronelli,  Vicenzo.    Atlante  Venetc.ad  uso  dell'  Accademia  cosmografica  degli  Argonauti. 

Fol.,  Venice,  1692. 

Dandini,  R.  P.  J.    A  voyage  to  Mount  Libanus...  8vo,  London,  1698. 

 Missione  apostolica  al  patriarca  e  Maroniti  del  Monte  Libano.  4to,  Cesena,  1656. 

  Voyage  du  Mont  Liban,  traduit  par  R.S.P.  (Richard  Simon).    Nouvelle  Edition. 

16mo,  Paris,  1685. 

(And  see  Pinkerton's  Collection.    4to,  London,  1811,  vol.  x.) 
Nodot,  Franc.    Histoire  de  Melusine  tiree  des  chroniques  de  Poitou,  et  qui  sert  d'origine  a  I'ancienne 
maison  de  Lusignan.  12mo,  Paris,  1698. 

Bruyn,  C.  de.    Reisen  door  de  vermaadste  Deelen  van  Klein  Asia,  de  Eylanden  Scio,  Rhodus,  Cyprus,  etc. 

Fol.,  Delft,  1698. 

  Voyage  a  travers  les  parties  les  plus  fameuses  de  I'Asie  Mineure,  les  iles  de  Scio,  Rhodes,  Chypre, 

etc.  Fol.,  Delft,  1700 ;  Paris,  1714. 

  A  Voyage  to  the  Levant,  or  Travels  in... the  Islands  Scio,  Rhodes,  Cyprus,  etc.    Done  into  English 

by  W.  J.  Fol.,  London,  1702. 

  Voyage  en  Levant  c'est-a-dire  dans  les  principaux  endroits  de  I'Asie  Mineure,  dans  les  isles  de 

Chio,  Rhodes,  Chypre,  etc.  5  vols.  4to,  Paris,  1725  ;  La  Haye,  1732. 

Beaugrand,  Felix.    Relation  nouvelle. ..du  Voyage  de  la  Terre  Sainte.    (Cyprus,  Pt.  i.,  p.  4:  Pt.  ii.,  p.  21.) 

32mo,  Paris,  1700. 

Schubart,  Jo.  Ch.  Regnum  Salaminium  in  Cypro  breviter  delineatum.  Dissertatio.  4to,  Coburg,  1704. 
Lucas,  Paul.    Voyage  au  Levant.  2  vols.  12mo,  La  Haye,  1705 ;  Paris,  1712,  1714  and  1731. 

 Reise  nach  der  Levante.  2  vols.  12mo,  Hamburg,  1707  and  1722. 

  Voyage  fait  en  1714  par  ordre  du  Roi. 

2  vols.,  12mo,  Amsterdam,  1714  and  1730 ;  Rouen,  1719,  and  3  vols.,  1724. 
Robert.    Le  Voyage  du  Levant  (in  G.  Dampier,  Nouv.  Voy.  autour  du  monde  T.  V.  iv.  p.  360  ff.). 

8vo,  Rouen,  1723. 

Sagredo,  Jean.    Histoire  de  I'Empire  Ottoman.  7  vols.,  8vo,  Paris,  1724. 


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  Beschreibung  des  Morgenlandes  u.s.w.,  a.  d.  Eng.  iibersetzt  von  C.  E.  von  Windheim.    Three  parts 

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  Bi'^Xor  TTfpifx'ivaa  Kavovas  ptpiKU>p  Ttv<i)v  ' .\yiuv...ptTa  ku\  n puTpimtit  tivos  npus  Tuvs  tv  Kikkiu  Hartpus. 

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  'AKoXovBia  T'lv  ' Ayiov  (VS(i^oii  'An.  liapf(i,io.  4to,  Venice,  1756. 

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  Voyages  dans  le  Levant... trad,  de  rAlleniand  par  M.***.  12mo.  Paris.  1769. 

Arrighi,  Ant.  M.    De  bello  Cyprio,  Libri  v.  4to,  Padua.  1764. 

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Reinhard,  J.  P.  Vollstandige  Geschichte  des  Konigreichs  Cypern.  2  vols.  4to,  Erlangen,  1766  and  1768. 
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Savorgnano,  Ascanio.  Copiosa  descrizione  delle  cose  di  Cipro  con  le  ragioni  in  favor,  o  contra  diverse 
opinioni,  e  delle  provision!  necessarie  per  quel  Eegno.  (Ex  M.Sto  in  Reinhard's  Geschichte  des  K 
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Difesa  delle  ragioni  e  Maesta  della  Ser.  Republica  di  Venezia  contro  il  libro  publicato  a  nome  de'  Savoiardi 
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Mariti,  Gio.    Viaggi  per  I'isola  di  Cipro,  etc.  .     5  vols.  8vo,  Lucca,  1769. 

  Reisen  durch  die  Insel  Cypern... in  einem  Auszug  aus  dem  Italienischen  iibersetzt  von  Ch.  G.  Hase. 

8vo,  Altenburg,  1777. 

  Voyages  dans  I'lsle  de  Chypre,  etc.  2  vols.  8vo,  Neuwied  and  Paris,  1791. 

  Travels  through  Cyprus,  Syria  and  Palestine.  2  vols.  8vo,  London,  1791. 

  Travels  in  the  Island  of  Cyprus.    Translated  by  C.  D.  Cobham.  8vo,  Nicosia,  1895. 

  Del  vino  di  Cipro,  Ragionamento  (dedicated  to  Nassau,  3rd  Earl  Cowper).      12nio,  Florence,  1772. 

  Dissertazione  sopra  la  Citta  di  Citium  nell'  isola  di  Cipro.  8vo,  Livorno,  1787. 

  Viaggio  de  Gerusalemme  per  le  Coste  della  Soria  (Vide  vol.  ii.,  pp.  129 — 171.) 

2  vols.  8vo,  Livorno,  1787. 

D'Anville,  J,  B.  Recherches  geographiques  sur  I'ile  de  Chypre.  (Mem.  de  I'Acad.  R.  des  Belles  Lettres, 
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MaCariOS,  Bishop  of  Citium.     'AKo\ov6ia  tov  dyiov  lepofidprvpos  'Epp.oyevovs  Tov  Qavparovpyov. 

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ChrysanthoS,  Archbishop  of  Cyprus.    'AKoXovdta  tov  iv  'Aytotr  noTpos  r^pwv  'HpaKkeidiov,  inia-KOirov  Tapaa-fwv. 

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ArjfirjTpidvov  KvSr]pr)s,  Koi  KwvaTavTLVOv  pdpTvpos.  8vo,  Venice,  1779. 

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Formaleoni,  Catterina  Regina  di  Cipro.    Tragedia  in  cinque  atti,  in  verso  sciolto.  8vo,  Venice,  1783. 

Anon.    A  Journal  kept  on  a  journey  from  Bassora  to  Bagdad,  over  the  little  desert,  to  Aleppo,  Cyprus, 

Rhodes,  etc.,  1779.  8vo,  Horsham,  1784. 

Kyprianos,  Archimandrite.   'la-Topla  xpovoXoyiKTj  Tfjs  vrja-ov  Kvirpov.  4to,  Venice,  1788. 

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PhilotheOS,  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,    ^rjpeiaxreis  nepi  Trjs  tS)v  Kvirpicov  (kkXtjctms,  koi  eKdeais  avTov  nepi  riav 

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Sonnini,  C.  S.    Voyage  en  Grece  et  en  Turquie.  2  vols.  8vo,  Paris,  An  IX.,  1801,  London,  1801. 

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Fiorio,  Gir.    La  Regina  di  Cipro.    Romanzo  storico.  8vo,  Mantova,  1838. 

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Kefala,  N.    Le  aventure  di  Caj)itan  Nicola  Chiefala  di  Zante.    (Ta  crvfifidvTa  tov  KaTTirav  Ni/coXdov  Ke^aXa 
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Guidi,  Fr.    La  Regina  di  Cipro.    Dramma  lirico  in  4  atti.    Musica  di  G.  Pacini.  12mo,  Milan,  1846. 

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Vidal  Lablache.    Statuette  Cypriote  du  Mus^e  d'Athenes.    (Revue  arch.  Nouv.  Serie,  vol.  xix.  p.  341.) 

8vo,  Paris,  1869. 

Colucci,  Cav.  Biccardo.   La  Viticoltura  e  Viniticazione  nella  provincia  di  Limassol.   (Bolletino  Consolare, 
vol.  V.  parte  ii.  fasc.  iii.)  8vo,  Rome,  1869. 

Myriantheus,  Hieron.    ritpi  to>v  'Apxalatv  Kvnp'mv.  8vo,  Athens,  1868  ;  2nd  ed.  1869. 

Du  Cange  ud.  E.G.  Rey).    Les  families  d'Outremer.    (Les  rois  de  Chypre,  pp.  49—101;  Les  grands 
otticici  s,  PI).  663 — 093;  Les  archeveques  et  eveques,  pp.  843 — 868.)  4t<),  Paris,  1869. 

Sibitanides,  G.  N.    'H  Ki'rr^jos  ku'i  <«  Nrurdi — Apapa.  8vo,  Alexandria,  1869. 

Herquet,  Karl.    Cliarlotta  von  Lusignan  und  Caterina  Cornaro,  Koniginnen  von  Cyj^ern. 

8vo,  Regensburg,  1870. 

  Cyprische  Konigsgestalten  des  Hauses  Lusignan.  8vo.  Halle,  1881. 

Cannonero,  R.    Storia  dell'  Isola  di  Cipro:  Parte  prima.  8vo.  pp.  116.  Imola,  1870. 

Cesnola,  Louis  P.  di.    Antiqnites  Cypriotes  provenaut  des  fouilles  faites  en  1868  par  M.  di  Ccsnola.  La 

veute  aux  onclieres  publicjues  aura  lieu  les  '2.')  et  26  mars,  1870,  388  lots.  Royal  8vo.  Paris,  1870. 
  The  antiquities  of  Cyprus,  discovered  i)rincipally  on  the  sites  of  the  ancient  Golgoi  and  IdaUum... 

photographed  by  Stephen  Thompson,  with  an  introduction  by  Sidney  Colvin.  Fol.,  London,  1873. 
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vol.  XI.)  8vo,  Torino,  1876. 

  Cyprus:  its  ancient  Cities,  Tombs  and  Temples.  8vo,  London,  1H77. 

  Cyprus:  its  ancient  Art  and  History.    Four  lectures.    (New  York  Tribune,  extra  Xo.  47,  Nov.  27, 

1878.)  Fol.,  New  York,  1878. 
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Royal  8vo,  Jena,  1879  and  1881. 

  A  descriptive  Atlas  of  the  Ccsnola  Collection  of  Cypriote  Antiquities  in  tlie  Metroiwlitan  Museum 

of  Art,  New  Y'ork. 

3  vols,  fol.,  vol.  I.  Boston,  188.');  vol.  n.  New  York,  1894;  vol.  iii.  New  Y'ork,  1903. 
Stark,  K.  B.    Leierspielendo  Frau  (Sappho  ';')  Statue  aus  CyiKjrn.    (Arch.  Zeit.  xxviii.  pp.  67—76.) 

4to,  Berlin.  1871. 

Rey,  E.  G.    Etude  sur  les  monuments  de  raichitecture  militaire  des  Croises  en  Syrie  et  dans  I'ile  de 
Chypre.  4to.  Paris,  1871. 

Sathas,  C.  N.    Bibliotheca  Gra;ca  Medii  -Kvi.  6  vols.  8vo,  Venice  and  Paris,  1872  77. 

(Vol.   II.  contains  xpi>voypd<f)oi  tov  /Sno-tXn'oi/  Tfjt   Kvnpov.     >itu<f>vTos  'EyicXfurrot,   Xtt'ivTioi  Ma)(aipds, 
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.\o-ifai  TOV  liaa-iXflov  tS>v  'UpoaoXvynov  Ka\  rijs  Kvnpov,  pp.  499 — 585  'EXXijfiicoi  I'ci^oi  taxvovTfs  tv 
KuTrpo)  fTTi  TTji  <PpayKOKparias.) 
Friedrichs,  C.    Kunst  und  Leben,  Reisebriefe  aus  Griechenland,  dem  Orient  tmd  Italicn. 

8vo,  Diisseldorf,  1872. 

Austria,  Archduke  Louis  Salvator  of.    Levkosia,  die  Hauptstadt  von  CyiKjrn.  4to,  Prag,  1873. 

  Levkosia.    The  Capital  of  Cyprus.  4to,  London,  1881. 

Doell,  Johannes.    Die  Sammlung  Cesnola. 

(Memoires  de  1' Academic  de  S.  Petersbourg,  vii.  si  r.  xix.  no.  4,  1873.) 
Collection  importante  de  vases  antiques,  bijoux,  terres  cuites,  provenant  de  fouilles  faites  dans  I'ile  de 

Chypre  i)ar  M.  Pierides.    261  lots.  Hvo,  Paris,  1873. 

Gams,  Pius  B.    Series  episcoporum  Ecclesia  Catholicae.    (Bishops  of  Paphos,  Famagusta  and  Neapolis, 

pp.  438,  9.)  4to,  Ratisbon,  1873-86. 


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Report  of  the  Trustees  of  the  MetropoHtan  Museum  of  Art,  May,  1873.  12mo,  New  York,  1873. 

ConstantinideS,  Th.  Ph.     TlfTpos  A'.  Bao-tXeir  Kvnpov  Koi  'ifpovcraXrjfji,  ij  'H  exSiKT^crty  rod  KiapiSivos.  Apapa. 

12mo,  Cairo,  1874. 

Shems  el  din  Dimishqi  (1256 — 1327).    Manuel  de  la  Cosmographie,  traduit  par  A.  F.  Mehren. 

8vo,  Copenhagen,  1874. 

Louka,  G.    ^iXoXoyiKoi  emcrKe-^feis.  Vol.  I.  8vo,  Athens,  1874. 

Tafur  Pero.    AndaiK.as  e  Viajes,  1435-39.    (Ginesta.   Coleccion  de  libros  espaiioles  raros  o  curiosos,  vin. 

y  IX.)  2  vols.  12nio,  Madrid,  1874. 

Cammen,  E.  P.  van  der.    Etude  sur  I'ile  de  Chypre.  8vo,  Bruxelles,  1874. 

D'Estoumelle  de  Constant.    L'lle  de  Chypre  d'apres  M.  Loukas.    (Annuaire  de  I'ass.  pour  rencourage- 

ment  des  etudes  grecques  en  France.)  8vo,  Paris,  1875. 

SalOUmideS,    S.   M.     Oi  dvaKa\v(pd(VTes   Qqaavpol  rS>v   dp^aLOTijrwv   Trjs  Kvnpov.     Arjpoa-t(v6evT(S   Sia  Trjs 

((f)r]pepl8os  'AvaToXrjS,  €7T(LTa  dia  TrjS         twv  (piXopadwv,  vvv  de  Bia  Tov  TrapovTOs  (pvWaBiov  perd  Tiviov 

<TvpTT\ripw(Te<x)V  KOI  eTTidiopdooatcov.    pp.  23.  8vo,  Athens,  1875. 

Unger,  Robert.    Paralipomena  rerum  Cypriacarum.  4to,  Halle,  1875. 

Seifif,  Julius.    Skizze  einer  Reise  durch  die  Insel  Cypern.  8vo,  Dresden,  1874. 

  Reisen  in  der  asiatischen  Turkei.  8to,  Leipzig,  1875. 

GeorgioU,  PhilippOS.     EldrjafU  laropiKal  rrepl  TrjS  €KK\r](Tiai  T^y  Kinrpov.  8vo,  Athens,  1875. 

Podacataro,  Aless.    Relatione  de'  successi  di  Famagosta  dell'  anno  1571  ora  per  la  prima  volta  publicata. 

(Nozze  Bonomi-Bragadin.)  8vo,  Venezia,  1876. 

Helle  von  Samo,  A.  Ritter  zu.   Das  Vilayet  der  Inseln  d.  Weissen  Meeres,  das  privilegirte  Beylik  Samos, 

und  das  selbstandige  Mutessariflik  Cypern.  Royal  8vo,  Vienna,  1876. 

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Vondiziano,  C.  A.    'laropia  Trjs  vija-ov  KvTTpov.    (From  the  French  of  L.  Lacroix.) 

8vo,  Athens,  1877  and  1905. 

Theocharides,  Them.   neVpor  6  2vyK\ririK6s.    Tpayabia.  12mo,  Athens,  1877. 

Sandwith,  T.  B.    Styles  of  Pottery  found  in  ancient  Tombs  in  Cyprus.    (Archaeologia,  xlv.  pp.  127 — 142.) 

4to,  London,  1877. 

Orcet,  G.  D'.    Chypre,  une  des  guerites  de  I'isthme  de  Suez.    (Revue  Britannique,  t.  v.  pp.  77 — 104.) 

1877. 

Machaut,  Guillaume  de.    La  Prise  d'Alexandrie,  ou  chronique  du  Roi  Pierre  de  Lusignan,  ed.  L.  de  Mas 
Latrie.  Bvo,  Geneva,  1877. 

Sayce,  A.  H.    The  Babylonian  Cylinders  found  by  General  di  Cesnola  in  the  Treasury  of  the  Temple  of 
Kurium.    (Tr.  S.  B.  A.  vol.  v.  part  2,  pp.  441—444.)  8vo,  London,  1877. 

Hall,  I.  H.    On  two  terra  cotta  lamps  found  in  Cyprus.    (Proc.  Am.  Or.  Soc.  vi.,  vii.) 

8vo,  New  York,  1877. 

•          A  temple  of  Zeus  Labranios  in  Cyprus.    (Proc.  Am.  Or.  Soc.  at  Newhaven,  October,  1883.) 

8vo,  New  York,  1883. 

Schlumberger,  G.    Les  Principautes  franques  du  Levant.  8vo,  Paris,  1877. 

  Sigillographie  byzantine...des  dues  et  catapans  de  Chypre.  8vo,  Genoa,  1883. 

Neubauer,  E.    Der  angebliche  Aphrodite-tempel  zu  Golgoi,  und  die  daselbst  gefundenen  Inschriften  in 
Kyprischer  Schrift.    (Commentationes  philologicae  in  honorem  Theod.  Mommseni,  pp.  673—693.) 

4to,  Berlin,  1877. 

Lenormant,  Fr.  (E.  de  Chanot).    Statues  iconiques  du  temple  d'Athienou.    (Gaz.  arch.  iv.  p.  192.) 

4to,  Paris,  1878. 

Perrot,  G.    L'lle  de  Chypre ;  son  role  dans  I'histoire.    (Revue  des  deux  mondes,  1  Dec.  1878,  15  Fev., 
15  Mai,  1879.)  Royal  8vo,  Paris,  1878-9. 

Schroder,  Paul.    Meine  zweite  Reise  auf  Cypern  im  Frtihjahr  1873.    (Globus,  pp.  135—186.) 

8vo,  Brunswick,  1878. 

Loher,  Fr.  von.    Kaiser  Friedrich  II.  Kampf  um  Cypern.    (Abhandl.  der  K.  bayer.  Acad,  der  Wissen- 
schaften,  iii.  CI.  xiv.  Bd.  n.  Abth.)  4to,  Mtinchen,  1878. 


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497 


Loher,  Fr.  von.    Cypern.    Reiseberichte  iiber  Natur  nnd  Landscliaft.  Volk  und  Geschichte. 

8vo,  Stuttgart.  1878;  ;jrd  cd.  1879. 
  Cyprus.    Historical  and  Descriptive.    (From  Von  Liiher,  by  Mrs  A.  B.  Joyiier.i 

I'iino.  London.  1878. 

  Cypern  in  der  Geschichte.  8vo,  Berlin,  1878. 

  Die  Ausgrabungen  auf  Cypern.    (iii.  Deutsche  Monatsliefte,  6a') — 664.)  8vo,  Berlin,  1881. 

Lang,  R.  H.   Narrative  of  Excavations  in  a  Temple  at  Dali  (Idalion)  in  Cyprus.    (Tr.  R.  Soc.  of  Literature, 
'2nd  series,  vol.  xi.  part  i.)  8vo,  London.  1878. 

  Cyprus.    Its  History,  its  present  resources  and  future  prospects.  8vo,  London,  1878. 

  Chypre.    Traduit  de  I'anglais  par  V.  Dave.  18mo,  Paris.  1879. 

■          Handbook  to  Cyprus,  and  Catalogue  of  the  Exliibits.    (Colonial  and  Indian  Exhibition.) 

12mo,  London,  1886. 

  Report  upon  the  Results  of  the  Cyprus  Representation  at  the  Colonial  and  Indian  Exliihition  of 

1886.  12mo,  London.  1HH6. 

Anon.    Gooin  to  Cyprus:  by  Ab-o'tli'yate.  8vo,  Manchester.  1h7h  and  1879. 

  Cyprus,  Syria,  and  Palestine,  the  future  emporium  of  British  trade  in  Asia.    By  a  Consul-(kneral. 

8vo.  London.  1878. 

 Aper(;u  rapide  sur  I'ile  de  Chypre.    Par  un  Membre  de  la  Soci^t^  de  G^ograi>hie. 

8vo,  MontiK'llier,  1878. 

  Jacques  Roux  de  Lusignan.    La  v^rit^  sur  la  famille  des  Lusignan  du  Levant.        8vo,  Paris, 

  The  occupation  of  Cyprus :  immediate  and  probable  effects.    By  an  Ex-Consul-General. 

16uio,  London,  1878. 

  (M.  J.I    Cyprus  and  Asiatic  Turkey.    A  liandy  general  description.  8vo,  London,  1878. 

Rostovitz,  A.  Cyprus :  special  report  by  the  representative  of  3IM.  Thos.  Cook  and  .Son.  8vo,  s.l.  1878. 
Glover,  R.    Cyprus :  the  Christian  history  of  our  new  Colonial  gem.  8vo,  London,  1878. 

Gammon,  F.  T.    Cyprus:  its  history  and  prospects.  8vo,  London,  1878. 

Clarke,  E.    Cyprus,  past  and  present.  8vo,  London,  I87n. 

Magen,  Eugene.    Le  vase  d'Amathonte.    Relation  de  son  transport  en  France. 

8vo,  Agcn,  1867  and  1878. 
Stubbs,  W.,  Bisliop  of  Oxford.    The  medieval  Kingdoms  of  Cyprus  and  Armenia.    Two  Lectures. 

4to,  Oxford,  1878. 

CoUen,  Capt.  E.  H.  H.    A  Report  on  Cyprus,  1845-77.    (Intelligence  Branch,  Q.M.G.  Dept.) 

8vo.  London.  1878. 

Saville,  Capt.  A.  R.    Cyprus.    (Intelligence  Branch,  Q.M.G.  Dept.)  8vo,  Loudon,  1878. 

Anon.    Cyprus:  its  value  and  importance  to  England.  Hvo,  London.  1878. 

Davidson,  J.  T.    Cyprus :  its  place  in  Bible  History.  16mo,  London,  1878, 

Thomas,  G.  M.    Ueber  die  iilteren  Besitzimgen  der  Venezianer  auf  Cypern.    (Sitzungsborichte  d.  K.  B. 

Acad,  der  Wissenschaften.)  8vo,  Miinclien,  1878. 

Fisher,  F.  H.    Cyprus:  our  new  Colony.  8vo,  London.  1878. 

Harris,  C.  D.    Cyprus:  its  Past,  Present  and  Future.  8vo,  London,  1H78. 

Lake,  J.  J.    Ceded  Cyprus.  8vo,  London,  1878. 

Robinson,  Phil.    Cyprus.  8vo,  London.  1878. 

Sandford,  C.  W.,  Bishop  of  Gibraltar.    England's  Rule  in  Cyprus.    A  Sermon.  8vo,  Oxford,  1878. 

  Our  Church  in  Cyprus.    A  Sermon.  8vo,  Oxford.  18H6. 

 'H  (V  Ki'tt/jo)  fKK\r](Ti(i  fiin.    (Translated  into  Modern  CJreek  by  C.  D.  Cobham.)    8vo,  Larnaca,  1886. 

Farley,  J.  L.    Egypt,  Cyprus  and  Asiatic  Turkey.  8vo,  London,  1878. 

Taylor,  Bayard.  Epliesus,  Cyi)rus  and  Mycenie.  (N.  American  Heview,  Jan.,  Feb.,  no.  260,  p.  111.)  1878. 
Froehner,  W.    Catalogue  illustre  de  la  collection  de  M.  Albert  Barrc.Poterie  et  Verrcs  Cypriotes. 

4to,  Paris,  Ai)ril,  1878. 

  Collection  .1.  Greau,  Vente.  4to,  Paris.  1891. 

Sassenay,  Marquis  de.    Chypre,  histoire  et  geographic.  8vo.  I'aris,  1878. 

Cheon,  —  de.    L  ile  do  Chypre  et  la  Republique  Franc.aise  an  congr^s  de  Berlin.  8vo.  Paris,  1878. 

^-  63 


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Auberivere,  H.  F.  P.  de  1'.    Aperc  u  i-apide  sur  I'ile  de  Chypre.  8vo,  Montpellier,  1878. 

Gorresio,  G.    Nota  sulla  Croce  gammata  dei  monumenti  recentemeute  scoperti  nell'  isola  di  Cipro. 

4to  (pp.  4),  Turin,  1878. 

Eavenstein,  E.  G.  Cyprus :  its  resources  and  capabilities,  with  hints  for  tourists.  8vo,  London,  1878. 
Maltese  Emigration  to  Cyprus.    A.  Dingli.  FoL,  Malta,  1878. 

  Sir  A.  Borton  and  others.  FoL,  Malta,  1878. 

  Correspondence.    (Med.  no.  6,  Col.  Office.)  FoL,  London,  1882. 

  Olivier,  G.  P.  Testaferrata  and  Galizia,  E.  L.    Eeport  on  lands.  FoL,  London,  1880. 

LamprOS,  S.  B.     Uep\  KvTrpov  {Bil3\io6rjKr]  rrji  'Earlas,  dp.  6.).  48mo,  Athens,  1878. 

Baker,  Sir  S.    Cyprus  as  I  saw  it  in  1879.  8vo,  London,  1879. 

  Cypern.    Aus  dem  Englischen,  von  Richard  Oberlander.  8vo,  Leipzig,  1880. 

Cassel,  P.    Cypern,  Eine  Abhandlung.  8vo,  Berlin,  1879. 

Sorlin-Dorigny.    Statue  colossale  decouverte  a  Amathonte.    (Gaz.  arch.  p.  230.)  4to,  Paris,  1879. 

Miiller,  August.  Zur  Ornithologie  der  Insel  Cypern.  (Journal  F.  O.,  pp.  385—393.)  8vo,  Leipzig,  1879. 
Brassey,  Th.    Recent  letters  and  speeches.    (The  future  of  Cyprus.    Condition  of  Cyprus,  etc.) 

8vo,  London,  1879. 

Pettier,  Edm.    Description  de  quelques  monuments  figures  de  I'ile  de  Chypre.    (Acad,  des  Inscr.  et  B.  L. 

Coniptes  rendus,  1878,  p.  197.  Bulletin  de  correspondance  hellenique,  Mai,  1879.)  4to,  Paris,  1879. 
Kitchener,  H.  H.    Notes  on  Cyprus.    (Blackwood's  Magazine,  Aug.  1879.)  8vo,  Edinburgh,  1879. 

Pesaro,  Elie  de.    Voyage  de  Venise  a  Famagouste  en  1563.    (Texte  Hebreu  publie  par  B.  Goldberg  et 

M.  Adelman  dans  La  Vie  Eternelle.)  8vo,  Vienna,  1878. 
  Voyage  ethnographique  de  Venise  a  Chypre.    Ed.  Moise  Schwab.    (Revue  de  Geographie,  Sept. 

1879.)  8vo,  Paris,  1879. 
Lauria.  Studj  sull'  Isola  di  Cipro.  1879. 
Anon.  Geography  of  Cyprus.  16mo,  Leicester,  1879. 
Heyd,  W.  Geschichte  des  Levantehandels  im  Mittelalter.  2  vols.  8vo,  Stuttgart,  1879. 
  Histoire  du  Commerce  du  Levant  au  moyen  age,  trad.  Furcy-Reynaud. 

2  vols.  8vo,  Leipzig,  1885-86. 

Anon.    The  Secret  of  Cyprus  and  our  Eastern  Protectorate.    By  Theta.  8vo,  Haverfordwest,  1879. 

Schinas,  G.  C.  and  Galizia,  E.  L.    Island  of  Cyprus.    Report  to  the  Governor  of  Malta. 

FoL,  Malta,  1879. 

Schneider,  Karl.    Cypern  unter  den  Englandern.  8vo,  Koln,  1879. 

Crenneville,  Victor  F.  de.    Die  Insel  Cypern.  8vo,  Wien,  1879. 

Thomson,  J.    Through  Cyprus  with  the  camera  in  the  autumn  of  1878.  2  vols.  4to,  London,  1879. 

Ghinzoni,  P.    Gal.  M.  Sforza  e  il  regno  di  Cipro,  1473-74.  4to,  Milano,  1879. 

Eichter,  M.  0.    Ein  Heiligthum  der  Syrischen  Astarte.    (Ausland,  p.  970.)  1879. 

  Von  den  neusten  Ausgrabungen  in  der  Cyprischen  Salamis.    (Mitth.  des  D.  Arch.  Inst.  vol.  vi.) 

8vo,  1881. 

  Die  Cyprische  Biene  und  deren  Zucht  auf  Cypern.   (Der  Bienenvater  aus  Bohmen,  Oct. — Dec.  1882, 

Jan.— Feb.  1883.)  8vo,  Marienbad,  1882-3. 

  Ein  altes  Bauwerk  bei  Larnaca.    (Abdruck  aus  der  Arch.  Zeitfmg.)  4to,  Berlin,  1882. 

  A  Pre-historic  Building  at  Salamis.    (Translated,  with  note,  by  C.  D.  Cobham,  Journal  of  Hellenic 

Studies,  vol.  iv.  April,  1883.)  8vo,  London,  1883. 

  On  a  Phoenician  Vase  found  in  Cyprus.    (J.  of  H.  S.  vol.  v.)  8vo,  London,  1884. 

  Heiligthum  des  Apollon  bei  Voni.    (Mitth.  des  D.  Arch.  Inst.  vol.  ix.)  8vo,  Athens,  1884. 

■          Das  Museum  und  die  Ausgrabungen  auf  Cypern  seit  1878.    (Repertorium  fiir  Kunstwissenschaft, 

IX.  Band.)  8vo,  Stuttgart,  1886. 

  Cyprische  Vase  aus  Atliienu.    (Jahrbuch  der  K.  Deutschen  Archiiologischen  Instituts,  Band  r.) 

4to,  Berhn,  1886. 

  Cyperns  Cultur  im  Alterthume.    (Mitt,  der  anthropol.  Ges.  in  Wien,  Band  xx.  ss.  90 — 95.) 

4to,  Vienna,  1890. 

— —    Die  antiken  Cultusstiitten  auf  Kypros.  4to,  Berlin,  1891. 


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  Kypros,  die  Bibel  und  Homer.  2  vols,  royal  4to,  Berlin,  1893. 

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und  Urgesch.  ss.  34^3.)  8vo,  Berlin,  1891. 
  Graeco-Plicenician  Architecture  in  Cyprus,  with  special  reference  to  the  origin  and  development 

of  tlie  Ionic  Volute.    (J.  R.  I.  Br.  Arcliitects,  3rd  series,  vol.  iii.  No.  4,  pp.  109—134.) 

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 and  Myres,  J.  L.    Catalogue  of  the  Cyprus  Museum.    (See  Myres,  J.  L.,  1899.) 

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.\ssociation  at  Sheffield,  Aug.  25,  1879.  12mo,  London.  1879. 

  The  Locust  War  in  Cyprus.  Timo.  London,  1886. 

Anon.    Del  successo  di  Famagosta.    Diario  d'un  Conteraporaneo.    (Xozze  Gozzi-Guaita.i 

8vo,  Venezia,  1879. 

Magni,  Benato.    Casa  di  Savoja  e  I'isola  di  Cipro.    Appunti  storici.    (BoUettino  Consolare,  vol.  .vv.  fasc. 

VII.)  8vo,  Roma,  1879. 

Dixon,  W.  Hepworth.    British  Cyprus.  8vo,  London,  1879. 

Martin,  Adm.  Sir  W.  F.    Cyprus  as  a  Naval  Station  and  a  Place  of  Arms.  8vo,  London,  1879. 

Stevenson,  Mrs  E.  S.    Our  Home  in  Cyprus.  8vo,  London.  1880. 

Luiggi,  Luigi.    L  lsola  di  Cipro.  8vo,  Roma.  1880. 

Cazenove,  Raoul  de.    Notes  sur  I'ile  de  Chyprc.    Souvenirs  et  impresBions  d'un  voyage  >\  travers  les 

livres.  8vo,  Lyon,  1880. 

Brassey,  Annie,  Lady.    Sunshine  and  Storm  in  the  East :  or  Cruises  to  Cyprus  and  Constantinople. 

8vo,  and  crown  8vo,  London.  1880. 

Twiss,  Sir  Travers.    Cyprus,  its  mediaeval  jurisprudence  and  modern  legislation.    (Law  Magazine  and 
Review,  No.  236,  May,  1880.)  8vo,  London.  18H0. 

Buchan,  A.    The  Climate  of  Cyprus  from  observations  made  by  T.  B.  Sandwith,  1866-70.  (.Tourn. 
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  Catalogue  des  Vases  antiques  de  terre  cuite.    Musee  du  Louvre.    (Chypre,  pp.  82  — 118.) 

16mo,  Paris,  1896. 

  Vases  antiques  du  Louvre.    (Chypre,  pp.  5 — 10.)  4U),  I'aris,  1897. 

Dozon,  A.    Commerce  de  I'ile  de  Chypre.    (Bull.  Cons.  Franvais,  No.  6.)  8vo,  I'aris,  1880. 

Simonsfeld,  H.    In  Sachen  der  Caterina  Cornaro.    (Corr.-blatt  der  dcutscben  Archive,  No.  10,  pp.  145  flf.) 

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8vo,  Berlin,  1881. 

Bent,  J.  Th.    A  pilgrimage  to  Cyprus  in  1395-96.    (Fraser's  Magazine,  pp.  818—821,  June,  1881.) 

8vo,  Londt)n.  1881. 

Maddalena,  G.    Cenni  sull'  isola  di  Cipro  nel  1880.    (Boll.  Cons.  Maggio.  1881.)  8vo,  Ronui.  1881. 

Russell,  R.    Report  on  the  Water  Supply  of  Cyprus.    (F.  O.  4373,  Feb.  1881.)  Fol.,  London.  18«1. 

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4to,  London,  1881. 

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8vo,  London,  1882. 

  On  specimens  of  ancient  goldsmiths'  art  found  in  Cyprus.    (Br.  Arch.  .1.,  June  80,  18H3,  vol.  xxxix. 

part  II.)  8vo,  London.  188!}. 

  Oro  e  vetri  anticlii  di  Cypro  scavati  negli  anni  1876  al  1879.  8vo,  Torino,  1884. 

  Salaniina.    Storia,  tesori  e  antichitiV.  4to,  Torino,  1887. 

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Gamba,  A.    Nota  relativa  ad  alcuni  preziosi  oggetti  tratti  da  scavi  nell'  isola  di  Cipro  del  Cav.  A.  P.  di 
Cesnola.  8vo,  Torino,  1881. 

Machsera,  Leontios.    XpoviKov  Kinrpov.    (Texte  Grec  et  traduction  Franijaise ;  ed.  C.  Sathas  et  E.  Miller.) 

2  vols,  royal  8vo,  Paris,  1882. 

Clarke,  Hyde.    The  early  history  of  the  Mediterranean  populations  in  their  migrations  and  settlements. 

8vo,  London,  1882. 

Michaelides,  Basil,    'h  dadfvrjs  Avpa.    Avpuca  noLijfjLdria.  8vo,  Limassol,  1882. 

Petrides,  I.     AiofjLrjdrjs.     Apdfia  els  npd^fis  Trevre.  8vo,  LimaSSol,  1882. 

Eeinsch,  P.  F.    On  a  new  mineral  found  in  the  Island  of  Cyprus.    (Proc.  Eoyal  Soc.  xxxiii.  119 — 121.) 

4to,  London,  1882. 

Schrader,  Eb.    Die  Sargons  Stele  des  Berliner  Museums.  8vo,  Berlin,  1882. 

  Zur  Geographic  des  Assyrischen  Reichs.    (Kition,  pp.  337 — 344.)  8vo,  Berlin,  1890. 

Colonna  Ceccaldi,  Geo.    Monuments  antiques  de  Chypre,  de  Syrie  et  d'Egypte.  8vo,  Paris,  1882. 

Sintenis,  Paul.    Eine  Reiseskizze  iiber  Cypern  und  seine  Flora.    (Oest.  bot.  Zeitschrift,  1881.) 

8vo,  Vienna,  1882. 

I' Anson,  E.  and  Vacher,  S.    Mediaeval  and  other  Buildings  in  the  Isle  of  Cyprus.         4to,  London,  1883. 
Actes  passes  a  Famagosta  de  1292  a  1801  par-devant  le  notaire  genois  Lambert  de  Sambucato,  publies 
psuV  le  Chev.  Cornelio  de  Simoui.  Genes,  1883. 

Fontana,  E.     Ilepl  ;^oXe'/?as.     ('ExSo^fio-a  SaTrdvais  tov  Arjfiapx^eiov  AevKoocrias.)  8vO,  Nicosia,  1883. 

Theocharides,  Them.    Avo  a-Krjval  t^s  Kv-n-piaKris  'la-Topias.  2  parts,  12mo,  Larnaca,  1884. 

  2vXXoyrj  tt oir^ jxar a>v .  12mo,  Nicosia,  1886. 

  'H  dviyepcris  tov  Aa^dpov,  HoirjfjLa.  8vo,  Larnaca,  1888. 

Heraclides,  Th.     Tpayovhwv  rrjs  Qeovira-as.  12mo,  eV  KuTrpw,  1884  and  1889. 

Abd  el  Rahman,  Ibn  Abi  Bakr.    Unternehmungen  der  Mamluken  gegen  Cypern  und  Rhodus  in  den 

Jahren  1423-44  nach  Christo,  Auszug  aus  der  Gelal-ed-Din  es-Siyuti  Geschichte  des  Sultans  el-Melek 

el  Aschraf  Qait  baj.  Arabisch  und  Deutsch  mit  Anmerkungen  von  A,  Wahrmund.  8vo,  Vienna,  1884. 
Enmann,  A.    Kritische  Versuche  zur  altesten  griechischen  Geschichte.    r.  Kypros,  und  der  Ursprang 

des  Aphrodite  Kultus.  Royal  4to,  Petersburg,  1887. 

Cobham,  C.  D.    An  attempt  at  a  Bibliography  of  Cyprus.    (Privately  printed.) 

12mo,  Nicosia,  1886,  1889,  1894,  1900  and  1907. 
  Ilmu  Hal.    A  manual  of  the  Doctrine  and  Practice  of  Islam.    Translated  from  the  Turkish. 

(Privately  printed.)  Bvo,  Nicosia,  1886  and  1902. 

  Excerpta  Cypria,  translated  and  transcribed  by.  4to,  Nicosia,  1895. 

  The  story  of  Umm  Haram.    Turkish  and  English.    (Journal  of  the  R.  As.  Soc,  January,  1897.) 

8vo,  London,  1897. 

  Laws  and  Regulations  affecting  Waqf  property.  8vo,  Nicosia,  1899. 

  See  Foglietta,  1594,  Graziani,  1624,  Mariti,  1769,  Richter,  1883,  Sandford,  1886,  Hutchinson,  1901. 

Eossbach,  0.    Zum  Thongefass  von  Athienu.    (Mitt.  d.  deutschen  Arch.  Inst.  Athen,  Abth.  xi.) 

8vo,  Athens,  1886. 

Undset,  Ingvald.    Ein  Kyprisches  Eisenschwert.  8vo,  Christiania,  1886. 

Schottmueller,  K.    Processus  Cypriensis.    (Der  Untergang  des  Templer-Ordens,  Bd.  ii.  p.  141.) 

8vo,  Berhn,  1887. 

Smith,  Agnes.    Through  Cyprus.  8vo,  London,  1887. 

Gibelli,  Fed.  de.    Corona  di  fiori  poetici.  4to,  Nicosia,  1887. 

PaisiOS,  L.     ^^y\eipibiov  Tonoypa(j)ias  Ka\  IcTToptas  rrjs  vrjaov  Kvirpov. 

12mo,  Varosha,  1887,  and  Athens,  1894. 

Mathaiou,  Basileios.    Bioypac/x'a,  Qd 

4to,  Alexandria,  1887. 

Michaelides,  Pericles.    iToixeiut^s  ttoXitikti  yf(t)ypa(pLa  Tfjs  vrjcrov  Kxnrpov.  12mo,  Tulcha,  1887. 

Gestes  des  Chiprois.    Recueil  de  chroniques  francaises  ecrites  en  Orient  aux  xiii'*  et  xiv*^  siecles  (Philippe 
de  Navarre  et  Gerard  de  Monreal)  publie  pour  la  premiere  fois  pour  la  Societe  de  I'Orient  Latin. 

Royal  8vo,  Geneva,  1887. 


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Anon.    Ordre  de  Melusine.    Chevalerie  d'honueur  de  S.A.  Marie  de  Lusignan,  Princesse  de  Chypre,  de 
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FranCOUdi,  E.  N.     'Ky^dplSwv  )(U>poypa(f>ittt  ku'i  ytviKijs  la-ropiiK  T^t  Kvirpov. 

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Williamson,  H.    The  Ottoman  Press  Law  as  applied  to  the  Cyprus  Herald.  4to,  Limassol,  1885. 

Rohricht,  Beinhold.    Zusiitze  und  Verbesserungen  zu  Du  Cange,  Les  families  d'outre-mer. 

4to,  Berhn,  1885. 

Hake,  G.  G.    Cyprus  since  the  British  Occupation.    (Journal  of  the  Society  of  Arts,  No.  1750,  vol.  xxxiv.) 

8vo,  London,  1886 

GonstantinideS,  G.  M.     Tonoypat^ia  rfis  vrjaov  KvTTpov.     Tlpos  XP'JO'tv  tS>v  87]fj,oTLKa>v  (7;^oX6i'a)v. 

16mo,  Athens,  1886,  and  Nicosia,  1893. 
Chicco,  Cav.  Enrico.  II  vino  di  Cipro.  (Bollettino  Consolare,  vol.  xxii.  fasc.  in.)  8vo,  Rome,  1886. 
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Herzsohn,  J.  J.  H.  P.    Der  Ueberfall  Alexandriens  durch  Peter  I.  Konig  von  Jerusalem  und  Cypern. 

8vo,  Bonn,  1886. 

Duemmler,  Ferd.  Aelteste  Nekropolen  auf  Cypern.  (Mitth.  d.  Arch.  Inst,  vi.)  8vo,  Athens,  1886. 
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Stil.  8vo,  Halle,  1888. 

Catalogue  des  objets  antiques  trouves  a  Arsinoe  a  Chypre,  sculptures,  poteries,  terres  cuites,  bijoux. 

Vente  a  I'Hotel  Drouot.    pp.  39.  8vo,  Paris,  1887. 

Lucas,  C.  P.    A  Historical  Geography  of  the  British  Colonies.    (Cyprus,  vol.  i.  pp.  30 — 49.) 

8vo,  Oxford,  1888. 

Marquand,  Allan.    A  Silver  Patera  from  Kourion.    (Am.  J.  of  Arch.,  vol.  in.  Nos.  3  and  4.) 

8vo,  Boston,  1888. 

  An  Archaic  Patera  from  Kourion.    (Am.  J.  of  Arch.,  vol.  iv.  No.  2,  p.  169.)  8vo,  Boston,  1888. 

  A  Phoenician  Bowl  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum.    (Am.  J.  of  Arch.,  vol.  vii.  Nos.  1,  2,  p.  19.) 

8vo,  Boston,  1891. 

Reinach,  Sal.    Apollon  Opaon  a  Chypre.    (Revue  des  Etudes  Grecques,  ii.  pp.  226 — 233.) 

8vo,  Paris,  1889. 

  Chroniques  d'Orient.    (Fouilles  et  decouvertes  A.  Chypre  depuis  roccupation  anglaise.) 

Royal  8vo,  Paris,  1891 
Hogarth,  D.  G.    Devia  Cypria.    Notes  of  an  Archaeological  Journey  in  Cyprus  in  1888. 

Royal  8vo,  London,  1889. 

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Hann,  J,    lOima  von  Cypern.    (Meteorol.  Zeitschrift,  pp.  427 — 433.)  Royal  8vo,  Berlin,  1889. 

Chamberlaine,  T.  J.   Decouverte  des  tombeaux  d'un  Prince  de  Lusignan  et  du  Marechal  Adam  d'Antioche. 

(Avec  note  du  Comte  de  Mas  Latrie.    Revue  illustree  de  la  Terre  Sainte.)  8vo,  Paris,  1889. 

Biddulph,  Lieut.-Gen.  Sir  R.    Cyprus.    (Pr.  R.G.S.,  Dec.  1889.)  8vo,  London,  1889. 

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Posset,  Denis.    Le  Voyage  de  la  Terre  Sainte  (1532),  ed.  Ch.  Schefer.  Royal  8vo,  Paris,  1890. 

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Oberhummer,  Prof.  Eugen.    Aus  Cypern.    Tagebuchblatter  und  Studien. 

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Jorga,  N.    Registre  de  comptes  de  la  colonie  Genoise  de  Famagouste.    (Revue  de  I'Orient  Latin,  1896, 
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Ely,  Talfourd.    A  Cyprian  terra  cotta  (Silenus).    (Arch.  Journal,  liii.  115 — 125.)  4to,  London,  1896. 

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Royal  8vo,  London,  1896. 

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Enlart,  C.    Notes  sur  le  Voyage  de  Nicolas  de  Martoni  en  Cliypre.    (Revue  de  I'Orient  Latin,  iv.  4.) 

8vo,  Paris,  1896. 

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8vo,  London,  1906. 

Christian,  C.    Cyprus  and  its  possibilities.    (A  Paper  read  before  the  R.  Col.  Institute,  January  26,  1897.) 

8vo,  London,  1897. 

Myres,  J.  L.    Excavations  in  Cyprus  in  1894.    (J.  H.  S.  vol.  xvii.  part  i.)  Royal  8vo,  London,  1897. 

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undertaken  since  the  British  Occupation,  and  Introductory  Notes  on  Cypriote  Archaeology. 

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Smirnov,  Y.  J.    Christianskiya  Mozaiki  Kipra.    (Vizantiiski  Vremmenlik,  Nos.  1  and  2.) 

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Dalla  Santa,  G.  Alcuni  documenti  per  la  storia  della  chiesa  di  Limisso  in  Cipro  durante  la  seconda  meta 
del  Sec.  xv.    (N.  Archivio  Veneto,  xvi.  P.  I.)  8vo,  Venezia,  1898. 

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Duckworth,  H.  T.  F.    The  Church  of  Cyprus.    (S.  P.  C.  K.  84  pp.)  12mo,  London,  1900. 

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Munter,  F.     Om  Frankernes  Mynter  i  Orienten.  4to,  Copenhagen,  1806. 

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Cavedoni,  C.  Di  alcune  monete  attribuite  ai  Re  di  Cypro.   (Bullettino  dell'  Institute  Archeologico,  p.  46.) 

  Giunta  alle  monete  di  Re  di  Cypro.    (Ibid.  p.  124.)  8vo,  Roma,  1844. 

Eozi^re,  de.    Numismatique  des  rois  latins  de  Chypre,  1192 — 1489.  Fol.,  Paris,  1847. 

Saulcy,  F.  de.    Numismatique  des  Croisades.    (Rois  de  Chypre,  pp.  73 — 112.)  4to,  Paris,  1847. 

Luynes,  H.  Due  de.    Numismatique  et  Inscriptions  Cypriotes.  Imp.  4to,  Paris,  1852. 

Mas  Latrie,  L.  Comte  de.    Notice  sur  les  monnaies  et  les  sceaux  des  Rois  de  Chypre.    Bibl.  de  I'ecole 
des  Chartes,  1'"  serie,  v.  8vo,  Paris,  1848,  44. 

Pierides,  Dem.    Inedited  Copper  Coin  of  Evagoras.  8vo  (flysheet),  London,  1864. 

  On  the  Coins  of  Nicocreon,  one  of  the  Kings  of  Cyprus.  8vo,  London,  1869. 

Lambros,  P.  Monnaies  de  Chypre  et  de  Salona.  Revue  Num.  N.  "S.  vol.  xi.  125 — 132.  8vo,  Paris,  1865. 
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Vogii^,  Comte  M.  de.    Monnaies  des  rois  Pheniciens  de  Cittium.    (Revue  Num.  Nouv.  Ser.  t.  xii.) 

8vo,  Paris,  1867. 

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pp.  275—293  and  x.  204—300.)  Svo,  Paris,  1864. 

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Blau,  0.    Zur  Kyprischen  Miinzkunde.    (Num.  Zeitschrift,  1878 ;  v.  (1872),  pp.  1— 24.)  Wien,  1875. 

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8vo,  Berlin,  1875. 

Imhoof-Blumer,  Fr.    Nachtrage  zu  Sallet,  die  Miinzen... u.s.w.    (lb.  iii.  p.  344.)  8vo,  Berlin,  1876. 

Schlumberger,  G.    Numismatique  de  I'Orient  Latin.  4to,  Paris,  1878. 

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pp.  436—438.)  Royal  8vo,  Paris,  1884. 

Six,  J.  P.    Du  classement  des  series  Cjrpriotes.    (Revue  Numismatique,  3""  s.,  t.  i.  pp.  249 — 374.) 

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Pecz,  C.    Zur  Cyprischen  Miinzkunde.    (Num.  Zeitschrift,  xvr.  pp.  301 — 308.)  8vo,  Vienna,  1884. 

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104—106,  Grammar,  129—326.)  8vo,  Gottingen,  1891. 
Meister,  R.  Zum  eleischen,  arkadischen,  und  Kyprischen  Dialecte.  Svo,  Leipzig,  1890. 
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Year  under 
Review 

Writer 

Date  of 
Publication 

1856 

Consul  Campbell 

1857 

page  396 

1859-60 

C.  Campbell 

1862 

p.  352  abstract :  p.  473 

1862 

V.  C.  ^\^lite 

1863 

p.  459 

1863 

V.  C.  Wiiite 

1864 

p.  436 

1864 

C.  Colnaghi 

1865 

p.  932 

1865 

V.  C.  Sandwith 

1866 

p.  82 

1866 

V.  C.  Sandwith 

1867 

p.  260 

1868 

V.  C.  Sandwith 

1869 

1869 

M.  Ceccaldi 

1870 

pt.  II.  p.  312,  Tenure  of  Land 

1869 

V.  C.  Sandwith 

1871 

p.  325 

1870 

Ag.  C.  Lang 

1871 

p.  766 

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C.  Lang 

1872 

p.  808 

1872 

C.  Lang 

1872 

p.  389,  Industritil  Classes 

1872 

C.  Riddell 

1873 

p.  1095 

1873 

Ag.  C.  RiddeU 

1874 

pt.  IV.  p.  1561 

1874 

Ag.  C.  RiddeU 

1875 

p.  1769 

1875 

Ag.  C.  Riddell 

1876 

p.  1032 

1876 

Ag.  C.  Pierides 

1877 

pt.  II.  p.  1016 

1877 

C.  Watkins 

1878 

pt.  IV.  p.  1364 

512 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


NEWSPAPERS. 

Cyprus,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  Aug.  29,  1878,  to  No.  273,  Aug.  7,  1899. 
Nfoi/  Kiriov,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  June  4,  1879,  to  No.  220,  June  19,  1884. 
Cyprus  Times,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  May  1,  1880,  to  No.  84,  Dec.  17,  1881. 
'AXiideia,  Limasol,  No.  1,  Dec.  24,  1880,  to 

Cyprus  Herald,  Limasol,  No.  1,  Oct.  14,  1881,  to  No.  270,  Jan.  22,  1887. 
EiiTtpnt),  Larnaca,  No.  1,  Dec.  1,  1881,  to  No.  12,  June  15,  1882. 
^raa-Lvos,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  Jan.  1,  1882,  to  No.  97,  Dec.  29,  1883. 

4><Byi7  T^f  Kinpov,  Larnaca,  No.  1  (Stasinos  98),  Jan.  13,  1884,  to  229;  No.  1  (230),  Feb.  5,  1887,  to 
2aXnty^,  Limasol,  No.  1,  Jan.  25,  1884,  to 

Hellenic  Times,  No.  1,  March  1, 1884,  to  No.  10,  May  10,  1884. 

X(opi(lTr]s,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  Dec.  8,  1884,  to  No.  50,  Nov.  16,  1885. 

"Evcocris,  Larnaca,  No.  1  (Xajpidrr/y  51),  Nov.  28,  1885,  to 

Times  of  Cyprus,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  March  6,  1886,  to  No.  406,  Jan.  2,  1896. 

'O  Aidl3o\os,  Limasol,  No.  1,  Jan.  18,  to  No.  6,  April  18,  1888. 

Kvjrpof,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  June  21,  1888,  to  No.  114,  Dec.  10,  1890. 

Owl,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  Sept.  1,  1888,  to  No.  255,  March  7,  1896. 

Journal  of  Cyprian  Studies,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  April,  1889. 

Evayopas,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  March  14,  1890,  to  June  10,  1905. 

T6"Eevos,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  Aug.  27,  1891,  to  No.  126,  Feb.  22,  1894. 

Sadbd,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  July  11,  to  No.  16,  Nov.  14,  1889. 

Zaman,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  Dec.  25,  1891,  to  No.  423,  Sept.  7,  1900. 

Ybni  Zaman,  No.  1,  Aug.  22,  1892,  to  No.  22,  Feb.  27,  1893. 

LoQONUs,  No.  1,  Dec.  9,  1896,  to  No.  22,  Sept.  29,  1897. 

Neoi/ "E^vof ,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  Sept.  20,  1893,  to 

QiBRis,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  March  6,  1893,  to  No.  318,  Oct.  31,  1898. 

Rayah,  Jan.  1,  1898,  to  June  7,  1899. 

'EKiraidevais,  Jan.,  1898,  to  Jan.,  1900. 

KvnpLos,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  March  12,  1900,  to 

HaidLKf)  'Hx&>,  No.  1,  Jan.  4,  to  No.  24,  Dec.  28,  1903. 

Mirat-i-Zeman,  No.  1,  April  29,  1901,  to  No.  271,  Feb.  17,  1908. 

Mdo-rtI,  Limasol,  No.  1,  Aug.  23,  1904,  to  Feb.  23,  1905. 

'E\(i6epov  Bfipa,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  April  12,  1904,  to  Dec.  12,  1904. 

Cyprus  Journal,  No.  1,  Jan.  1,  1904,  to 

2r)pala  Tijs  Kinrpov,  July  8,  1905,  to  Sept.  21,  1905. 

KvTrpiaKrj  'EwiOfoyprjcris,  Oct.  5  to  Dec.  7,  1905. 

'Ecf)r)fjLfp\s  Tov  Aaov,  Larnaca,  No.  1,  July  1,  1906,  to 

KvTTpiaKos  $ijXa|,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  April  21,  1906. 

'EXevSepla,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  May  26,  1906,  to 

napOfVMv,  Limasol,  No.  1,  Dec.  28,  1906. 

narpLs,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  Nov.  7,  1907,  to 

ZrjvcDv,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  Jan.  28,  1906. 

'Ay6yi>,  Ktema,  No.  1,  Oct.  18,  1906. 

SuNUHAT,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  October  1,  1906,  to 

Islam,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  April  18,  1907,  to 

Salamis,  Famagusta,  No.  1,  June  21,  1907,  to 

Ne'a  Zcoj?',  Kyrenia,  No.  1,  Dec.  1907,  to 

Anglo-Cypriot,  Nicosia,  No.  1,  Feb.  12,  1908. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


513 


CARTOGRAPHY. 

Cyprus.    (0-10  X  0-15.)  Miinster,  1555. 

Cyprus.    Insula  olim  Macharia  id  est  beata  in  Carpathii  Sinu  Maximo.    Ferandus  Bertcli  excudit. 

(018  X  0-25.)  Rome,  1562. 

Cipro,  Isola  de.    Siluester  van  Pariis.  Antwerp,  1566. 

Cyprus.  Insula  nobilissima.  Expensis  J.  F.  Camotii.  (0*40  x0  26.)  Ad  Signum  Pyramidis.  Venice,  1566. 
Cypri  Insula.    N.  Honifacio  Sibenicensis.  Fol.,  Venice,  1570. 

Cyprus.    (0  :39  x  0-28.)    Matt.  Ziindteir.  Niirnberg,  1570. 

Cyprus.    Paolo  Forlani.  Venice,  1570. 

Cipro.    N.  Nelli.  Venice,  1570. 

C3rpro.    Disegno  de  I'isola  di  Rome,  1570. 

Cyprus  qiite  olim  Macaria...Clandii  dncheti  formis.  f27*60  x  31"54.)  1570. 
Cyprus  Insula.    Tlieatium  orbis  teriarum,  Abr.  Ortclius.  (s.  1.  et  a.  sed)  Antwerp,  1570-73. 

Cipro.    Insula  Nobilis.    (By  G.  F.  Camotti.)  Venice,  1571. 

Cipri  insuhe  nova  descript.  I.  A.  Deutecum.  (0  35  x  0  50.)  1573. 
Cyprus  Insula.  (0-18x0-43.)  Helle-forest.  1575. 
Cyprus.  (Insula  lajta  choris,  blandorum  et  mater  amorum.)  (0"36x0'47.)  Abr.  Ortelius.  Antwerp,  1584. 
Cyprus  Ins.  Mercator,  Gerard.  (0  33  x  0  47.)  1590. 
Cipre,  Isle  de.    Raigniauld  fee.  Paris  ?  1590  ? 

Cyprus  IsL,  etc.    Mercator,  Gerard.  Duisbourg,  fol.,  1595,  and  Amsterdam,  1607. 

Cyprus  Insula,  Citina,  etc.  dicta.    (0-22x0"80.)    J.  Bussemacher.  Colon,  1615. 

Chypre.  4to.  1620. 

Cyprus.  (On  vellum.    Amsterdam,  1620  ?) 

Cyprus  Insula.    Blaeuw.    (0-38  x  0-50.)  Amsterdam,  1635  and  1640. 

Cyprus  Insula.    P.  ^lariette.  Fol.,  Paris.  1651. 

Cyprus  insula  lieta  choris.    (0'37x0'47.)    J.  .Janssonii.  Amsterdam,  1654. 

C3rprus.    Acamantis  insula,  lioggidi  Cipro.    Coronolli,  Isolario.  Venice,  1696. 

Cyprus.    A  rough  copy  of  a  map  by  Carlo  Tasi,  papal  geographer,  a.d.  1700,  sketched  from  a  fresco  in  the 

Vatican  by  A.  H.  Bagnold,  Lt.  R.E.,  was  published  with  the  Cyprus  Herald,  May  31,  1882. 
Chypre.    L'Isle  (ct  autrefois  Koyaume).    Moullart  Sauson.  Paris.  1720. 

Chypre.  Carte  i)articulierc  dc  la  Syrie  et  de  I'ile  de.  G.  Delisle.  1726. 
Chypre.    Carte  do  I'ile  dc.    Bellin.  4to,  1764. 

Cyprus  Insula.    Tab.  xxvi.  in  Tabuhr  in  (Jeographos  Gr.  minorcs.    Ed.  C.  Muller.  Paris,  1855. 

Maps  in  Zamberto,  Porcacchi,  Zuallardo,  Rosaccio,  Beauvau,  Purchas,  Cotovicus,  Dapper,  Drummond, 
Pococke,  Jauna,  Rcinhard,  d'.\nville,  Ali  Bey,  Mas  Latrie,  Gaudry,  Ungcr  und  Kotschy.  and  Ccsnola. 
Cypern.    Eugcn  Oberhunimcr,  1 :  5(K),000.  .Munich.  1903. 

Cyprus.  .\  (ieological  Jlap,  with  a  key,  by  C.  V.  Bellamy.  5^  miles  to  1  inch.  E.  Stanford.  London,  1905. 
Admiralty  Charts. 

Cyprus.    Xo.  1003.    Corrected  up  to  Jan,  1905. 

Famagusta  and  Salamis.    No.  1004.    Corrected  up  to  Jan.  1895. 

Limassol.    NO.  H  K;.    Corrected  up  to  Nov.  1892.  1:26960. 

Famagusta  Harbour.    No.  847.    Corrected  up  to  June,  1884.    1  :  22039. 

Larnaca.    No.  H4H.    Corrected  up  to  Nov.  1892.    1  :  29470. 
D^pot  d(!  la  Marine,  Paris,  1873-74.    He  de  Chypre. 

Limassol.    No.  3243. 

Famagusta.    No.  3242. 

Larnaca.   No.  3244. 

Mediterranean  Pilot.    Vol.  n.  Chap.  vn.  pp.  378—396.  Third  edition,  8vo,  London.  1895. 

.\11  later  maps  are  superseded  by  the  Trigonometrical  Survey  of  the  Island  of  Cyprus  executed  under 

the  direction  of  H.  H.  Kitchener,  Capt.  R.E.     Hill  Shading  by  S.  C.  N.  Grant,  Lieut.  R.E. 

1  :  63360.  London, 1885. 

A  reduction  of  this  map,  1  :  316800  (really  5|  miles  to  1  inch,  1  :  348480),  was  published  by  E.  Stanford, 

Loudon,  1886;  and  in  Romaic,  s.  a.  by  .\.  and  P.  Sakellariou,  Athens. 

^-  65 


514  EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


CYPRUS  PARLIAMENTARY  PAPERS,  1878—1905. 

1878. 

C.  2057  J 

C.  2090  t  Anglo-Turkish  Convention. 
C.  2138  ) 

1879. 

C.  2229.  Correspondence. 

C.  2244.  Ancllorages. 

H.  of  C.  151.    Troops  and  Sickness. 

H.  of  C.  151  &  152.    Further  as  to  Health  of  Troops. 

H.  of  C.  169.    Health  of  Troops— Reports. 

C.  2324.    Complaints  against  the  Local  Government. 

C.  2326.    Public  "Works  Ordinance  (Forced  Labour). 

C.  2351.    Certain  Ordinances. 

C.  2355.    Complaints — Further  Correspondence. 

C.  2394.    Estimates  of  Revenue  and  Expenditure. 

C.  2396.  Finance. 

C.  2398.    Treatment  of  Prisoners  at  Famagusta. 
C.  2425.    Public  Works  and  English  Employes. 
C.  2427.  Forests. 

1880. 

C.  2542.    Pubhc  Works. 

C.  2543.    Annual  Report,  1879. 

C.  2544.    Famagusta  Harbour. 

C.  2628.    Payments  to  the  Porte. 

C.  2629.    Financial  State  of  the  Island. 

C.  2699.    List  of  Employes. 

1881. 

C.  2980.    Correspondence — Affairs  of  Cyprus. 

C.  2991.    Application  of  surplus  Revenue  (Tribute). 

C.  3005.    Finances  of  Cyprus. 

C.  3091.    Further  Correspondence. 

C.  3092.    Annual  Report. 

1882. 

H.  of  C.  17.    Mail  Contract. 

C.  3211.    New  Legislature. 

C.  3383.  Finances. 

C.  3384.    Further  Correspondence. 

C.  3385.    Annual  Report,  1881. 

1883. 

C.  3661.    Finance  and  Administration  (Mr  Fairfield's  Mission). 

C.  3662.  Finance. 

C.  3772.    Annual  Report,  1882. 

C.  3791.    New  Constitution. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


515 


1884. 

C.  4120.    Reduction  of  tlie  Grant-in-aid. 

C.  4188.    Annual  Report,  Jan.  1,  1883— March  31,  1884. 

C.  4189.    Locust  Campaign  of  1884. 

C.  4264.    Census  of  1881— Report. 

1885. 

C.  443.').    Revenue  Frauds. 
C.  4438. 
C.  4471. 

C.  4.585.    Revenue  Frauds. 


I    Revenue  and  Expenditure. 


1886. 

C.  4620.    Locust  Campaign  of  188.5. 
C.  4694.    Annual  lieport,  1884-8.5. 
C.  4831.    Revenue  Frauds. 

1887. 

C.  4960.  Locust  Campaign  of  1K85-S6. 
C.  4961.    Annual  Report,  188.5-86. 

1888. 

C.  .5250.    Locust  Campaign  of  1886-87. 
C.  5251.    Annual  Report,  1886-87. 
C.  5523.    Affairs  and  Finances. 
C.  5565.    Locust  Campaign  of  1887-88. 

1889. 

C.  5749.    Annual  Report,  1887-88. 
C.  5812.    .\ffairs  and  Finances. 


1890. 

C.  5980.  Leprosy. 

C.  6(K)3.    Affairs  and  Finances — Further  Correspondence. 
C.  6020.    Locust  Campaign  of  1888-89. 
C.  6189.    Annual  Report,  1888-89. 


1891. 

C.  6210.    Postal  Parcels — Convention  with  France. 

C.  6486.    Locust  Campaign  of  1890. 

H.  of  C.  277.    Enforced  Sales  of  Property. 


1892. 

C.  6764.    Report,  1889-90  and  1890-91. 


1893. 

C.  6903.    Locust  Campaigns  of  1H91  and  1892. 

C.  7053.    Report,  1891  92. 

C.  7149.    Locust  Campaign  of  1H93. 

65—2 


516 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


1894. 

C.    7411.    Keport,  1892-93. 

C.    7630.    Locust  Campaign  of  1894. 

1895. 

H.  of  L.  55.    Turkish  Loan  and  Grant-in-aid. 
C.    7876.    Report,  1893-94. 

1896. 

C.    7945.    Locust  Campaign  of  1895. 

C.    8076.    Report,  1894-95. 

C.    8289.    Locust  Campaign  of  1896. 

1897. 

C.    8580.    Report,  1895-96. 

C.    8633.    Locust  Campaign  of  1897. 

1898. 

C.    8805.    Report,  1896-97. 

1899. 

C.    9288.    Report,  1897-98. 

1900. 

Cd.  227.    Report,  1898-99. 

1901. 

Cd.  510.    Report,  1899-1900. 

1902. 

Cd.  937.    Report,  1900-01. 

1903. 

Cd.  1434.    Drought  in  Cyprus. 
Cd.  1465.    Report,  1901-02. 
Cd.  1786.    Agricultural  Fund. 

1904. 

Cd.  1984.    Report,  1902-03. 

1905. 

Cd.  2327.    Report,  1903-04. 
Cd.  2377.  Education. 

Cd.  2717.    Agricultural  Resources :  Cotton. 
Cd.  2776.    Report,  1904-05. 

1906. 

Cd.  3188.    Report,  1905-06. 

1907. 

Cd.  3742.    Report,  1906-07. 

Government  Gazette  (No.  1,  Nov.  5,  1878  to  No.  904,  Dec.  27,  1907). 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

» 


517 


CESNOLA  CONTROVERSY. 


Gallo,  F.    Biografia  del  Generale  Americano  e  Console  in  Cipro  Luigi  Palma  di  Cesnola. 

8vo,  Vercelli.  1869. 

De  Agostini,  G.    L.  P.  di  Cesnola  in  Cipro.  8vo,  Vercelli.  1871. 

  La  Vcncre  barbuta.  12mo,  Vercelli,  1872. 

Revue  Arch^ologique,  Dec,  1871,  Oct.,  1872,  .Jan.,  1873  (G.  Colonna  Ceccaldi,  Les  decouvertes  de  Golgos), 

May,  1872  (K.  H.  Lang,  Les  decouvertes  de  Golgos). 
Harper's  New  Monthly,  July,  1872. 

Report  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  May,  1873.  12mo,  New  York,  1873. 

Guide  to  the  Cesnola  Collection  of  Antiquities,  1875. 
Harper's  Weekly,  Jan.  13,  1877. 

Houtsma,  E.  0.    "  Cyprus  "  reviewed,  pp.  22.  8vo,  Groningen.  1878. 

Regaldi,  G.    Le  autichitil  di  Cipro  e  il  Generale  di  Cesnola.    (Nuova  Antologia,  xiii.  pp.  248  — 26i5.) 

8vo.  Firenze,  1879. 

Luigi  Palma  di  Cesnola.    (Valentuomini  Italiani  Contemporanei.)  48mo,  Firenze,  188(). 

Newton,  C.  T.    Essays  on  art  and  archaeology.    (Researches  in  Cyprus,  pp.  308 — 320.) 

8vo,  London.  1880. 

Sculptures  of  the  Cesnola  Collection.    Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  Handbook,  No.  3,  1880. 
Art  Amateur.    Aug.,  Sept.,  Oct.,  1880;  May,  1881;  Jan.  and  Dec,  1883;  March,  1884. 
Das  Ausland,  Stuttgart,  May  31,  1880. 

New  York  Herald,  July  31  and  Aug.  31,  1880;  May  15,  16,  1893. 
New  York  World,  Aug.  31,  1880;  April  23,  24,  1893. 

Feuardent,  G.  L.    Answer  to  L.  P.  di  Cesnola.  New  York,  1880. 

New  York  Times,  Aug.  .5,  6,  1880;  May  9,  14,  1881;  Feb.  9,  1885;  April  17,  May  5,  6,  9,  16,  1893. 
Evening  Post,  New  York,  May  13,  1882 ;  Jan.  26,  1884. 

Cyprus  Herald,  Nos.  103,  127,  129,  139,  194.  203,  205.  206,  210,  215.  Liniassol.  1883-85. 

Cook,  Clarence.    Transformations  and  ^Migrations  of  certain  Statues  in  the  Cesnola  Collection. 

Svo,  New  York,  1882. 

Rivista  Italo-Americana,  Now  York,  .Marcli  15,  1883. 
L'Eco  d'ltaliana.  New  York,  Feb.  2,  1884. 
New  York  Observer,  Feb.  7,  1884. 
L'Homme,  Paris,  Nos.  15, 18,  21,  1884;  6,  1885. 

Feuardent,  G.  L.  versus  L.  P.  di  Cesnola.    Testimony  of  the  Defendant,  printed  for  the  Plaintiff. 

New  York,  1884. 

The  Independent,  New  \ov\<.  Oci.  23,  1884. 

Repertorium  fiir  Kunstwissenschaft,  vii.  JJand,  3  Heft,  1884. 

Courier  de  I'Art,  Paris.  Sept.  26,  Nov.  28,  1884;  July  31,  Nov.  27,  1885. 

II  progresso  Italo-Americano,  No.  287,  Dec.  5,  1884. 

L'Art,  Paris,  Jan.  1,  1885. 

Stillman,  W.  J.    Report  on  the  Cesnola  Collection.  New  York.  1885. 

The  Studio,  New  York,  Jan.  17,  May  19,  1885;  May  1.  29,  1886. 

Aletheia,  Limassol,  No.  214,  1885. 

Salpinx,  Limassol,  Nos.  50,  53,  69,  1885. 

The  Mail  and  Express,  New  York,  Dec.  5,  1885. 

The  Athenaeum,  London,  No.  3155,  A^iril  14,  1888. 

Classical  Review,  Loudon,  Nos.  3,  5,  6,  1888. 


518 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


The  Nation,  New  York,  Sept.  6,  13,  1888. 
Collector,  New  York,  1893,  pp.  233,  271,  286. 
Daily  Tribune,  New  York,  April  24,  1893. 
Sun,  New  York,  May  7,  23,  1893. 

Roversi,  Luigi.    L.  Palma  rli  Cesnola  e  il  Metropolitan  Museum.  8vo,  New  York,  1898. 

De  Feis,  L.    Le  antichita  cli  Cipro  ed  i  fratelli  L.  ed  A.  P.  di  Cesnola.    (Bessarione,  No.  41.) 

8vo,  Koma,  1899. 

Massarani,  TuUo.    Cipro,  antica  e  moderna,  e  il  Generale  L.  P.  di  Cesnola.  Roma,  1899. 

Reinach,  S.    L.  P.  di  Cesnola.    (Revue  Archeologique,  iv.  Serie.    Tom.  v.  p.  301.    Mars,  Avril,  1905.) 

8vo,  Paris,  1905. 


INDEX. 


Acamas  1,  2,  4 

Achaeorum  littus  (Acte  Achaion)  1,  4,  303,  316 
Afrikee  44"2 

Albanians  167,  196,  198 

Amatlius  1,  5,  166,  203,  214,  242,  248,  289,  315,  409 
Amiantlius  166,  200,  203,  214,  243,  247,  282,  309,  383 
Amphibia  333 
AnastasioK,  S.  219 
Andrea,  Cape  S.  6,  258 
Anne,  S.  27,  121 
Anzerel,  Floiide  d'  174 
Aphrodision  1 

Aphrodite  Acraia  1,  174,  195,  206,  257,  312 
Aradippou  445 

Arbutus  Audracline  385,  439 
Archangelos,  Mou.  446 

ArchbisJiop  13,  21,  78,  161,  168,  249,  279,  280,  349, 

353-5,  368,  395,  416,  421,  428,  437,  463 
Arsinoe  2,  122,  195,  313 
Aspre  177,  344,  470 
Auxentios,  S.  212 
Auzellos  30 

BaKhono,  Astorro  81,  91,  117,  118,  127,  170,  187 

Balls,  W.  477 

Bananas  189 

Baqi,  -Abd'ul  363-5 

Barnabas,  S.  21,  165,  256 

Barton,  G.  476 

Bate,  R.  476 

Beccaftchi  72,  166,  184,  200,  213,  240,  247 

Bees  44,  65,  386 

Bekir  Pasha  288,  355,  369,  415 

Bella  Pais  238,  239,  260,  418 

Berat  470 

Berengaria  6 

Bernard,  S.  121 

Birds  325-337 

Bishops  18,  13,  23,  54,  235,  349,  353-6,  360,  364,  391, 
394 

Boudaprc,  M.  de  304 
Hoyaji  Of^lilu,  Mehmed  351 


Bragadino  117,  118,  196,  273 
Brides  17 

Buffavento  8,  301,  399-402 

Calepio,  Fra  A.  119,  123 
Callinusa,  C.  4 

Calogeroi  (Kaloires)  203,  207,  235,  270 

Camlet  22,  67 

Caudiotes  425,  427 

Cantara  303 

CafKjllo,  Carlo  79 

Carable  29 

Carcar,  Jean  174 

Carlo  Emmanuele.  Duke  of  Savoy  461 
Carobs  72,  IKH,  214,  247,  265 
Carpasium  1.  4,  257,  303,  316 
Catherine,  S.  24,  25,  35,  53,  57,  78,  256 
Cats  and  snakes  46,  48,  172,  183,  188,  207,  209,  265, 
289 

Cava,  S.  M.  della  (Fgta)  16 

Ceraunia  4  (see  Kyrenia) 

Cernide  90,  92 

Chamidcon  200.  211 

Chateau  franc  30 

Chil  Osman  356-8,  462 

Chrysanthos,  Ab])  362.  391,  395.  .(96.  416 

Chrysanthos,  Bp  360.  391 

Chrysochou  293 

Chrysostom,  S.  .John.  .Mon.  237,  400 
Chytroi  4 

Cistus  ladanifera  306 

Citium  2.  4,  165,  175,  240,  279,  282,  283,  287,  313 
Cleides  1,  19,  382 

ClimaU-  17,  29.  31,  35,  49,  52,  55,  63,  67,  71,  73,  186. 

199,  246,  378,  379,  448,  450 
Coins  35,  36,  70,  72,  73,  177,  188,  270,  271,  351,  368. 

424 

Colos  265,  290,  403,  444 
Comercio  190 

Commerce  281,  371-3,  425,  426,  448 
Comnenns,  Isaac  6.  11,  319 
Constantia  20,  24,  249 


520 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Constantinos,  S.  213,  222 

Consuls  250,  284,  370,  420,  427-9,  456 

Contarini,  Bp  Fr.  93,  95,  101,  107,  128,  131,  140 

Copper  3,  309 

Corn  426,  431 

Cornaro,  Cat.  78,  170,  204,  272,  320 
Corno  393 

Costume  17,  24,  243,  246,  268,  276,  384,  396,  421,  422, 

430,  435,  449 
Cotton  65,  166,  177,  189,  310,  324,  371 
Couclia  443 

Croce,  C.  14,  18,  21,  38-40,  64,  72,  175,  195,  241, 

253,  282,  283,  422,  432 
Crommyon,  C.  1,  2,  4 
Crosachieri  (Porte-croix)  120 
Crows  217 

Crystal  306,  383,  389 
Curias,  C.  2,  3,  4,  63,  265 
Curion  2,  4 
Cusco  (Colchos)  31 

Cyprianos,  Abp  416,  451,  464,  466,  468 

Cyprianos,  Archim.  344 

Cypria  pulvis  200 

Cythera  164,  193,  208,  291,  398 

Dades,  C.  4,  287 
Dandolo,  Nic.  81,  99 
Dare,  Peter  475 
De  la  Paix  (see  Bella  Pais) 
Deleau,  P.  477 
Demetrianos,  S.  222 

Diamonds  51,  171,  179,  185,  244,  247,  293,  306,  309, 

881,  381 
Dideban  347,  (digdaban)  370 
Disdar  347 
Districts  194 
Dominicans  121 
Doumarin  300 

Dragoman  369,  394,  395,  414,  417 
Drepanon  4 
Dress  (see  Costume) 

Earthquakes  48,  148,  144,  355 
Elaia,  C.  4 
Engadi  14,  15,  16,  19 
Enkleistra  9,  229 
Epiktetos,  S.  226 
Epiphanies,  S.  14,  20,  53,  78,  179 
Episcopi  35 
Epitaphs  475 

Eratosthenes  1,  3,  61,  245 
Esaias,  of  Kykko  321 


Executions  at  Nicosia,  July,  1821  450  sqq.,  459,  463, 
465-9 

Falchetti,  F.  80,  81 
Falcons  20,  26,  178,  185 

Famagusta  14,  16,  19,  21,  22,  27,  78,  77,  286,  249, 

255,  307,  434 
Famagusta,  Siege  of  108-119,  149-162,  170,  180, 

196,  207,  272,  278 
Ferdinand  I.,  G.  D.  of  Tuscany  204,  206 
Fishes  334,  338 

Fontana  Amorosa  (Ariosto,  O.F.  xviii.  136)  165,  244, 

262,  332 
Forests  3,  61 
Franciscans  191 
Francolin  267 
Francomastes  85,  245 
Frederic  I.,  Emp.  11,  13 
Frudvord  (G.  Treadway  ?)  807 
Fruit  75 
Funerals  17,  60 

Gebelin,  Ant.  de  304 
Gems,  engraved  381,  389 
George,  Patr.  of  Cple  321 
Ghurema  371 
Gourry,  Jacques  32,  38 
Graham,  Chr.  475 
Greek  insurrection  465-9 
Griffons  (Greeks)  6 

Hafuz  efendi  358 
Head-money  [see  Kharaj) 
Helena,  S.  201,  210,  292 
Heloise  de  Brunswick  28 
Henna  308 
Henri  II.  15 
Henry  VI.,  Emp.  13 
Heracleidios,  S.  223 
Hermann,  of  Lyon  13 
Herminians  6 
Hermogenes,  S.  219 
Hieroskepos  2,  405-8,  440 
Hilarion,  S.  19,  21,  179,  299 
Hilarion  Kigallas  284,  821 
Hugues  IV.  16 

Idalion  430 
Incubi  13 

Ines  (sister  of  Jean  II.)  81 

Inscriptions  174,  187,  197,  254,  298,  300,  302,  304, 
814,  425,  485,  444 


INDEX. 


521 


Isaac  Comnenus  6,  9,  11,  12 

Jacobins  66 
Jacques  I.  28,  29 
Jacques  II.  70,  78 
Jean  II.  30,  32-34 
Jews  74  sqq. 

John,  tlie  Almoner,  S.  179,  289,  820 

John  Lampadistes,  S.  226 

John,  of  Montfort,  S.  51,  59,  64,  67 

Kaloires  (see  Calogeroi) 
Kaphrosein  5 
Ken,  Ion  475 
Ken,  William  475 
Kendeas,  S.  220-2 
Kerr,  H.  A.  479 
Klialil  Aglia  360,  361 

Kliaraj  173,  233,  247,  270,  277,  329,  335,  345,  350, 

371,  404,  447,  461,  462 
Kiti  193,  211,  240 
Kouklia  443 
Koutzoventi  161 
Ktiina  440 

Kuchuk  Mehmed  450  sqq.,  464,  465-9 

Kykko  262,  295,  317,  438,  439,  452 

Kyrenia  13,  34,  62,  216,  232,  241,  249,  260,  299,  418 

Kytliraia  193,  237,  398 

Ladanum  214,  241,  247,  267,  330 
Ladd,  D.  477 

Lapethos  1,  4,  165,  194,  298 
Lapierre,  Geo.  467,  468 

Larnaca  190,  249,  253,  313,  370,  419,  423,  427,  428 

Latin  Church  18,  47,  66,  348 

Lazarus,  S.  175,  213,  250,  258,  276,  425 

Ledra  120,  165 

LeoutioH,  Bp  of  Neapolis  179 

Leopards  16,  20,  21,  26 

Leucolla  2,  73,  122,  302 

Leucoton  120,  165 

Levanti  (Levendlcr)  307 

Levkara  99,  132,  345 

Levteri  167,  196 

Lichen  307 

Lignum  Cyprinum  259,  267,  327 
Lilburn  J.  478 

Limasol  19,  28,  45,  56,  68,  171,  188,  214,  233,  445 
Limenia  2 
Liuobambaki  449 

Locusts  49,  62,  68,  143,  177,  201,  241,  276,  298,  810, 
356,  410,  448 
c. 


Lusignan,  de 

Etienne  (or  Jacques)  119 
Gio.  Ph.  148,  155 
Guy  169 
Henri  II.  15 
Hugues,  Card.  31 
Hugues  IV.  16 
Jacques  I.  28,  29 
Jacques  II.  70,  78,  169 
Jean  II.  30,  32-34,  169 
Pierre  II.  169 

Macaria  4 

Macarios,  Abp  470 

Madder  268 

Maggi,  Cav.  85 

Malaria  378,  379,  420,  424 

Mamas,  S.  51,  52,  167,  213,  261,  297 

Manchana,  Mon.  120 

Mandia,  Hill  of  133 

Marboa  (Mai-ro  wine;  29 

Margarita,  Hill  of  133 

Marina,  Hill  of  133 

Marium  302 

Maroni  288 

Maronites  181  sqq.,  322 
Martinengo,  Gir.  89,  118 
Martiueugo,  Hier.  126 
Martinengo,  Nestore  117,  118 
Mechain,  Consul  455,  466,  468,  469 
Miclies,  Jean  125,  246 
Mines  3,  203,  383 
Mnason,  S.  168,  224 
MoUa  347 
Monasteries  269 

Montfort,  S.  Jolm  of  35,  44,  122,  168 
Mores  30 

Mormori,  Engineer  113 
Moufflon  16,  20,  29 
Muqata'a  346 
Mustafa  Lala  Pa.sha  90 
Muzaffer  Paslia  84,  87 

Napa,  S.  213,  240,  301,  434 

Neophytos,  S.  9,  227-230,  321 

Nestorians  17 

Nicocles  291 

Nicolas,  S.,  Mon.  172 

Nicosia,  13,  195,  259,  417,  436 

Nicosia,  Siege  of  80-87,  92-108,  120,  132-148 

Nores,  .Jacopo  di  105 

Nozul  270,  277,  350,  351 

66 


522 


EXCERPTA  CYPRIA. 


Officials  278,  279 
Olympus  1,  2,  257,  312 
Onesiphoros,  S.  218 
Ophthalmia  73 
Opium  176 

Order  of  the  Sword  34,  36,  37 
Ormidia  213,  433 

Paisios,  Abp  262 
Palaipaphos  2,  3,  4,  441 
Palazzo,  Colonel  80-85 
Palmer,  Mary  475 

Paphos  2,  4,  18,  45,  64,  249,  263,  424,  440 
Papyons  21 

Parici  78,  132,  167,  198,  245,  345 

Pease,  L.  E.  477 

Pease,  L.  W.  477 

Pedalion,  C.  2,  3 

Perpirarii  167,  198 

Petrifactions  62,  197,  237 

Phaneromene,  H.  288 

Philip,  of  Cple  321 

Piale  80,  90,  91 

Piastre  271,  344,  424 

Pigeons,  homing  33 

Piovene,  Capt.  83,  84,  93,  103,  133,  136 
Plants  326-343 
Pomodamo  108,  149 

Population  277,  344,  345,  361,  366-8,  385,  396, 

421,  425,  461,  465 
Pravimunt  (or  Perrinunt)  19 
Priests,  Greek  449 
Pulcher,  Publ.  CI.  3,  62,  177,  271 
Pyla  236 
Pyrga  294 

Quadrupeds  332,  337 
Querns  385 
Quirini  117,  118 

Eayahs  345,  350 
KebelHon  of  1712  351  sqq. 
Relics  23,  27,  30 
Rheginos,  S.  180,  218 
Rich,  W.  392 

Richard  I.  1,  5,  11,  51,  56,  57,  64,  87,  168,  194, 
Rocas,  Conte  di  91,  106 
Rodom,  Bp  226 
Rohan,  H.  due  de  461 
Rooke,  Colonel  398,  420,  476 

Salamis  2,  45,  54,  78,  256 


Salebruche,  M.  de  29 

Salines  41,-48,  52,  54,  60,  64,  69,  165,  175,  184,  185, 
191,  209,  212,  240,  247,  250,  253,  275,  277,  283,  284, 
309,  371,  425 

Sarcophagus  42,  52 

Sarignia  240 

Savorgnano,  G.  100 

Schernse  (Kyrenia)  13 

Selim,  Sultan  125,  246 

Semantra  42,  59 

Sequin  177,  344,  365 

Sergius  and  Bacchus,  SS.  438 

Silk  372,  425 

Sinclitico,  E.  89 

SincHtico,  G.  91,  141 

Sinclitico,  P.  P.  91,  97,  141 

Sinore  58 

Sipahi  101,  344-6 

Snakes  268,  276,  322,  327,  333,  410,  422,  450 

Soloi  2,  3,  264,  296,  315 

Sophia,  S.  42 

Sophronios,  Abp  470 

Sozomeno,  G.  81,  84,  91,  97,  101 

Spenza  346 

Spiliotissa  236 

Sport  20,  21,  29 

Stadia  1,  3 

Sternia  239 

Storks  242 

Stradiots  84,  85,  91,  97,  100,  130 
Suarez,  Adm.  32 
Sugar  166,  174,  199,  247,  310 
Suleiman  Pasha  (O.  J.  A.  Seves)  461 

Tadakhul  346 

Tamassos  3,  4,  165,  225 

Tarantula  268,  282 

Taxes  and  Tribute  55,  57,  396 

Tekye,  Hala  Sultan  240,  250, 253, 276,  313,  374-7, 459 

Teutonic  Knights  19 

Tezza  (teglia)  115,  154 

Thecla,  S.  393,  422,  432 

Theodore,  S.  26,  121,  179 

Therapon,  S.  230 

Theseus,  Archim.  465,  469 

Thomas  of  Canterbury,  S.  19 

Thronoi  2,  3 

Tiepolo  118 

Timars  344,  346 

Toklmi  392 

Treadway,  Geo.  307 

Tremethus  4 


♦ 


Uluj  Ali  119,  145 
Umber  266,  281,  426 
Umm  Haram  374  sqq. 

Valentine  and  Orson  56 

Vegetables  75 

Venetians,  White  167,  196 

Vezin,  M.  de  368,  476 

Villages,  no.  of  74,  197,  347,  366 

Vultures  72 

Waterpot  (from  Cana)  70 


INDEX.  523 

Waterwheels  65,  199 

Wine  16,  18,  20,  21,  26,  75,  166,  172,  173,  242,  281, 

310,  380,  448,  457 
Wolff,  Esther  H.  477 

Zaabelota  200 
Zabib  166,  199 
Zaim  344 
Zenonimus,  S.  21 
Zephyria,  C.  2,  4,  291 
Zibini  27 

Zozonaion  (Zozonion)  16 


CAMBRIDGE:    PRINTED  BY  JOHN  CLAY,  M.A.  AT  THE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS. 


GETTY  RESEARCH  INSTITUTE 


